Definition
Plain language
A standard way for one app to grant another app access to your account without sharing the password.
As stated in the literature
An open authorization protocol that delegates resource access via tokens, widely used by cloud and SaaS APIs and a frequent target for credential-exfiltration concerns in AI agents.
Why it matters: Token-based delegation is how modern apps integrate safely, but it also makes leaked tokens a tempting target for compromised AI agents.
For example, when you click 'Sign in with Google' to use a new app, OAuth grants the app a token without ever giving it your Google password.
Heard on the show
“There's a repository called OAuthLib — it handles OAuth, the protocol that lets you log into one site using your account from another.”Episode 126 — How Coding Agents Can Mine Their Own Failures Into a Self-Targeting Curriculum