Implementing On-Behalf-Of Token Exchange for Multi-Tenant Agents with Amazon Bedrock

Amazon Bedrock's new feature supports on-behalf-of (OBO) token exchange, a critical capability for multi-tenant AI agents that need to securely act on behalf of users across different tenants. This functionality leverages the OAuth 2.0 Token Exchange (RFC 8693) standard, enabling agents to obtain tenant-specific tokens without compromising security or scalability.

The implementation involves configuring Amazon Bedrock's AgentCore Gateway and Identity components to perform transparent token exchanges. This setup ensures that user identities are preserved end-to-end, with tokens cryptographically bound to specific tenants through audience claims. The guide walks through a complete setup using Okta, demonstrating claim transformations and audience binding to enforce tenant boundaries.

A key benefit of this approach is the reduction of security risks associated with traditional token forwarding or service-account impersonation. By exchanging tokens at each hop, the system maintains strict least privilege principles, preventing cross-tenant token reuse and enabling independent tenant onboarding and management.

The article also discusses the technical architecture, including the roles of authorization servers, credential providers, and API gateways, and provides detailed steps for deploying the solution. It emphasizes best practices such as short-lived tokens, tight secret management, and layered enforcement of tenant boundaries.

This development is likely to impact AI developers and enterprises by simplifying secure multi-tenant agent deployment, improving auditability, and enhancing security posture. It also aligns with industry standards, facilitating integration with various identity providers supporting RFC 8693.

Overall, Amazon Bedrock's native support for OBO token exchange represents a significant step forward in scalable, secure multi-tenant AI systems, enabling more robust and compliant agentic applications.