CORS error :Request header field Authorization is not allowed by Access-Control-Allow-Headers in preflight response

Question

I am trying to send the request from one localhost port to the another. I am using angularjs on the frontend and node on the backend.

Since it is CORS request, In node.js, i am using

res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH');
res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization');

and in the angular.js service file, I am using

return {
    getValues: $resource(endpoint + '/admin/getvalues', null, {
        'get': {
             method: 'GET',
             headers:{'Authorization':'Bearer'+' '+ $localStorage.token}
             }
     }),
}

I am getting the following error

Request header field Authorization is not allowed by Access-Control-Allow-Headers in preflight response.

Please help!

Answer 1

You have to add options also in allowed headers. browser sends a preflight request before original request is sent. See below

 res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET,PUT,POST,DELETE,PATCH,OPTIONS');

From source https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Methods/OPTIONS

In CORS, a preflight request with the OPTIONS method is sent, so that the server can respond whether it is acceptable to send the request with these parameters. The Access-Control-Request-Method header notifies the server as part of a preflight request that when the actual request is sent, it will be sent with a POST request method. The Access-Control-Request-Headers header notifies the server that when the actual request is sent, it will be sent with a X-PINGOTHER and Content-Type custom headers. The server now has an opportunity to determine whether it wishes to accept a request under these circumstances.

EDITED

You can avoid this manual configuration by using npmjs.com/package/cors npm package.I have used this method also, it is clear and easy.

Answer 2

This is an API issue, you won't get this error if using Postman/Fielder to send HTTP requests to API. In case of browsers, for security purpose, they always send OPTIONS request/preflight to API before sending the actual requests (GET/POST/PUT/DELETE). Therefore, in case, the request method is OPTION, not only you need to add "Authorization" into "Access-Control-Allow-Headers", but you need to add "OPTIONS" into "Access-Control-allow-methods" as well. This was how I fixed:

if (context.Request.Method == "OPTIONS")
        {
            context.Response.Headers.Add("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", new[] { (string)context.Request.Headers["Origin"] });
            context.Response.Headers.Add("Access-Control-Allow-Headers", new[] { "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization" });
            context.Response.Headers.Add("Access-Control-Allow-Methods", new[] { "GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS" });
            context.Response.Headers.Add("Access-Control-Allow-Credentials", new[] { "true" });

        }

Answer 3

The res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*'); wouldn't work with Autorization header. Just enable pre-flight request, using cors library:

var express = require('express')
var cors = require('cors')
var app = express()
app.use(cors())
app.options('*', cors())

Answer 4

If you don't want to install the cors library and instead want to fix your original code, the other step you are missing is that Access-Control-Allow-Origin:* is wrong. When passing Authentication tokens (e.g. JWT) then you must explicitly state every url that is calling your server. You can't use "*" when doing authentication tokens.

Answer 5

First you need to install cors by using below command :

npm install cors --save

Now add the following code to your app starting file like ( app.js or server.js)

var express = require('express');
var app = express();

var cors = require('cors');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');

//enables cors
app.use(cors({
  'allowedHeaders': ['sessionId', 'Content-Type'],
  'exposedHeaders': ['sessionId'],
  'origin': '*',
  'methods': 'GET,HEAD,PUT,PATCH,POST,DELETE',
  'preflightContinue': false
}));

require('./router/index')(app);

Answer 6

For anyone getting this using ServiceStack backend; add "Authorization" to allowed headers in the Cors plugin:

Plugins.Add(new CorsFeature(allowedHeaders: "Content-Type,Authorization"));

Answer 7

1. add this chrome extension cors unblock and enable "Enable Access-Control-[Allow/Expose]-Headers".

2. Also open Test cors in the same menu and test all the available options. Click on each of the options and make sure you get the success message(in green) for each option.

3. reload your application. Cors errors is gone now.