# Optional MFA for browser clients

Set `mfaOptional: true` on a reviewed browser registration to allow AAL1 login
when privacyIDEA authoritatively reports no active enrolled factor. Once an
active factor exists, require AAL2. A previous AAL1 session cannot satisfy that
requirement. Explicit AAL2 requests still require MFA. Lookup errors deny login
through the existing account-recovery path. This setting overrides only the
provider `requireForAll` default for that client.

Do not combine this with `mfaRequired`. In particular, `mfaRequired: false`
means unconditional AAL1 and is not an opt-in enrollment policy. Unchanged
registrations keep their existing policy. Service clients reject mfaOptional.

The adapter sends the raw privacyIDEA JWT in Authorization, filters active
factors before pagination, and requires a successful, complete response before
concluding there is no active factor. The credential must have realm-scoped
administrative tokenlist permission: a user-role token only lists its own factors
regardless of the requested username. Never replace it with a self-service JWT.
See the [provider API](https://privacyidea.readthedocs.io/en/stable/modules/api/token.html).

## Deployment gate — not yet enabled

Live inspection on 2026-09-13 found `requireForAll: true`; both the demo-company
and account-portal registrations inherit it. Configured token-list credentials
return HTTP 401, so enabling this setting now would replace the OTP prompt with
a lookup failure. No live policy has been changed.

Credential owner: railiance-platform / OpenBao, route
`net-kingdom-privacyidea-admin-token`. Its concrete delivery and renewal contract
is unpublished (`resolvable: false`). Obtain an owner-approved realm-scoped
factor-read credential through the native custody path, with renewal and
revocation ownership. Do not put credentials in chat, arguments, work records,
or config examples. The older refresh-pi-token-live.sh needs review before use.

After credential delivery:

1. Verify the deployed provider accepts the raw JWT and returns authoritative
   count/tokens results for controlled accounts with and without a factor.
   Confirm realm/resolver mapping and administrative tokenlist scope, including
   visibility of another user's factor; an empty list alone is not proof.
2. Verify self-service at https://pink-account.coulomb.social: password login,
   TOTP enrollment with possession confirmation before activation, cancellation,
   and factor removal/recovery. This user-facing flow is not yet verified.
3. Build and pin the reviewed issuer image. Migrate only the exact
   vergabe-demo-company registration to mfaOptional using the owner CAS rollout
   lane; keep unrelated registrations and Secret bytes intact. The current
   vergabe-client-rollout.py intentionally refuses registration differences and
   needs an explicit migration before this policy can be applied.
4. Resolve account-portal access for unenrolled users without weakening privileged
   access. Review portal policy and self-service permissions before expanding the
   optional setting to this shared client. Add the verified enrollment link to
   account management once that flow works.
5. Verify fresh password-only admission without a factor, enrollment confirmation,
   then OTP enforcement (including reuse of an old AAL1 session). Verify explicit
   AAL2 still challenges, lookup failures recover without issuing a code, logout
   permits identity switching, and other clients retain their policies.

Rollback: restore the exact previous client registration and image pin via CAS.
This restores mandatory MFA for the demo client; it is not password-only access.