OpenID Connect (OIDC) with socat

OpenID Connect (OIDC) with socat is a clean solution for enforcing identity-aware access to TCP and UDP endpoints. OIDC brings verified identity through JWT tokens, claims, and modern authorization flows. Socat—short for “SOcket CAT”—is the fast, flexible utility for relaying data between network connections. Together, they create a path where every socket connection is tied directly to an identity and its permissions.

When you use socat with OIDC, the workflow is straightforward:

• Clients authenticate with an OIDC provider like Auth0, Okta, or Keycloak.
• Tokens are passed securely with each connection request.
• Socat relays data only after verifying the OIDC token against the provider’s public keys (JWKS).
• Expired or invalid tokens mean the connection is rejected before data flows.

Key benefits:

1. Strong identity enforcement — Every connection is tied to a verified user.
2. Protocol flexibility — Socat handles TCP, UDP, SSL, and even raw sockets.
3. Separation of concerns — OIDC handles authentication; socat handles transport.
4. Simple deployment — Minimal code changes; mostly configuration and lightweight scripts.

Example command integrating OIDC check:

socat TCP-LISTEN:3306,reuseaddr,fork EXEC:"/usr/local/bin/oidc-proxy --token-check"

Here, oidc-proxy is a custom handler that confirms the presented JWT before permitting socat to forward traffic to your database or service. This pattern works for internal APIs, CI/CD pipelines, or developer tunnels.

Security with OIDC and socat is not about complexity—it’s about removing blind trust from the network layer. You grant access through explicit identity, not just network location or static keys. With the right setup, you replace entire stacks of brittle bastion hosts with a single, auditable flow.

Want to see identity-aware tunnels in action? Deploy them live in minutes at hoop.dev and experience OIDC + socat without the setup pain.