What is an OAuth grant?
An OAuth grant is the permission a user or administrator gives a third-party application to act on their behalf within defined scopes, without sharing a password.
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OAuth grants are how AI tools connect to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, GitHub and Slack. The resulting tokens survive password changes and usually do not trigger MFA. If the vendor behind the app is breached, the attacker can use the grant within its scopes.
The Vercel breach and the Salesloft Drift breach both started from OAuth grants.
An OAuth grant is the permission a user or administrator gives a third-party application to act on their behalf within defined scopes, without sharing a password.
How it works. Step by step.
The parts that make it up, in an environment with AI agents.
A user or admin approves an app for a set of scopes.
The app receives access and refresh tokens tied to those scopes.
The app can act within the scopes until the grant is revoked.
If the vendor is breached, attackers can use the grant within its scopes.
What it looks like in Elmoz
A real path shape, drawn the way the Elmoz security graph shows it.
Questions, answered.
Short answers about OAuth grant.
How do I review OAuth grants?
In Google Workspace, use third-party app access under API controls in the Admin console. In Microsoft Entra ID, check enterprise applications and user consents. Look at scopes, owners and last use.
Do OAuth tokens survive a password change?
Often yes. Many providers keep refresh tokens valid after a password change, although Google revokes tokens with Gmail scopes when the password changes. Revoking the grant itself is the reliable way to cut access.
Why are OAuth grants to AI tools a special risk?
AI tools often ask for broad scopes like mail and files, are connected by individual employees and are rarely reviewed again. The Vercel and Salesloft Drift breaches both started from OAuth grants.
Related terms.
Terms that belong to the same picture.
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