Prevent bypassing authentication and authorization checks of microservices in zero trust architecture

Abstract

A method for microservice authentication includes intercepting, at a first policy engine sidecar of a first microservice, a service request from the first microservice to a second microservice. The service request includes services requested from the second microservice. The method includes generating a transaction challenge, transmitting the service request, a first token identifying the first microservice, and the transaction challenge to the second microservice, and intercepting a service request response from the second microservice to the first microservice. The method includes determining whether the service request response includes a second token identifying the second microservice and a transaction challenge response generated by a second policy engine sidecar of the second microservice, and transmitting the service request response to the first microservice in response to determining the second token identifies the second microservice and determining that the transaction challenge response includes an acceptable transaction challenge response.