Implement account recovery flow

[VictrixHominum]

Which feature are you enhancing?
User account access recovery

Why is this required?
Users frequently forget passwords or lose access to authentication methods. Without a secure account recovery process, this leads to permanent account loss, support tickets, or insecure manual interventions. A well-designed recovery flow maintains security while providing legitimate users a path to regain access.

Any additional context?
Implementation Steps:

1. Design secure token system:

   • Create database schema for password reset tokens
   • Implement secure token generation with sufficient entropy
   • Set appropriate expiration times (15-30 minutes)
   • Ensure tokens are single-use only

2. Implement password reset request flow:

   • Create /api/auth/forgot-password endpoint
   • Add email validation and rate limiting
   • Generate and store reset token
   • Send email with secure reset link

3. Build password reset completion flow:

   • Create /api/auth/reset-password endpoint
   • Validate token authenticity and expiration
   • Apply password strength validation to new password
   • Update user password and invalidate token
   • Log user out of all active sessions

4. Add security measures:

   • Implement rate limiting on all recovery endpoints
   • Add IP-based throttling for repeated attempts
   • Create notification system for account owners
   • Log all recovery attempts with relevant metadata

5. Create user interfaces:

   • Design password reset request form
   • Build token validation and new password form
   • Add clear success/error messaging
   • Implement progress indicators for multi-step process

6. Enhance for high-security accounts:

   • Add additional verification steps for sensitive accounts
   • Implement risk scoring based on request patterns
   • Create escalation path for suspicious recovery attempts
   • Add option for manual verification for critical accounts