User Authentication System

User Authentication System

This skill provides a complete authentication and authorization system for Greek accounting firm operations through OpenClaw. It manages user identities, role-based permissions, per-client access controls, and session security for multi-user accounting environments.

Setup

export OPENCLAW_DATA_DIR="/data"
which jq openssl || sudo apt install jq openssl
mkdir -p $OPENCLAW_DATA_DIR/auth
chmod 700 $OPENCLAW_DATA_DIR/auth

No external auth services. User credentials are stored as salted SHA-256 hashes locally. 2FA uses SHA-256 TOTP generated by openssl.

Core Philosophy

• Role-Based Access: Hierarchical permissions matching real accounting firm structures
• Per-Client Authorization: Granular control over which users access which client data
• Session Security: Secure session management with timeout and device tracking
• Audit Integration: Every authentication and authorization event logged
• OpenClaw Artifact Ready: File-based auth suitable for OpenClaw deployment

OpenClaw Commands

User Management

openclaw auth user-create --username "maria.g" --role assistant --full-name "Maria Georgiou" --email "maria@firm.gr"
openclaw auth user-update --username "maria.g" --role accountant --effective-date 2026-03-01
openclaw auth user-deactivate --username "maria.g" --reason "resignation" --revoke-sessions
openclaw auth user-list --active --role assistant --format table
openclaw auth password-reset --username "maria.g" --send-reset-link
openclaw auth password-policy --min-length 12 --require-special --max-age-days 90

Role & Permission Management

openclaw auth role-list --include-permissions
openclaw auth role-create --name "tax_specialist" --base-role accountant --add-permissions "tax_filing,tax_optimization"
openclaw auth assign-clients --username "maria.g" --clients EL123456789,EL987654321
openclaw auth assign-clients --username "maria.g" --all-clients
openclaw auth check-access --username "maria.g" --client EL123456789 --action "view_financials"
openclaw auth access-matrix --all-users --all-clients --format xlsx

Security & Audit

openclaw auth security-log --last-24h --include-failures
openclaw auth failed-logins --threshold 3 --lockout-duration 30m
openclaw auth audit-report --user "maria.g" --period last-30-days
openclaw auth audit-report --client EL123456789 --who-accessed --period last-week
openclaw auth 2fa-enable --username "maria.g" --method totp
openclaw auth sessions-list --active --format table
openclaw auth session-revoke --username "maria.g" --all-devices

File System Architecture

Auth_File_Structure:
  user_data:
    - /data/auth/users/{username}/profile.json
    - /data/auth/users/{username}/credentials.json
    - /data/auth/users/{username}/permissions.json
    - /data/auth/users/{username}/sessions/
    - /data/auth/users/{username}/2fa/

  role_definitions:
    - /data/auth/roles/senior_accountant.json
    - /data/auth/roles/accountant.json
    - /data/auth/roles/assistant.json
    - /data/auth/roles/viewer.json
    - /data/auth/roles/custom/

  access_control:
    - /data/auth/access/client_assignments.json
    - /data/auth/access/policies.json
    - /data/auth/access/ip_whitelist.json

  security_logs:
    - /data/auth/logs/logins/
    - /data/auth/logs/access/
    - /data/auth/logs/admin/
    - /data/auth/logs/security/

Role Hierarchy & Permissions

Role Definitions

Roles:
  senior_accountant:
    description: "Senior accountant - full system access"
    level: 4
    inherits: "accountant"
    permissions:
      - all_client_access
      - user_management
      - role_assignment
      - system_configuration
      - data_export_all
      - compliance_override
      - audit_log_access
      - gdpr_operations
      - billing_management
      - skill_configuration
    client_access: "all"

  accountant:
    description: "Accountant - broad access to assigned clients"
    level: 3
    inherits: "assistant"
    permissions:
      - client_data_full_access
      - tax_filing_submit
      - tax_optimization
      - compliance_management
      - financial_reporting
      - efka_submissions
      - banking_reconciliation
      - deadline_management
      - client_communication
    client_access: "assigned_only"
    restrictions:
      - cannot_manage_users
      - cannot_change_system_config

  assistant:
    description: "Accountant assistant - operational access"
    level: 2
    inherits: "viewer"
    permissions:
      - document_upload
      - document_processing
      - data_entry
      - email_processing
      - dashboard_access
      - basic_reporting
      - client_data_edit_basic
      - alert_acknowledgement
      - ocr_processing
    client_access: "assigned_only"
    restrictions:
      - cannot_submit_tax_filings
      - cannot_export_sensitive_data
      - cannot_modify_financial_records

  viewer:
    description: "Read-only access to assigned client data"
    level: 1
    permissions:
      - dashboard_view
      - client_data_view
      - report_view
      - deadline_view
      - document_view
    client_access: "assigned_only"
    restrictions:
      - read_only
      - no_data_modification
      - no_data_export

