GHSA-jhm7-29pj-4xvf
@node-oauth/oauth2-server: PKCE code_verifier ABNF not enforced in token exchange allows brute-force redemption of intercepted authorization codes
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | @node-oauth/oauth2-server | < 5.3.0 | 5.3.0 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
## 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:
```http
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>
```
2. Observe invalid guesses return `invalid_grant`.
3. Continue guessing (`a`..`z`).
4. When `code_verifier=z`, token issuance succeeds and returns bearer tokens.
### Confirmed PoC output
```text
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.
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.