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CVE-2026-44476 (doorkeeper-openid_connect): Dynamic Client Registration feature creates public clients with client_secret

Dynamic Client Registration feature creates public clients with client_secret

Published: June 04, 2026

SECURITY IDENTIFIERS

GEM

doorkeeper-openid_connect

SEVERITY

CVSS v3.x: 6.3 (Medium)

UNAFFECTED VERSIONS

< 1.9.0

PATCHED VERSIONS

>= 1.10.0

DESCRIPTION

Impact

The DynamicClientRegistrationController#register action hard-codes confidential: false when creating applications (dynamic_client_registration_controller.rb:18-25), yet the response includes a client_secret and advertises token_endpoint_auth_methods_supported: [&quot;client_secret_basic&quot;, &quot;client_secret_post&quot;].

Because Doorkeeper's Application.by_uid_and_secret treats a blank/missing secret as valid for non-confidential (public) clients, an attacker who knows only the client_id (which is public information) can authenticate as the dynamically-registered client at the token endpoint.

Note that Dynamic Client Registration is opt-in feature which is disabled by default so only projects that explicitly enabled it are affected.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Enable dynamic client registration in the initializer
  2. POST /oauth/registration with client_name, redirect_uris, and scope
  3. Observe: response returns client_secret, but the created Doorkeeper::Application has confidential: false
  4. Call Doorkeeper::Application.by_uid_and_secret(client_id, nil) — it returns the application (credentials bypass)
  5. POST /oauth/token with grant_type=client_credentials and only client_id (no client_secret) — the token endpoint issues an access token without any secret verification

Workarounds

Upgrade existing applications created with a Dynamic Client registration to have confidential: true

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