OAuth 2.1 Provider: Unprivileged users can register OAuth clients

### Am I affected? You're affected if all of the following are true: - Using @better-auth/oauth-provider at version specified below - You configured clientPrivileges in the plugin options expecting it to gate who can create OAuth clients - The /oauth2/create-client or /admin/oauth2/create-client endpoints are reachable by authenticated users you don't fully trust If clientPrivileges is not configured, this bug has no security consequence for your deployment --- ### Summary The clientPrivileges option documents a create action, but the OAuth client creation endpoints did not invoke the hook before persisting new clients. Deployments that configured clientPrivileges to restrict client registration were not actually restricted — any authenticated user could reach the create endpoints and register an OAuth client with attacker-chosen redirect URIs and metadata. Non-create operations (read, list, update, delete, rotate) enforced the hook correctly. Only the create path was missing the check. ### Impact - Unauthorized registration of OAuth clients by any authenticated user, under deployments that expected clientPrivileges to block them. - Attacker-controlled redirect_uris on those clients enable phishing flows that present as registered first-party applications. - If the SERVER_ONLY admin creation endpoint is also exposed to low-privilege users (a separate deployment misconfiguration), additional sensitive fields including `skip_consent` become writable. ### Patches Fixed in `@better-auth/[email protected]` Both create endpoints now call the clientPrivileges hook with action "create" before persisting the client record. ### Workarounds If you cannot upgrade immediately: - Block the /oauth2/create-client and /admin/oauth2/create-client routes at your reverse proxy or middleware layer for any user who should not be able to register clients. - Do not expose the admin creation endpoint (it is SERVER_ONLY by design and should not be reachable by end-user sessions).

Source published

16 Apr 2026 22:44:27 UTC

Source modified

5 May 2026 16:26:32 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:17:17 UTC

Source terms

GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON

This view projects the publisher's source fields for reading; the original JSON retains additional fields and CVE enrichment containers. Attribution: osv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

CVSS_V4 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:L/SI:H/SA:N

Publisher rating · HIGH