GHSA-wxw3-q3m9-c3jr: Better Auth: OAuth callback accepts mismatched `state` when cookie-backed state storage is used without PKCE
Am I affected?Users are affected if all of the following are true:The application uses `better-auth` at a version below `1.6.2` (or `@better-auth/sso` paired with such a version).`betterAuth({ account: { storeStateStrategy } })` is set to `"cookie"`. The default `"database"` is not affected.The application wires at least one OAuth provider through `genericOAuth({ config })` with `pkce: false`, or it supplies a custom `getToken` or `tokenUrl` that does not require the stored `codeVerifier`. Stock social providers with PKCE on are not affected.The provider returns arbitrary `code` values to the configured callback URL.If users are on `better-auth@1.6.2` or later, they are not affected.Fix:Upgrade to `better-auth@1.6.2` or later (current stable is `1.6.10`).If users cannot upgrade, see workarounds below.SummaryIn `parseGenericState`, the cookie branch decrypted the `oauth_state` cookie and validated expiry, but did not compare the incoming OAuth `state` query parameter to the nonce that `generateGenericState` issued at sign-in. Any callback to `/api/auth/oauth2/callback/<providerId>` that arrived with a forged `state` and any `code` was therefore accepted as long as the browser still held a live `oauth_state` cookie. With `pkce: false` (or any `getToken` path that does not enforce a code-verifier round-trip), an attacker who forced the victim to deliver an attacker-controlled authorization code to the callback would mint a session bound to the attacker's external identity in the victim's browser. Account-linking flows behaved the same way, binding the attacker's external account to an authenticated victim row.DetailsThe cookie branch of `parseGenericState` did not compare the cookie's stored nonce to the incoming `state` parameter. The database branch (the default) was not affected because the verification row is keyed by `state` and the lookup itself enforces equality.The fix re-binds the cookie to the nonce: `generateGenericState` writes `oauthState: state` into the encrypted payload before storage, and `parseGenericState` rejects when `parsedData.oauthState !== state`. The same primitive covers every caller (`generic-oauth`, social, account-link, oauth-proxy passthrough, OIDC SSO, SAML relay state).PatchesFixed in `better-auth@1.6.2` via [PR #8949](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/pull/8949) (commit `9deb7936a`, merged 2026-04-09). The cookie branch of `parseGenericState` now rejects when the encrypted payload's nonce does not match the incoming `state` parameter; the database branch gained a defense-in-depth equality check.WorkaroundsIf users cannot upgrade immediately:**Switch `storeStateStrategy` back to `"database"`** (the default). This closes the cookie-only bypass without a code change.**Enable `pkce: true`** on every affected `genericOAuth` provider. The `codeVerifier` is the missing primitive that the attacker cannot supply.Impact**Forced-login (CSRF on OAuth callback)**: the attacker forces the victim's browser into an authenticated session bound to the attacker's external identity, allowing the attacker to observe the victim's actions inside the application.**Persistent account linking**: account-link flows bind the attacker's external account to the victim's authenticated row, granting persistent access until the link is removed.CreditReported by @Jvr2022 via private advisory disclosure, and by @alavesa (PatchPilots audit) via the public duplicate [issue #8897](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/issues/8897).Resources[CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/352.html)[CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/345.html)[CWE-287: Improper Authentication](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/287.html)[RFC 6749 §10.12: Cross-Site Request Forgery](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6749#section-10.12)[RFC 7636: Proof Key for Code Exchange](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7636)
CVSS v3.1: 5.3