How to Build a Resilient OTP State Machine for SMS 2FA in Node/Express
A software engineer has outlined an architecture for handling SMS two-factor authentication (2FA) delivery failures in Node/Express applications using a state machine approach. The design separates delivery status from identity verification, ensuring that a failed or unconfirmed SMS delivery cannot grant a user login approval. A managed verification service owns the OTP secret and code-checking logic, while the application controls session management, abuse limits, attempt lifecycle, and audit trails. Delivery callbacks update the attempt record asynchronously but cannot change a terminal state or approve a login. Client-side polling reads a local attempt projection rather than querying the external verification service directly, improving both security and user experience.
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