{"categories":[{"label":"Authentication/Directory","url":"https://skillfed.io/packages/category/system-systems-administration-authentication-directory"}],"enrichment":{"capability":"Provides native Kerberos client authentication on Windows by wrapping Microsoft's SSPI, with an API compatible with pykerberos for GSSAPI-based authentication flows.","skillfed_tags":["windows-only","authentication","kerberos"],"use_cases":["Authenticate Python applications against Active Directory or Kerberos-protected services on Windows without external Kerberos libraries.","Integrate Kerberos authentication into Windows-based microservices or database drivers that need SASL/GSSAPI support.","Implement single sign-on (SSO) flows in Windows desktop or server applications using the user's existing Kerberos credentials.","Add channel binding support to TLS connections for enhanced security in Windows environments.","Replace or supplement pykerberos in Windows-only deployments where native SSPI integration is preferred."],"what_it_does":"WinKerberos is a native Kerberos client library for Windows that implements GSSAPI authentication using Microsoft's Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI). It mimics the API of pykerberos to provide a familiar interface for developers, but uses Windows' built-in Kerberos support rather than a separate implementation. The package handles the full SASL authentication handshake\u2014initialization, challenge-response loops, wrapping/unwrapping of encrypted data, and channel binding for TLS\u2014making it suitable for applications that need to authenticate against Kerberos-protected services from Windows.\n\nThe package is actively maintained and supports Python 3.10 through 3.14 on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. It has no external runtime dependencies beyond the Windows operating system itself. Installation is straightforward via pip when prebuilt wheels are available; building from source requires Visual Studio 2015 or newer. The API is documented through docstrings and examples in the repository, and the package is used in production by MongoDB and other projects requiring Windows-based Kerberos authentication.","worth_installing":"Yes, if you are on Windows and need Kerberos authentication. The package is actively maintained, has no external dependencies, carries a permissive license, and provides a straightforward API. Install friction is moderate due to compiled wheels, but prebuilt binaries are available for modern Python versions. Not applicable on non-Windows platforms."},"id":"winkerberos","links":{"html":"https://skillfed.io/packages/winkerberos","md":"https://skillfed.io/packages/winkerberos.md","pypi":"https://pypi.org/project/winkerberos/"},"maintenance":{"status":"active"},"meta":{"latest_release":"2025-12-03","license_spdx":null,"license_treatment":"permissive","name":"winkerberos","python_support":"supports_current","summary":"High level interface to SSPI for Kerberos client auth"},"popularity":{"monthly_downloads":4326411,"position":2328,"tier":"top_5000"},"security":{"n_vulnerabilities":0},"version":"0.13.0"}