How to Securely Verify Telegram Login Widget Payloads in PHP and Yii2
The Telegram Login Widget returns user profile data signed with a bot token, but every field in the payload can be manipulated by an attacker, making signature verification essential. Developers must recompute an HMAC-SHA-256 hash from the payload and compare it against the provided hash field to confirm the data genuinely originated from Telegram. An auth_date expiry window should also be enforced to prevent replay attacks using stolen but valid payloads. In Yii2, the verified telegram_id can then be bound to an internal user account, creating a new record on first login if none exists. The entire verification process runs locally without any Bot API calls, avoiding network latency, rate limits, or token exposure to third parties.
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