# CVE-2026-53512: Better Auth authentication bypass in legacy OIDC and MCP plugins

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-53512-better-auth-authentication-bypass-in-legacy-oidc-and-mcp-plugins  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-15. Updated: 2026-07-15  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-53512 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.1 · Published 2026-07-15

Better Auth is a security library used by developers to handle user logins and permissions in TypeScript applications. A flaw in its legacy OIDC and MCP plugins allowed attackers who obtained a refresh token to generate new access tokens without knowing the application's secret key. This could lead to unauthorized account access and the ability for an attacker to maintain a persistent foothold in a user's account even if the original session was intended to be protected.

Technologies: [better-auth (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/better-auth). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-53512 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-53512 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-53512?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.1, published 15 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** better-auth (npm) < 1.6.11, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.6.11.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-53512?** Yes. better-auth (npm): upgrade to 1.6.11 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-53512 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-53512?** Check whether you run better-auth (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- better-auth (npm): upgrade to 1.6.11 or later

  ```sh
  npm install better-auth@1.6.11
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in the legacy oidcProvider and mcp plugins of Better Auth. While the library correctly requires a client_secret for the initial authorization_code exchange, it fails to enforce this requirement for the refresh_token grant. An attacker who obtains a valid refresh_token (e.g., via local storage leak or proxy logs) can call the /api/auth/oauth2/token or /api/auth/mcp/token endpoints to obtain new access tokens and rotated refresh tokens by providing only the token and a matching client_id. This bypasses the authentication requirements for confidential clients. The issue is addressed in version 1.6.11 by requiring the client_secret for confidential clients and implementing constant-time string comparisons.

## Affected products

- better-auth better-auth < 1.6.11

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-53512
- GHSA-pw9m-5jxm-xr6h

## Timeline

- 2026-05-12: patched: Fix committed and version 1.6.11 released.
- 2026-07-15: disclosed: CVE-2026-53512 published.

## References

- [https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/commit/1f2ff4215c4affff0b140b0c0a712c0dde35659c](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/commit/1f2ff4215c4affff0b140b0c0a712c0dde35659c)
- [https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/pull/9576](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/pull/9576)
- [https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.11](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/releases/tag/v1.6.11)
- [https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/security/advisories/GHSA-pw9m-5jxm-xr6h](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/security/advisories/GHSA-pw9m-5jxm-xr6h)

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