AI Research Automation: Ethical Auth Bypass
Build an MCP server that automates authentication to institutional research resources while maintaining security and ethical standards
AI Research Automation: Ethical Auth Bypass
Episode 3: Authentication Automation
Part of the AI-Powered Browser Automation for Academic Research series, this episode tackles one of the most significant barriers to automated research workflows: authentication.
The Problem: Research flows break when manual authentication is required. Opening a journal article requires logging in. Accessing institutional databases interrupts automation. Claude conversations lose context when authentication sessions expire.
The Solution: A production-ready MCP server that handles authentication automatically, preserves session state across conversations, and integrates seamlessly with Claude Code.
What You'll Build
A production-ready MCP server featuring:
Authentication Automation: Handle Shibboleth SSO, OAuth flows, and institutional login systems without manual intervention.
Session Persistence: Preserve authentication state across Claude conversations using secure cookie storage.
Multi-Pattern Support: Work with university portals, publisher platforms, and research databases using pattern recognition.
Security-First Design: Manage credentials safely with encrypted storage and environment variable isolation.
Claude Code Integration: Enable AI-assisted research with transparent authentication handling.
Learning Path
Navigate through the chapters to build your authentication automation system:
Getting Started
Introduction to authentication automation, system architecture overview, and setup requirements.
Ethical & Legal Boundaries
Understanding the ethical framework, legal considerations, and responsible use guidelines for authentication automation.
Authentication Patterns
Deep dive into Shibboleth SSO, OAuth flows, institutional login patterns, and detection strategies.
State Management
Session persistence, cookie storage, state restoration, and cross-conversation context preservation.
MCP Server Implementation
Complete MCP server architecture, code structure, authentication handlers, and error management.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Hands-on tutorial building the complete system from initialization to integration with Claude Code.
Security Considerations
Credential management, encryption standards, security best practices, and vulnerability prevention.
Conclusion & Next Steps
System verification, deployment strategies, maintenance guidelines, and advanced extension opportunities.
Ethical Use Warning
This tutorial covers automation of legitimate institutional access only. The techniques presented are designed for researchers with valid credentials accessing resources they are authorized to use. This is NOT for bypassing paywalls, accessing unauthorized content, or circumventing security measures. Use responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with your institution's acceptable use policies and applicable laws.
Prerequisites Checklist
Before starting, ensure you have:
Series Foundation: Completed Episodes 1-2 or equivalent understanding of MCP architecture and browser automation fundamentals.
Development Environment: Node.js 18+ and npm installed with TypeScript support configured.
Authentication Knowledge: Basic understanding of SSO, OAuth, and session management concepts.
Institutional Access: Valid credentials for at least one institutional research database or library system.
Tools Ready: Playwright installed and browser debugging tools accessible.
What Makes This Different
Production-Ready: Not just proof-of-concept code, but battle-tested patterns used in real research workflows.
Security-First: Proper credential management, encrypted storage, and security best practices built in from the start.
Pattern Recognition: Intelligent detection of authentication flows rather than brittle site-specific scripts.
Claude-Native: Designed specifically for integration with Claude Code and MCP protocol.
Ethical Framework: Explicit boundaries and responsible use guidelines throughout.
Ready to Begin?
Start with Chapter 1: Getting Started to understand the architecture and prepare your development environment.