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Better Auth affected by external request basePath modification DoS

Low severity GitHub Reviewed Published Nov 27, 2025 in better-auth/better-auth • Updated Dec 1, 2025

Package

npm better-auth (npm)

Affected versions

< 1.4.2

Patched versions

1.4.2

Description

Summary

Affected versions of Better Auth allow an external request to configure baseURL when it isn’t defined through any other means. This can be abused to poison the router’s base path, causing all routes to return 404 for all users.

This issue is only exploitable when baseURL is not explicitly configured (e.g., BETTER_AUTH_URL is missing) and the attacker is able to make the very first request to the server after startup. In properly configured environments or typical managed hosting platforms, this fallback behavior cannot be reached.

Details

A combination of X-Forwarded-Host and X-Forwarded-Proto is implicitly trusted. This allows the first request to configure baseURL whenever it is not explicitly configured.

Here's the code that reads the headers:

headers

Here's the call to getBaseURL(), the result is assigned to ctx.baseURL.

write

Here's the router receiving the poisoned basePath:

router

X-Forwarded-Host and X-Forwarded-Proto can be used to modify the pathname of a parsed URL object which forms baseURL. basePath is then derived from the pathname of baseURL. Once the router basePath is poisoned it fails to match & route incoming requests.

Repro

Start a better-auth server with no baseURL configuration.

Send the following request as the first request to the server:

curl -i --location 'https://example.com/api/auth/ok' \
--header 'X-Forwarded-Proto: some:' \
--header 'X-Forwarded-Host: junk'

The better-auth API check endpoint returns 404.

Now send a regular request without the X-Forwarded-Proto and X-Forwarded-Host headers.

curl -i --location 'https://example.com/api/auth/ok'

The better-auth API check endpoint still returns 404.

Example result

attack

We have modified the basePath for the router until the server is restarted. An attacker can repeatedly send these attack requests aiming to persistently exploit the vulnerability.

References

@Bekacru Bekacru published to better-auth/better-auth Nov 27, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Dec 1, 2025
Reviewed Dec 1, 2025
Last updated Dec 1, 2025

Severity

Low

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Attack Requirements Present
Privileges Required None
User interaction None
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability Low
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability None

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.
Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.
Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.
User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

EPSS score

Weaknesses

External Control of File Name or Path

The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-569q-mpph-wgww

Source code

Credits

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