Permission Matrix

Permission_Matrix:
  view_dashboard: "viewer"
  configure_dashboard: "accountant"
  view_client_profile: "viewer"
  edit_client_profile: "assistant"
  create_client: "accountant"
  delete_client: "senior_accountant"
  export_client_data: "accountant"
  gdpr_operations: "senior_accountant"
  view_documents: "viewer"
  upload_documents: "assistant"
  process_documents: "assistant"
  delete_documents: "accountant"
  view_financials: "viewer"
  enter_financial_data: "assistant"
  modify_financial_records: "accountant"
  submit_tax_filings: "accountant"
  view_compliance_status: "viewer"
  manage_compliance: "accountant"
  override_compliance: "senior_accountant"
  view_employee_data: "viewer"
  manage_employees: "accountant"
  submit_efka: "accountant"
  view_transactions: "viewer"
  reconcile_transactions: "assistant"
  configure_banking: "accountant"
  manage_users: "senior_accountant"
  manage_roles: "senior_accountant"
  view_audit_logs: "senior_accountant"
  system_configuration: "senior_accountant"

Authentication Engine

Core Authentication

class AuthenticationEngine:
    """Handles user authentication, sessions, and credential management."""

    def __init__(self):
        self.session_timeout = 30 * 60  # 30 minutes
        self.idle_timeout = 15 * 60     # 15 minutes
        self.max_failed_attempts = 5
        self.lockout_duration = 30 * 60  # 30 minutes

    def authenticate(self, username, password, device_info=None):
        """Authenticate user and create session."""
        if self.is_account_locked(username):
            self.log_auth_event(username, 'login_blocked', 'account_locked')
            return {'success': False, 'error': 'Account is locked. Contact administrator.'}

        user = self.load_user(username)
        if not user:
            self.log_auth_event(username, 'login_failed', 'user_not_found')
            return {'success': False, 'error': 'Invalid credentials'}

        if not self.verify_password(password, user['password_hash']):
            self.record_failed_attempt(username)
            self.log_auth_event(username, 'login_failed', 'wrong_password')
            return {'success': False, 'error': 'Invalid credentials'}

        if user['status'] != 'active':
            self.log_auth_event(username, 'login_failed', f'account_{user["status"]}')
            return {'success': False, 'error': 'Account is not active'}

        if user.get('2fa_enabled', False):
            return {'success': False, 'requires_2fa': True,
                    'session_pending': self.create_pending_session(username)}

        session = self.create_session(username, device_info)
        self.clear_failed_attempts(username)
        self.log_auth_event(username, 'login_success', device_info=device_info)
        return {'success': True, 'session': session, 'user': self.get_user_summary(username)}

    def create_session(self, username, device_info=None):
        """Create a new authenticated session.
        
        Security: The raw session token is returned to the user exactly once.
        Only the salted SHA-256 hash is stored on disk. Validation compares
        the hash of the incoming token against the stored hash.
        """
        raw_token = generate_secure_token(64)
        token_hash = hash_session_token(raw_token)  # SHA-256 salted hash
        session = {
            'session_id': token_hash,
            'username': username,
            'created_at': current_timestamp(),
            'expires_at': current_timestamp() + self.session_timeout,
            'last_activity': current_timestamp(),
            'device_info': device_info,
            'ip_address': get_request_ip(),
            'role': self.get_user_role(username),
            'client_access': self.get_user_client_access(username)
        }
        session_path = f"/data/auth/users/{username}/sessions/{token_hash}.json"
        write_json(session_path, session)
        # Return raw token to user — this is the only time it exists in cleartext
        session['bearer_token'] = raw_token
        return session

    def validate_session(self, session_id):
        """Validate an existing session."""
        session = self.find_session(session_id)
        if not session:
            return {'valid': False, 'reason': 'session_not_found'}
        if current_timestamp() > session['expires_at']:
            self.destroy_session(session_id)
            return {'valid': False, 'reason': 'session_expired'}
        if current_timestamp() - session['last_activity'] > self.idle_timeout:
            self.destroy_session(session_id)
            return {'valid': False, 'reason': 'idle_timeout'}
        session['last_activity'] = current_timestamp()
        self.update_session(session)
        return {'valid': True, 'session': session}

    def hash_password(self, password):
        """Hash password using bcrypt with salt."""
        return bcrypt_hash(password, rounds=12)

    def validate_password_strength(self, password):
        """Check password meets policy requirements."""
        errors = []
        if len(password) < 12:
            errors.append("Password must be at least 12 characters")
        if not any(c.isupper() for c in password):
            errors.append("Must contain uppercase letter")
        if not any(c.islower() for c in password):
            errors.append("Must contain lowercase letter")
        if not any(c.isdigit() for c in password):
            errors.append("Must contain digit")
        if not any(c in '!@#$%^&*()_+-=' for c in password):
            errors.append("Must contain special character")
        return {'valid': len(errors) == 0, 'errors': errors}

