Apply microsoft authenticator app to approve deny 2fa in asp net core

Introduction

ASP.NET is a popular programming language used for building web applications. In this article, we will explore how to apply the Microsoft Authenticator app to approve or deny two-factor authentication (2FA) in ASP.NET Core.

Setting up Microsoft Authenticator

Before we dive into the code, let's first set up the Microsoft Authenticator app. The Microsoft Authenticator app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Install the app on your smartphone and follow the setup instructions provided by Microsoft.

Enabling Two-Factor Authentication in ASP.NET Core

To enable two-factor authentication in ASP.NET Core, we need to make some changes to our application's code. Let's start by adding the necessary NuGet packages to our project.

// Add the required NuGet packages
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;

Next, we need to configure the services in the Startup.cs file. Open the ConfigureServices method and add the following code:

Make sure to replace YourDbContext with the actual name of your application's database context.

Implementing Two-Factor Authentication

Now that we have enabled two-factor authentication, let's implement the functionality to approve or deny 2FA using the Microsoft Authenticator app.

In your login view, add a checkbox for the user to select whether they want to use 2FA. Here's an example:

    

        
             Enable Two-Factor Authentication
        
    

Next, in your login controller, add the following code to handle the submission of the login form:

In the above code, we check if the user has selected the checkbox for enabling 2FA. If they have, we redirect them to the “TwoFactorAuthentication” action. Otherwise, we redirect them to the home page.

Verifying Two-Factor Authentication

In the “TwoFactorAuthentication” action, we need to generate a QR code that the user can scan using the Microsoft Authenticator app. Add the following code to your controller:

public async Task<IActionResult> TwoFactorAuthentication()
{
    var user = await _userManager.GetUserAsync(User);
    
    var authenticatorUri = await _userManager.GenerateTwoFactorAuthenticatorTokenAsync(user, "YourAppName");
    
    var qrCodeImageUrl = $"https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?data={Uri.EscapeDataString(authenticatorUri)}";
    
    ViewBag.QrCodeImageUrl = qrCodeImageUrl;
    
    return View();
}

In the above code, we generate a QR code URL using the GenerateTwoFactorAuthenticatorTokenAsync method. We then pass this URL to the view using the ViewBag property.

Displaying the QR Code

In your “TwoFactorAuthentication” view, add the following code to display the QR code:

When the user scans the QR code using the Microsoft Authenticator app, they will be able to approve or deny the 2FA request.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored how to apply the Microsoft Authenticator app to approve or deny two-factor authentication in ASP.NET Core. By following the steps outlined above, you can enhance the security of your ASP.NET Core web application and provide an additional layer of protection for your users.