I’m working with a CRM that uses Symphony and AngularJS. The latest version relies heavily on GraphQL for the frontend. I want to make API calls directly to the backend.
When I log in through the browser, I see a POST request to login followed by calls to api/graphql. The login payload is just a JSON with username and password.
I’ve tried using n8n, Python, and Postman to replicate this, but I’m getting a 401 error with “Invalid CSRF token.” This is confusing because I thought I’d get the token after logging in.
In the browser, I see a bunch of cookies in the request header. Are these the tokens I need? If so, how do I get them for my API requests?
I’m not sure if I should use a bearer token or something else. There’s no documentation available, and I can’t figure out how to authenticate properly.
Has anyone dealt with this before? What’s the right way to handle authentication for GraphQL APIs, especially when there’s no clear documentation?
I’ve encountered similar issues when working with undocumented GraphQL APIs and the CSRF token error clearly indicates that the API is enforcing extra security measures. Instead of simply mimicking a basic login request, it’s crucial to inspect the browser’s network activity to capture all relevant cookies and header information sent during an actual login. There might be a preliminary step to obtain a CSRF token before authentication. Alternatively, automating the login process with a headless browser could help replicate the exact sequence of events required for successful authentication.
Reverse-engineering such systems can be challenging, but a careful inspection of the complete login flow usually reveals the necessary details.
Having dealt with similar situations, I can say that GraphQL authentication can be tricky, especially without proper documentation. In my experience, the CSRF token issue often arises when the API expects a specific token in the headers or cookies.
One approach that’s worked for me is using a session-based authentication flow. First, make a request to a login endpoint to establish a session. This usually sets cookies that you’ll need to include in subsequent requests. Then, look for any CSRF token in the response headers or body.
For your GraphQL requests, ensure you’re including all relevant cookies and headers from the login response. You might need to set a specific header like ‘X-CSRF-Token’ with the value you obtained.
If that doesn’t work, try inspecting the browser’s network tab during a successful login. Look for any unique headers or cookies that might be required for authentication. Replicate these in your API calls.
Remember, some APIs implement additional security measures that can be hard to bypass programmatically. In such cases, you might need to consider using a headless browser for automation.
hey, i’ve run into this before. sounds like ur missing the csrf token. check the network tab when logging in thru the browser. u should see a request that sets the token. grab that and include it in ur api calls. also, make sure ur sending all the cookies from the login response. that usually does the trick for me