Authorization Engine

class AuthorizationEngine:
    """Handles permission checks and access control decisions."""

    def __init__(self):
        self.roles = self.load_roles()
        self.access_matrix = self.load_access_matrix()

    def check_permission(self, session, action, client_vat=None):
        """Check if user has permission to perform an action."""
        username = session['username']
        user_role = session['role']

        required_role = self.access_matrix.get(action)
        if not required_role:
            self.log_authorization(username, action, client_vat, 'denied', 'unknown_action')
            return {'allowed': False, 'reason': f'Unknown action: {action}'}

        user_level = self.roles[user_role]['level']
        required_level = self.roles[required_role]['level']

        if user_level < required_level:
            self.log_authorization(username, action, client_vat, 'denied', 'insufficient_role')
            return {'allowed': False,
                    'reason': f'Requires {required_role} role (you have {user_role})'}

        # Check client-specific access
        if client_vat:
            client_access = session.get('client_access', [])
            if 'all' not in client_access and client_vat not in client_access:
                self.log_authorization(username, action, client_vat, 'denied', 'no_client_access')
                return {'allowed': False,
                        'reason': f'Not authorized for client {AFM}'}

        self.log_authorization(username, action, client_vat, 'allowed')
        return {'allowed': True}

    def resolve_permissions(self, role_name):
        """Resolve all permissions including inherited ones."""
        role = self.roles.get(role_name, {})
        permissions = set(role.get('permissions', []))
        parent = role.get('inherits')
        if parent:
            permissions.update(self.resolve_permissions(parent))
        return permissions

    def get_accessible_clients(self, username):
        """Get list of clients this user can access."""
        assignments = read_json("/data/auth/access/client_assignments.json")
        user_entry = assignments.get(username, {})
        if user_entry.get('all_clients', False):
            return {'type': 'all', 'clients': 'all'}
        return {'type': 'specific', 'clients': user_entry.get('clients', [])}

User Management

class UserManager:
    """Manages user lifecycle operations."""

    def __init__(self):
        self.auth_engine = AuthenticationEngine()
        self.authz_engine = AuthorizationEngine()

    def create_user(self, admin_session, user_data):
        """Create a new user account."""
        # Verify admin has permission
        perm_check = self.authz_engine.check_permission(admin_session, 'manage_users')
        if not perm_check['allowed']:
            return {'success': False, 'error': perm_check['reason']}

        username = user_data['username']

        # Check for duplicate
        if self.user_exists(username):
            return {'success': False, 'error': f'Username {username} already exists'}

        # Validate role
        if user_data['role'] not in self.authz_engine.roles:
            return {'success': False, 'error': f'Invalid role: {user_data["role"]}'}

        # Create user profile
        profile = {
            'username': username,
            'full_name': user_data['full_name'],
            'email': user_data.get('email'),
            'role': user_data['role'],
            'status': 'active',
            'created_at': current_timestamp(),
            'created_by': admin_session['username'],
            'password_change_required': True,
            '2fa_enabled': False
        }

        # Generate temporary password
        temp_password = generate_secure_password()
        credentials = {
            'password_hash': self.auth_engine.hash_password(temp_password),
            'password_set_at': current_timestamp(),
            'password_change_required': True
        }

        # Create user directory and files
        user_dir = f"/data/auth/users/{username}"
        create_directory(user_dir)
        create_directory(f"{user_dir}/sessions")
        create_directory(f"{user_dir}/2fa")
        write_json(f"{user_dir}/profile.json", profile)
        write_json(f"{user_dir}/credentials.json", credentials)
        write_json(f"{user_dir}/permissions.json", {'role': user_data['role'], 'custom': []})

        # Audit log
        self.log_admin_action(admin_session['username'], 'user_created', {
            'new_user': username, 'role': user_data['role']
        })

        return {
            'success': True,
            'username': username,
            'temporary_password': temp_password,
            'message': f'User {username} created with role {user_data["role"]}. '
                       f'Password change required on first login.'
        }

    def assign_clients(self, admin_session, username, client_vats):
        """Assign client access to a user."""
        perm_check = self.authz_engine.check_permission(admin_session, 'manage_users')
        if not perm_check['allowed']:
            return {'success': False, 'error': perm_check['reason']}

        assignments_path = "/data/auth/access/client_assignments.json"
        assignments = read_json(assignments_path) if file_exists(assignments_path) else {}

        if client_vats == 'all':
            assignments[username] = {'all_clients': True, 'clients': []}
        else:
            current = assignments.get(username, {'all_clients': False, 'clients': []})
            current['clients'] = list(set(current.get('clients', []) + client_vats))
            assignments[username] = current

        write_json(assignments_path, assignments)

        self.log_admin_action(admin_session['username'], 'clients_assigned', {
            'user': username, 'clients': client_vats
        })

        return {'success': True, 'username': username, 'client_access': assignments[username]}

