Authenticating with Jira API using Python and bypassing MFA

Other Questions Jira
1

I’m having trouble logging into the Jira API with my Python script. It used to work fine, but now it’s not. I’ve been messing around with the two-factor authentication plugin in Jira, and I thought using an API token would let me skip the MFA step. But now when I try to authenticate, it just gets stuck.

Here’s what my code looks like:

if api_key:
    jira_connection = JiraClient(
        base_url=jira_server,
        auth_token=api_key)

I’ve read that API tokens should work even with MFA turned on, but mine isn’t doing the trick. The authentication step just hangs and never finishes.

Has anyone run into this issue before? How did you get it working? I’m stumped and could really use some help figuring out what’s going wrong. Thanks!

2

hey, i ran into this too. make sure ur using the api token as the password, not auth_token. try this:

from jira import JIRA
jira = JIRA(basic_auth=(your_email, api_token), server=jira_server)

also check if ur token has right permissions. sometimes jira admins restrict api access. good luck!

3

I’ve dealt with this exact headache before, and it can be pretty frustrating. One thing that solved it for me was double-checking the API token permissions in my Atlassian account. Sometimes, even if you generate a new token, it might not have the right scope to bypass MFA.

Here’s what worked: go to your Atlassian account settings, find the API tokens section, create a new token with full access permissions, and use this new token in your Python script. Also, make sure you’re using the latest version of the Jira Python library, as older versions can sometimes have issues with newer authentication methods. If all else fails, reaching out to your Jira admin might be necessary since they can check server-side logs to confirm that API access isn’t being blocked by any custom security policies. Good luck, and hope this helps!

4

I encountered a similar issue when implementing Jira API authentication. The problem often lies in how the API token is used. Instead of passing it as an auth_token, try using it as a password replacement in basic authentication. Here’s a snippet that worked for me:

from jira import JIRA

jira = JIRA(basic_auth=(your_email, api_token), server=jira_server)

This approach bypasses MFA reliably. Also, ensure your API token is current and hasn’t expired. If issues persist, check your Jira server logs for specific error messages. They can provide crucial insights into authentication failures. Lastly, confirm with your Jira admin that API access is properly configured on the server side, as sometimes restrictions can cause authentication to hang.