Joomla Login Authentication from external app

Question

I need to check that a Joomla username and password is valid from my external application. It is not necessary that the user is logged into the system just that their account exists. How do I do this?

Accepted Answer

I'm supposing your external application will have access to Joomla's database and is written in php as well.

I've already answered a similar question about creating a user outside joomla, you could use the same approach, but instead of calling the `save` method from `JUser`, you could use `bind` to check if the password is correct.

Or something better: simply copy and paste Joomla's own authentication mechanism after creating an "environment" outside Joomla! Check `JOOMLA_PATH/plugins/authentication/joomla.php`:

```
 function onAuthenticate( $credentials, $options, &$response ){
  jimport('joomla.user.helper');
  // Joomla does not like blank passwords
  if (empty($credentials['password'])){
   $response->status = JAUTHENTICATE_STATUS_FAILURE;
   $response->error_message = 'Empty password not allowed';
   return false;
  }

// Initialize variables
  $conditions = '';

// Get a database object
  $db =& JFactory::getDBO();

$query = 'SELECT `id`, `password`, `gid`'
   . ' FROM `#__users`'
   . ' WHERE username=' . $db->Quote( $credentials['username'] )
   ;
  $db->setQuery( $query );
  $result = $db->loadObject();

if($result){
   $parts = explode( ':', $result->password );
   $crypt = $parts[0];
   $salt = @$parts[1];
   $testcrypt = JUserHelper::getCryptedPassword($credentials['password'], $salt);

if ($crypt == $testcrypt) {
    $user = JUser::getInstance($result->id); // Bring this in line with the rest of the system
    $response->email = $user->email;
    $response->fullname = $user->name;
    $response->status = JAUTHENTICATE_STATUS_SUCCESS;
    $response->error_message = '';
   } else {
    $response->status = JAUTHENTICATE_STATUS_FAILURE;
    $response->error_message = 'Invalid password';
   }
  }
  else{
   $response->status = JAUTHENTICATE_STATUS_FAILURE;
   $response->error_message = 'User does not exist';
  }
 }
```

Joomla Login Authentication from external app

Solution

Problem

Related problems