Security Features

File System Permissions (Production Hardening)

The /data/auth/ directory contains sensitive credential and session data. In production, OS-level file permissions must be hardened:

# Restrict the entire auth directory
chmod 700 /data/auth/
chown -R openclaw:openclaw /data/auth/

# Credential files must be read-only to the service user
chmod 600 /data/auth/users/*/credentials.json

# Session files
chmod 600 /data/auth/users/*/sessions/*.json

# Role definitions (read by all skills for auth checks, writable only by admin)
chmod 644 /data/auth/roles/*.json

# Audit logs (append-only in production if OS supports it)
chmod 600 /data/auth/logs/**/*.json

Note: The OpenClaw agent and all skills share the same file system context. Without OS-level permission restrictions, any skill could read credential hashes. These permissions ensure that only the authentication skill's process can access sensitive auth data.

Account Lockout

Lockout_Policy:
  max_failed_attempts: 5
  lockout_duration: "30 minutes"
  lockout_escalation:
    - "5 failures: 30 minute lockout"
    - "10 failures: 2 hour lockout"
    - "15 failures: account disabled, admin notification"
  notification: "email admin on 3+ consecutive failures"

Two-Factor Authentication

2FA_Configuration:
  methods: ["totp"]
  mandatory_for: ["senior_accountant"]
  optional_for: ["accountant", "assistant"]
  recovery_codes: 10
  totp_settings:
    algorithm: "SHA256"
    digits: 6
    period: 30

Password Policy

Password_Policy:
  min_length: 12
  require_uppercase: true
  require_lowercase: true
  require_digit: true
  require_special: true
  max_age_days: 90
  history_count: 5
  common_password_check: true

IP & Device Security

Security_Controls:
  ip_whitelist:
    enabled: true
    allowed_ranges: ["office_ip_range"]
    action_on_violation: "block_and_alert"

  device_tracking:
    track_devices: true
    alert_new_device: true
    max_concurrent_sessions: 3

  session_controls:
    absolute_timeout: "8 hours"
    idle_timeout: "15 minutes"
    single_session_per_device: true

Integration with Other Skills

Skill_Integration:
  dashboard_greek_accounting:
    provides: ["user_session", "role_permissions", "accessible_clients"]
    enforces: "dashboard view permissions per user role"

  client_data_management:
    provides: ["access_decisions", "user_identity"]
    enforces: "per-client data access based on user assignments"
    integration: "authorization check before every data operation"

  greek_compliance_aade:
    enforces: "only accountant+ can submit filings"

  efka_api_integration:
    enforces: "only accountant+ can submit EFKA data"

  all_skills:
    provides: "user context for audit trail entries"
    enforces: "role-based action restrictions across all operations"

Audit & Compliance Reporting

Audit Log Structure

Audit_Events:
  authentication:
    - login_success
    - login_failed
    - login_blocked
    - logout
    - session_expired
    - session_revoked
    - 2fa_success
    - 2fa_failed
    - password_changed
    - password_reset

  authorization:
    - access_granted
    - access_denied
    - client_access_checked
    - permission_checked

  administration:
    - user_created
    - user_updated
    - user_deactivated
    - role_changed
    - clients_assigned
    - clients_revoked
    - policy_changed

Audit_Entry_Format:
  timestamp: "ISO 8601 with timezone"
  event_type: "category.action"
  username: "acting user"
  target: "affected resource"
  client_vat: "if client-specific"
  result: "success/failure"
  details: "additional context"
  ip_address: "source IP"
  session_id: "active session"

Success Metrics

A successful authentication system deployment should achieve:

• ✅ Secure Authentication: bcrypt password hashing, optional 2FA, session management
• ✅ Role Hierarchy: Four-level role system matching accounting firm structures
• ✅ Per-Client Access: Granular client data access assignment per user
• ✅ Session Security: Timeout, idle detection, concurrent session limits
• ✅ Complete Audit Trail: Every auth/authz event logged with context
• ✅ Account Protection: Lockout policy, password requirements, brute-force prevention
• ✅ Cross-Skill Enforcement: Authorization integrated into all data operations
• ✅ Admin Tools: User management, access matrix, security reporting
• ✅ GDPR Compatible: Access controls support data protection requirements
• ✅ Scalable: Handle 50+ users across 500+ clients

Remember: The authentication system is the security foundation for the entire Greek accounting platform. Every data access must pass through authorization checks, and every action must leave an audit trail.