JSON Web Tokens (JWT)

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JSON Web Tokens (JWT) are digitally signed or encrypted tokens used in Keycloak for authentication and authorization, particularly in OIDC-based security. JWTs consist of a header, payload (claims), and signature, ensuring data integrity and secure identity verification. Keycloak issues JWTs as identity, access, and refresh tokens, supporting fine-grained authorization, audience restriction, and token introspection. Security measures include short token lifespans, encryption, DPoP, and mutual TLS (mTLS) to protect against unauthorized access and token misuse in modern authentication frameworks.

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