Summary
Signal K Server: OAuth Authorization Code Theft via Unvalidated Host Header in OIDC Flow
Full technical description
SignalK Server contains a code-level vulnerability in its OIDC login and logout handlers where the unvalidated HTTP Host header is used to construct the OAuth2 redirect_uri. Because the redirectUri configuration is silently unset by default, an attacker spoof the Host header to steal OAuth authorization codes and hijack user sessions in realistic deployments as The OIDC provider will then send the authorization code to whatever domain was injected.
The OIDC specification requires redirect_uri to be pre-registered and not derived from untrusted input. Constructing it from the Host header violates this requirement and introduces a trust boundary break.
This risk is actively amplified by SignalK's official documentation, which instructs administrators to deploy an Nginx configuration that forwards the vulnerable Host header, exposing production environments.
Vulnerability Root Cause
Two factors combine to create this vulnerability:
Factor 1: redirectUri is optional with an unsafe fallback
In types.ts:30, redirectUri is declared as optional
export interface OIDCConfig {
// ...
redirectUri?: string // ← Optional, no default value
// ...
}
The defaults in types.ts:175-185 do not include a redirectUri: never checks or warns about a missing redirectUri. This means a fully "valid" OIDC configuration can exist without redirectUri, silently activating the vulnerable fallback path.
export const OIDC_DEFAULTS: Omit<OIDCConfig, 'issuer' | 'clientId' | 'clientSecret'> = {
enabled: false,
scope: 'openid email profile',
defaultPermission: 'readonly',
autoCreateUsers: true,
providerName: 'SSO Login',
autoLogin: false
// ← No redirectUri default
}
Factor 2: Unsafe Host header usage in two locations
Location 1, Login handler in oidc-auth.ts:278-282:
const protocol = req.secure ? 'https' : 'http'
const host = req.get('host') // ← Attacker-controlled
const redirectUri =
oidcConfig.redirectUri || // ← Only safe if explicitly set
`${protocol}://${host}${skAuthPrefix}/oidc/callback` // ← Uses attacker's Host
This redirectUri flows into createAuthState() → buildAuthorizationUrl() → OIDC provider's redirect_uri parameter. The OIDC provider will then send the authorization code to whatever domain was injected.
Location 2, Logout handler in oidc-auth.ts:513-515:
const protocol = req.secure ? 'https' : 'http'
const host = req.get('host') // ← Same pattern
const fullPostLogoutUri = `${protocol}://${host}${postLogoutRedirect}`
This constructs the post_logout_redirect_uri sent to the OIDC provider's end_session_endpoint, allowing an attacker to redirect the user to an attacker controlled domain after logout.
Official Documentation Enables the Attack
SignalK's own security documentation at docs/security.md:222-228 provides the recommended nginx reverse proxy configuration:
The proxy_set_header Host $host; directive forwards the client-supplied Host header to the backend unmodified. Without this directive, nginx would replace the Host header with the upstream address (localhost:3000), which would neutralize the injection.
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header Host $host; # ← Forwards client's Host header to SignalK
}
Administrators who follow the official documentation are directly enabling this vulnerability behind their reverse proxy.
Proof of Concept
Tested against SignalK Server v2.23.0 in Docker with OIDC enabled .
Step 1, Send login request with injected Host header:$response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "http://localhost:3000/signalk/v1/auth/oidc/login" -Headers @{"Host"="evil.com"} -MaximumRedirection 0 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -UseBasicParsing
Step 2: Decode and print the injected redirect URL[uri]::UnescapeDataString($response.Headers.Location)
Impact
- Authorization Code Theft: The OIDC provider sends the OAuth authorization code to the attacker's domain instead of the legitimate server.
- Session Hijack: The attacker can exchange the stolen code for tokens and create a session as the victim user.
- Logout Redirect Hijack: The logout handler has the same pattern, allowing post-logout redirection to an attacker domain (phishing opportunity).
Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites. Typical impact: phishing and credential harvesting via a trusted domain.
CVE-2026-34083 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.24.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-34083? CVE-2026-34083 is a medium-severity open redirect vulnerability in signalk-server (npm), affecting versions >= 2.20.0, < 2.24.0. It is fixed in 2.24.0. Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites.
- How severe is CVE-2026-34083? CVE-2026-34083 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of signalk-server are affected by CVE-2026-34083? signalk-server (npm) versions >= 2.20.0, < 2.24.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-34083? Yes. CVE-2026-34083 is fixed in 2.24.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-34083 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-34083 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-34083 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-34083? Upgrade
signalk-serverto 2.24.0 or later.