better-auth-security-best-practices

name	better-auth-security-best-practices
description	This skill provides guidance for implementing security features that span across Better Auth, including rate limiting, CSRF protection, session security, trusted origins, secret management, OAuth security, IP tracking, and security auditing. These topics are not covered in individual plugin skills.

Secret Management

The auth secret is the foundation of Better Auth's security. It's used for signing session tokens, encrypting sensitive data, and generating secure cookies.

Configuring the Secret

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  secret: process.env.BETTER_AUTH_SECRET, // or via `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET` env
});

Better Auth looks for secrets in this order:

1. options.secret in your config
2. BETTER_AUTH_SECRET environment variable
3. AUTH_SECRET environment variable

Secret Requirements

Better Auth validates your secret and will:

• Reject default/placeholder secrets in production
• Warn if the secret is shorter than 32 characters
• Warn if entropy is below 120 bits

Generate a secure secret:

openssl rand -base64 32

Important: Never commit secrets to version control. Use environment variables or a secrets manager.

Rate Limiting

Rate limiting protects your authentication endpoints from brute-force attacks and abuse. By default, rate limiting is enabled in production but disabled in development. To explicitly enable it, set rateLimit.enabled to true in your auth config. Better Auth applies rate limiting to all endpoints by default.

Each plugin can optionally have it's own configuration to adjust rate-limit rules for a given endpoint.

Default Configuration

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  rateLimit: {
    enabled: true, // Default: true in production
    window: 10, // Time window in seconds (default: 10)
    max: 100, // Max requests per window (default: 100)
  },
});

Storage Options

Configure where rate limit counters are stored:

rateLimit: {
  storage: "database", // Options: "memory", "database", "secondary-storage"
}

• memory: Fast, but resets on server restart (default when no secondary storage)
• database: Persistent, but adds database load
• secondary-storage: Uses configured secondary storage like Redis (default when available)

Note: It is not recommended to use memory especially on serverless platforms.

Custom Storage

Implement your own rate limit storage:

rateLimit: {
  customStorage: {
    get: async (key) => {
      // Return { count: number, expiresAt: number } or null
    },
    set: async (key, data) => {
      // Store the rate limit data
    },
  },
}

Per-Endpoint Rules

Better Auth applies stricter limits to sensitive endpoints by default:

• /sign-in, /sign-up, /change-password, /change-email: 3 requests per 10 seconds

Override or customize rules for specific paths:

rateLimit: {
  customRules: {
    "/api/auth/sign-in/email": {
      window: 60, // 1 minute window
      max: 5, // 5 attempts
    },
    "/api/auth/some-safe-endpoint": false, // Disable rate limiting
  },
}

CSRF Protection

Better Auth implements multiple layers of CSRF protection to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks.

How CSRF Protection Works

1. Origin Header Validation: When cookies are present, the Origin or Referer header must match a trusted origin
2. Fetch Metadata: Uses Sec-Fetch-Site, Sec-Fetch-Mode, and Sec-Fetch-Dest headers to detect cross-site requests
3. First-Login Protection: Even without cookies, validates origin when Fetch Metadata indicates a cross-site navigation

Configuration

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  advanced: {
    disableCSRFCheck: false, // Default: false (keep enabled)
  },
});

Warning: Only disable CSRF protection for testing or if you have an alternative CSRF mechanism in place.

Fetch Metadata Blocking

Better Auth automatically blocks requests where:

• Sec-Fetch-Site: cross-site AND
• Sec-Fetch-Mode: navigate AND
• Sec-Fetch-Dest: document

This prevents form-based CSRF attacks even on first login when no session cookie exists.

Trusted Origins

Trusted origins control which domains can make authenticated requests to your Better Auth instance. This protects against open redirect attacks and cross-origin abuse.

Configuring Trusted Origins

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  baseURL: 'https://api.example.com',
  trustedOrigins: ['https://app.example.com', 'https://admin.example.com'],
});

Note: The baseURL origin is automatically trusted.

Environment Variable

Set trusted origins via environment variable (comma-separated):

BETTER_AUTH_TRUSTED_ORIGINS=https://app.example.com,https://admin.example.com

Wildcard Patterns

Support for subdomain wildcards:

trustedOrigins: [
  '*.example.com', // Matches any subdomain
  'https://*.example.com', // Protocol-specific wildcard
  'exp://192.168.*.*:*/*', // Custom schemes (e.g., Expo)
];

Dynamic Trusted Origins

Compute trusted origins based on the request:

trustedOrigins: async (request) => {
  // Validate against database, header, etc.
  const tenant = getTenantFromRequest(request);
  return [`https://${tenant}.myapp.com`];
};

What Gets Validated

Better Auth validates these URL parameters against trusted origins:

• callbackURL - Where to redirect after authentication
• redirectTo - General redirect parameter
• errorCallbackURL - Where to redirect on errors
• newUserCallbackURL - Where to redirect new users
• origin - Request origin header
• and more...

