GHSA-JHM7-29PJ-4XVF

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-04-16 21:09 – Updated: 2026-04-16 21:09
VLAI?
Summary
@node-oauth/oauth2-server: PKCE code_verifier ABNF not enforced in token exchange allows brute-force redemption of intercepted authorization codes
Details

Summary

The token exchange path accepts RFC7636-invalid code_verifier values (including one-character strings) for S256 PKCE flows.
Because short/weak verifiers are accepted and failed verifier attempts do not consume the authorization code, an attacker who intercepts an authorization code can brute-force code_verifier guesses online until token issuance succeeds.

Root cause

  1. lib/pkce/pkce.js (getHashForCodeChallenge) only checks that verifier is a non-empty string before hashing for S256; it does not enforce RFC7636 ABNF (43..128 unreserved chars).
  2. lib/grant-types/authorization-code-grant-type.js compares hash(code_verifier) to stored codeChallenge without validating verifier format/length.
  3. In AuthorizationCodeGrantType.handle, authorization code revocation happens after verifier validation. Invalid guesses fail before revoke, so the same code can be retried repeatedly.

Steps to Reproduce

Setup

  • PKCE authorization code exists with:
  • codeChallengeMethod = "S256"
  • codeChallenge = BASE64URL(SHA256("z")) (verifier is one character, RFC-invalid)
  • Attacker has intercepted the authorization code value.

Reproduction

  1. Send repeated token requests with guessed code_verifier values:
POST /token HTTP/1.1
Host: oauth.example
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

grant_type=authorization_code&
client_id=client1&
client_secret=s3cret&
code=stolen-auth-code&
redirect_uri=https://client.example/callback&
code_verifier=<guess>
  1. Observe invalid guesses return invalid_grant.
  2. Continue guessing (a..z).
  3. When code_verifier=z, token issuance succeeds and returns bearer tokens.

Confirmed PoC output

BRUTE_FORCE_SUCCESS { tries: 26, guess: 'z', status: 200, tokenIssued: true }

Impact

An intercepted authorization code can be redeemed by brute-forcing low-entropy verifiers that the server should have rejected under RFC7636.
This weakens PKCE’s protection goal and allows token theft when clients generate short/predictable verifiers.

Recommended Fix

  1. Enforce pkce.codeChallengeMatchesABNF(request.body.code_verifier) in authorization code token exchange before hashing/comparison.
  2. Reject verifier values outside RFC7636 charset/length (43..128 unreserved).
  3. Invalidate authorization codes on failed verifier attempts (or add strict retry limits) to prevent online guessing.
Show details on source website

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "database_specific": {
        "last_known_affected_version_range": "\u003c= 5.2.1"
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "npm",
        "name": "@node-oauth/oauth2-server"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "5.3.0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-1289",
      "CWE-307"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2026-04-16T21:09:50Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null,
    "severity": "MODERATE"
  },
  "details": "## Summary\n\nThe token exchange path accepts RFC7636-invalid `code_verifier` values (including one-character strings) for `S256` PKCE flows.  \nBecause short/weak verifiers are accepted and failed verifier attempts do not consume the authorization code, an attacker who intercepts an authorization code can brute-force `code_verifier` guesses online until token issuance succeeds.\n\n\n\n### Root cause\n\n1. `lib/pkce/pkce.js` (`getHashForCodeChallenge`) only checks that `verifier` is a non-empty string before hashing for `S256`; it does not enforce RFC7636 ABNF (`43..128` unreserved chars).\n2. `lib/grant-types/authorization-code-grant-type.js` compares `hash(code_verifier)` to stored `codeChallenge` without validating verifier format/length.\n3. In `AuthorizationCodeGrantType.handle`, authorization code revocation happens **after** verifier validation. Invalid guesses fail before revoke, so the same code can be retried repeatedly.\n\n## Steps to Reproduce\n\n### Setup\n\n- PKCE authorization code exists with:\n  - `codeChallengeMethod = \"S256\"`\n  - `codeChallenge = BASE64URL(SHA256(\"z\"))` (verifier is one character, RFC-invalid)\n- Attacker has intercepted the authorization code value.\n\n### Reproduction\n\n1. Send repeated token requests with guessed `code_verifier` values:\n\n```http\nPOST /token HTTP/1.1\nHost: oauth.example\nContent-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded\n\ngrant_type=authorization_code\u0026\nclient_id=client1\u0026\nclient_secret=s3cret\u0026\ncode=stolen-auth-code\u0026\nredirect_uri=https://client.example/callback\u0026\ncode_verifier=\u003cguess\u003e\n```\n\n2. Observe invalid guesses return `invalid_grant`.\n3. Continue guessing (`a`..`z`).\n4. When `code_verifier=z`, token issuance succeeds and returns bearer tokens.\n\n### Confirmed PoC output\n\n```text\nBRUTE_FORCE_SUCCESS { tries: 26, guess: \u0027z\u0027, status: 200, tokenIssued: true }\n```\n\n## Impact\n\nAn intercepted authorization code can be redeemed by brute-forcing low-entropy verifiers that the server should have rejected under RFC7636.  \nThis weakens PKCE\u2019s protection goal and allows token theft when clients generate short/predictable verifiers.\n\n## Recommended Fix\n\n1. Enforce `pkce.codeChallengeMatchesABNF(request.body.code_verifier)` in authorization code token exchange before hashing/comparison.\n2. Reject verifier values outside RFC7636 charset/length (`43..128` unreserved).\n3. Invalidate authorization codes on failed verifier attempts (or add strict retry limits) to prevent online guessing.",
  "id": "GHSA-jhm7-29pj-4xvf",
  "modified": "2026-04-16T21:09:50Z",
  "published": "2026-04-16T21:09:50Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/node-oauth/node-oauth2-server/security/advisories/GHSA-jhm7-29pj-4xvf"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/node-oauth/node-oauth2-server"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "@node-oauth/oauth2-server: PKCE code_verifier ABNF not enforced in token exchange allows brute-force redemption of intercepted authorization codes"
}


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