AUTH

The AUTH command is a DiceDB command that enables you to authenticate a client connecting to the DiceDB server using a password. This command is particularly important in environments where the DiceDB instance is secured with access control measures, ensuring that only authorized users can interact with the server and its data.

Syntax

AUTH password

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Type	Required
password	The password that you have set for the DiceDB server.	String	Yes

Return values

Condition	Return Value
Authentication is successful	OK
Syntax or specified constraints are invalid	error

Behaviour

When the AUTH command is executed, DiceDB will perform the following steps:

1. Check Authentication Status: DiceDB will check if the server is configured to require authentication (i.e., if a password is set in the DiceDB configuration).
2. Validate Password: If authentication is required, DiceDB will then verify the provided password against the configured password.
3. Return Response:
   • If the password is valid, DiceDB will store the authenticated session for that client.
   • If the password is invalid, an error message will be returned.

Once authenticated, the client can execute commands on the DiceDB server that require authentication. If a client attempts to send commands without being authenticated (and while authentication is required), DiceDB will respond with an error for unauthorized access.

Errors

1. (error) WRONGPASS invalid username-password pair or user is disabled: This error occurs if the password provided to the AUTH command does not match the configured password of the DiceDB server. The client will not be granted access unless the correct password is provided.

2. (error) NOAUTH Authentication required: This error occurs when a client attempts to execute a command without authenticating first. The client must use the AUTH command to authenticate before executing any other commands.

3. (error) ERR AUTH <password> called without any password configured for the default user. Are you sure your configuration is correct?: This error will be raised if the DiceDB server is not configured to use a password (i.e., the requirepass directive in the DiceDB.conf file is empty or commented out), and a client attempts to authenticate using the AUTH command.

Example Usage

Successful Authentication

In this example, after successfully typing the correct password, the DiceDB server responds with OK, indicating that the client is now authenticated and can execute further commands.

127.0.0.1:7379> AUTH your_secret_password
OK

Failed Authentication

In this example, the provided password is incorrect. As a result, the DiceDB server responds with an error indicating that the authentication has failed.

127.0.0.1:7379> AUTH incorrect_password
(error) WRONGPASS invalid username-password pair or user is disabled

Invoking commands without AUTH

In this example, when some other command is fired without doing AUTH then the above error is thrown denoting that authentication is required.

127.0.0.1:7379> GET x
(error) NOAUTH Authentication required

Invoking AUTH without configuring password

In this example, when AUTH is fired without actually configuring the password for the DiceDB server, then the server returns an error indicating that no password is set or the configuration is incorrect.

127.0.0.1:7379> AUTH incorrect_password
(error) ERR AUTH <password> called without any password configured for the default user. Are you sure your configuration is correct?

Invalid usage

127.0.0.1:7379> AUTH your_secret_password foo bar
(error) ERR wrong number of arguments for 'auth' command

Additional Notes

• The AUTH command should be used cautiously, especially over unsecured connections, as plaintext passwords may be transmitted. Using TLS or other secure methods is recommended for production environments.
• It’s possible to configure DiceDB to allow multiple clients to connect concurrently from different IP addresses. Each client needs to authenticate separately.
• If you change the password in the DiceDB configuration, all connected clients must re-authenticate with the new password.