Invalid URLs receive a 403 Forbidden response.

Session Security

Sessions control how long users stay authenticated and how session data is secured.

Session Expiration

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  session: {
    expiresIn: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7, // 7 days (default)
    updateAge: 60 * 60 * 24, // Refresh session every 24 hours (default)
  },
});

Fresh Sessions for Sensitive Actions

The freshAge setting defines how recently a user must have authenticated to perform sensitive operations:

session: {
  freshAge: 60 * 60 * 24, // 24 hours (default)
}

Use this to require re-authentication for actions like changing passwords or viewing sensitive data.

Session Caching Strategies

Cache session data in cookies to reduce database queries:

session: {
  cookieCache: {
    enabled: true,
    maxAge: 60 * 5, // 5 minutes
    strategy: "compact", // Options: "compact", "jwt", "jwe"
  },
}

• compact: Base64url + HMAC-SHA256 (smallest, signed)
• jwt: HS256 JWT (standard, signed)
• jwe: A256CBC-HS512 encrypted (largest, encrypted)

Note: Use jwe strategy when session data contains sensitive information that shouldn't be readable client-side.

Cookie Security

Better Auth uses secure cookie defaults but allows customization for specific deployment scenarios.

Default Cookie Settings

• secure: true when baseURL uses HTTPS or in production
• sameSite: "lax" (prevents CSRF while allowing normal navigation)
• httpOnly: true (prevents JavaScript access)
• path: "/" (available site-wide)
• Prefix: __Secure- when secure is enabled

Custom Cookie Configuration

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  advanced: {
    useSecureCookies: true, // Force secure cookies
    cookiePrefix: 'myapp', // Custom prefix (default: "better-auth")
    defaultCookieAttributes: {
      sameSite: 'strict', // Stricter CSRF protection
      path: '/auth', // Limit cookie scope
    },
  },
});

Per-Cookie Configuration

Customize specific cookies:

advanced: {
  cookies: {
    session_token: {
      name: "auth-session",
      attributes: {
        sameSite: "strict",
      },
    },
  },
}

Cross-Subdomain Cookies

Share authentication across subdomains:

advanced: {
  crossSubDomainCookies: {
    enabled: true,
    domain: ".example.com", // Note the leading dot
    additionalCookies: ["session_token", "session_data"],
  },
}

Security Note: Cross-subdomain cookies expand the attack surface. Only enable if you need authentication sharing and trust all subdomains.

OAuth / Social Provider Security

When using social login providers, Better Auth implements industry-standard security measures.

PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange)

Better Auth automatically uses PKCE for all OAuth flows:

1. Generates a 128-character random code_verifier
2. Creates a code_challenge using S256 (SHA-256)
3. Sends code_challenge_method: "S256" in the authorization URL
4. Validates the code exchange with the original verifier

This prevents authorization code interception attacks.

State Parameter Security

The state parameter prevents CSRF attacks on OAuth callbacks:

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  account: {
    storeStateStrategy: 'cookie', // Options: "cookie" (default), "database"
  },
});

State tokens:

• Are 32-character random strings
• Expire after 10 minutes
• Contain callback URLs and PKCE verifier (encrypted)

Encrypting OAuth Tokens

Encrypt stored access and refresh tokens in the database:

account: {
  encryptOAuthTokens: true, // Uses AES-256-GCM
}

Recommendation: Enable this if you store OAuth tokens for API access on behalf of users.

Skipping State Cookie Check

For mobile apps or specific OAuth flows where cookies aren't available:

account: {
  skipStateCookieCheck: true, // Not recommended for web apps
}

Warning: Only use this for mobile apps that cannot maintain cookies across redirects.

IP-Based Security

Better Auth tracks IP addresses for rate limiting and session security.

IP Address Configuration

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  advanced: {
    ipAddress: {
      ipAddressHeaders: ['x-forwarded-for', 'x-real-ip'], // Headers to check
      disableIpTracking: false, // Keep enabled for rate limiting
    },
  },
});

IPv6 Subnet Configuration

For rate limiting, IPv6 addresses can be grouped by subnet:

advanced: {
  ipAddress: {
    ipv6Subnet: 64, // Options: 128, 64, 48, 32 (default: 64)
  },
}

Smaller values group more addresses together, which is useful when users share IPv6 prefixes.

Trusted Proxy Headers

When behind a reverse proxy, enable trusted headers:

advanced: {
  trustedProxyHeaders: true, // Trust x-forwarded-host, x-forwarded-proto
}

Security Note: Only enable this if you trust your proxy. Malicious clients could spoof these headers otherwise.

Database Hooks for Security Auditing

Use database hooks to implement security auditing and monitoring.

