Is it possible to access Jira API via Automation for Jira without exposing credentials?

[Wolfgang Landes]

I'd like to use the "Send web request" Action within Jira Automation to send requests to Jira API of the same instance.

I found the following resources: 
Server: https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/how-to-extend-automation-for-jira-with-rest-api-calls-1021217952.html

Cloud: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-articles/Automation-for-Jira-Send-web-request-using-Jira-REST-API/ba-p/1443828

But both come with the drawback that the credentials of the user from which to call the request get exposed inside automation for Jira.

What I'd like is a way to trigger Jira API from Automation for Jira for the same instance as the Actor of the Automation rule without exposing the credentials of said actor.

I believe this can be very powerful for Admins expierienced with Jira API and in case it is not possible yet, I'll submit a feature request for this.

Greetings

Wolfgang

[Darryl Lee · Accepted solution]

Yeah, I was concerned about this too, but since Atlassian acquired Codebarrel now, I'm *hoping* that the Automation servers are not too many hops away from Atlassian servers, and so our Basic Auth credentials are not being exposed at too many points.

To address the issue of tying API calls to a single user, we ended up creating a service account and a specific API token *just* for Automation.

We ended up creating another API token with that service account for the OpsGenie/Jira "comment-back" integration (yet another Atlassian acquisition that has yet to be integrated with Jira w/o requiring a credential to be passed.)

[Ravi Sagar _Sparxsys_]

Valid points :)

[Wolfgang Landes]

Thanks for the answer @Darryl Lee . 
In case of the service account. In my understanding, by adding the API token of the service account user in an automation you expose it to everyone that can see the automation rule.
Meaning it is a security risk to give the service account too many permissions.

[Darryl Lee]

Oh that's definitely true - if other people have visibility into the rule, they'll be able to see / copy the token, which can be a real issue.

[Simmo]

Hey @Darryl Lee,

I can tell you that there aren't too many hops. We're within the Atlassian private network :)

[Ravi Sagar _Sparxsys_]

Hi @Wolfgang Landes 

I don't think that is possible with Automation rules. I will try to store the Authorization in a variable but that is not any better aswell.

However you can try ScriptRunner for Jira on Cloud where in your Groovy script all you need to do is:

def response = get('/rest/api/3/issue/cts-12') .header('Content-Type', 'application/json') .asObject(Map)

Ravi 

[Darryl Lee]

Yeah, but then you have to use ScriptRunner! Kidding. :-} I'm just not great at Groovy.

But you make a great point Ravi - if ScriptRunner can provide direct access to the API (without having to generate an API token and use the kinda janky web request action), then surely Automation ought to be able to.

C'MON guys, I mean, somebody at Atlassian can probably help you with this, right? :-}

[Ravi Sagar _Sparxsys_]

I believe basic understanding of programming is more than enough to get started. You can find plenty of examples in our Script Library.

Automation rules are great and I use them quite a lot, especially all the wonderful things that we can do with smartvalues but often I have to switch to writing scripts when the requirements get a bit more complicated.

Ravi

P.S. - There is a feature in ScriptRunner for Jira Cloud called Script Variables to store sensitive information ;) I made a video describing how it works.

[Wolfgang Landes]

Thanks for the answer @Ravi Sagar _Sparxsys_  I will use scriptrunner for my usecase. I was just wondering if it would be possible to do the same in automation. :-) 

[bmccoy]

Hi @Wolfgang Landes

What operations in Jira are you trying to perform via REST?  I'm wondering whether it would make more sense to make that available to you as a built-in operation than to provide a way to do the authentication?   

That said, I have raised AUT-2117  so that any tokens used don't need to get exposed to other users. 

Cheers,
Brydie

[Wolfgang Landes]

Hello @bmccoy ,
in this specific script I was syncing a user group to a project role depending on some custom value from an overview project.
While I appreciate all handy built-in operation in automation, I assume it will take a long way to cover all administrative functionality that is already possible with APIs. 

Thanks for raising the feature request. 
Cheers,

Wolfgang