Getting invalid request for PKCEOAuthFlow.ProcessCodeFlowAsync

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donaldp wrote:

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if (code is object) {
    PKCEOAuthFlow pKCEFlow=new PKCEOAuthFlow();

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As can be seen from your post, you are constructing pKCEFlow object anew after you have got the code. How you guarantee that PKCE code challenge, send as part of initial query (targeting the code you have received on redirect), match to the code verifier used on followup code processing (both generated and carried within PKCEOAuthFlow object)? 🤔 This workflow targets extremely difficult prediction of such pair, so security gonna be improved. If it was so easy to predict second pair' element (just construct a new object), 😁 what's the meaning of PKCE usage at all?

Hope this gives direction. 😉

Hi,

> As can be seen from your post, you are constructing pKCEFlow object anew after you have got the code

   Yes, that's right. I'm getting the code directly from the browser - I'm not doing it via the app - so this is the first step in the process in the app. There is no redirect. The user gets the code, then comes to the app with it. The doco says that you can do that, hence why the subsequent parameters are all optional. It's not working though (as is).

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donaldp wrote:

... I'm getting the code directly from the browser - I'm not doing it via the app - so this is the first step in the process in the app. There is no redirect. The user gets the code, then comes to the app with it. The doco says that you can do that, hence why the subsequent parameters are all optional. It's not working though (as is).

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Ok, that's right. Nothing against what you say, it's correct. Do you intentionally bypass my actual notes posted before? 🤷 If you don't want, don't read them.

Edit:

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donaldp wrote:

... I'm getting the code directly from the browser - I'm not doing it via the app - so this is the first step in the process in the app. ...

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The first step is constructing and launching Dropbox authentication (URL construction that must include code challenge). What you are talking about is going to be the second one! Both are strictly related to each other - something you are missing, seems!

>The first step is constructing and launching Dropbox authentication

And the doco states that step is optional, as I already said. I therefore don't know what code is needed to get this working when one isn't constructing and launching a redirect. If you're getting the code directly from a browser as the actual first step, then the next step is entering that code into the app, unless someone can tell me a different first step for bypassing using a redirect (I already asked if there's a different URL needed to be used for the PKCE flow - I'm using the same URL as non-PKCE flow, but maybe that's the issue?).

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donaldp wrote:

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And the doco states that step is optional, as I already said. ...

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Probably we are talking for different things. How constructing URL used on launching the browser (where you are getting code) can be optional? You are getting such code every time OAuth is on go, but it's optional... 🤔 Can you clarify the meaning of word "optional" here (in this context)?

This is something mandatory for any type of Flow in use and both with and without redirection! Sometimes it's simple, sometimes little bit complicated. When SDK is in use you are relying on the SDK code to do this, should look the same. Just careful what code is used to construct it. Don't mix different code (from different flows) together.

One more thing:

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donaldp wrote:

... (I already asked if there's a different URL needed to be used for the PKCE flow - I'm using the same URL as non-PKCE flow, but maybe that's the issue?).

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What actually means "the same URL"? If you mean URL received using the same code (PKCEOAuthFlow class code), that's correct. Since this URL will contain within code challenge (something supposed to be unique for every query), URL literal gonna be different. If you mean usage of a constant URL literal..., where and how will come code challenge from - something mandatory for PKCE?

From https://developers.dropbox.com/oauth-guide - "The redirect_uri is optional with the code flow - if unspecified, the authorization code is displayed on dropbox.com for the user to copy and paste to your app"

So the URL is https://www.dropbox.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=MY_CLIENT_ID&redirect_uri=MY_REDIRECT_URI&response_type=code, but without the redirect, since that is optional, and that link is always the same, so just have a browser shortcut for it.

It sounds like the link is different for PKCE then?

Yes, we are talking for different things. donaldp, It's correct:

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donaldp wrote:

From https://developers.dropbox.com/oauth-guide - "The redirect_uri is optional with the code flow - if unspecified, the authorization code is displayed on dropbox.com for the user to copy and paste to your app"

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But the following:

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donaldp wrote:

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So the URL is https://www.dropbox.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=MY_CLIENT_ID&redirect_uri=MY_REDIRECT_URI&response_type=code, ...

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... is definitely NOT "redirect_url"!!! It's the URL used to launch the authentication and it's mandatory for every Flow - no way to get anything without it! Again, PKCE Flow does suppose code challenge existance... no, no just does suppose - it's mandatory and will never work without.

Take a look here and look on PKCE example (scroll little down). See there what's mandatory and what - not. Better don't construct it by hand, but use corresponding method instead.

Ok, used the wrong name - it's the authorisation URL, not the redirect URL - but it's still the same URL every time. The link you provided says the same thing - 

https://www.dropbox.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=<APP_KEY>&response_type=code

- so I still don't know why it's not working, given that's exactly the URL I've been using.

OMG...

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Documentation:

Example: Auth URL for PKCE code flow

https://www.dropbox.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=<APP_KEY>&response_type=code&code_challenge=<CHALLENGE>&code_challenge_method=<METHOD>

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Be more careful, where you are looking on!

Ah ok. Yes I didn't see that because doco says "Example: Auth URL for code flow with offline token access type", which is what I want - offline token. Needs a qualifier added "except for PKCE".

So does the PKCE URL change each time, or I only need to generate it once?