Setting Up Audit Logging

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  databaseHooks: {
    session: {
      create: {
        after: async ({ data, ctx }) => {
          await auditLog('session.created', {
            userId: data.userId,
            ip: ctx?.request?.headers.get('x-forwarded-for'),
            userAgent: ctx?.request?.headers.get('user-agent'),
          });
        },
      },
      delete: {
        before: async ({ data }) => {
          await auditLog('session.revoked', { sessionId: data.id });
        },
      },
    },
    user: {
      update: {
        after: async ({ data, oldData }) => {
          if (oldData?.email !== data.email) {
            await auditLog('user.email_changed', {
              userId: data.id,
              oldEmail: oldData?.email,
              newEmail: data.email,
            });
          }
        },
      },
    },
    account: {
      create: {
        after: async ({ data }) => {
          await auditLog('account.linked', {
            userId: data.userId,
            provider: data.providerId,
          });
        },
      },
    },
  },
});

Blocking Operations

Return false from a before hook to prevent an operation:

databaseHooks: {
  user: {
    delete: {
      before: async ({ data }) => {
        // Prevent deletion of protected users
        if (protectedUserIds.includes(data.id)) {
          return false;
        }
      },
    },
  },
}

Background Tasks for Timing Attack Prevention

Sensitive operations should complete in constant time to prevent timing attacks.

Configuring Background Tasks

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  advanced: {
    backgroundTasks: {
      handler: (promise) => {
        // Platform-specific handler
        // Vercel: waitUntil(promise)
        // Cloudflare: ctx.waitUntil(promise)
        waitUntil(promise);
      },
    },
  },
});

This ensures operations like sending emails don't affect response timing, which could leak information about whether a user exists.

Account Enumeration Prevention

Better Auth implements several measures to prevent attackers from discovering valid accounts.

Built-in Protections

1. Consistent Response Messages: Password reset always returns "If this email exists in our system, check your email for the reset link"
2. Dummy Operations: When a user isn't found, Better Auth still performs token generation and database lookups with dummy values
3. Background Email Sending: Emails are sent asynchronously to prevent timing differences

Additional Recommendations

For sign-up and sign-in endpoints, consider:

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  emailAndPassword: {
    enabled: true,
    // Generic error messages (implement in your error handling)
  },
});

Return generic error messages like "Invalid credentials" rather than "User not found" or "Incorrect password".

Complete Security Configuration Example

import { betterAuth } from 'better-auth';

export const auth = betterAuth({
  secret: process.env.BETTER_AUTH_SECRET,
  baseURL: 'https://api.example.com',
  trustedOrigins: ['https://app.example.com', 'https://*.preview.example.com'],

  // Rate limiting
  rateLimit: {
    enabled: true,
    storage: 'secondary-storage',
    customRules: {
      '/api/auth/sign-in/email': { window: 60, max: 5 },
      '/api/auth/sign-up/email': { window: 60, max: 3 },
    },
  },

  // Session security
  session: {
    expiresIn: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7, // 7 days
    updateAge: 60 * 60 * 24, // 24 hours
    freshAge: 60 * 60, // 1 hour for sensitive actions
    cookieCache: {
      enabled: true,
      maxAge: 300,
      strategy: 'jwe', // Encrypted session data
    },
  },

  // OAuth security
  account: {
    encryptOAuthTokens: true,
    storeStateStrategy: 'cookie',
  },

  // Advanced settings
  advanced: {
    useSecureCookies: true,
    cookiePrefix: 'myapp',
    defaultCookieAttributes: {
      sameSite: 'lax',
    },
    ipAddress: {
      ipAddressHeaders: ['x-forwarded-for'],
      ipv6Subnet: 64,
    },
    backgroundTasks: {
      handler: (promise) => waitUntil(promise),
    },
  },

  // Security auditing
  databaseHooks: {
    session: {
      create: {
        after: async ({ data, ctx }) => {
          console.log(`New session for user ${data.userId}`);
        },
      },
    },
    user: {
      update: {
        after: async ({ data, oldData }) => {
          if (oldData?.email !== data.email) {
            console.log(`Email changed for user ${data.id}`);
          }
        },
      },
    },
  },
});

Security Checklist

Before deploying to production:

• Secret: Use a strong, unique secret (32+ characters, high entropy)
• HTTPS: Ensure baseURL uses HTTPS
• Trusted Origins: Configure all valid origins (frontend, mobile apps)
• Rate Limiting: Keep enabled with appropriate limits
• CSRF Protection: Keep enabled (disableCSRFCheck: false)
• Secure Cookies: Enabled automatically with HTTPS
• OAuth Tokens: Consider encryptOAuthTokens: true if storing tokens
• Background Tasks: Configure for serverless platforms
• Audit Logging: Implement via databaseHooks or hooks
• IP Tracking: Configure headers if behind a proxy