Microsoft Entra ID login fails: combined prompt values and invalid public-client token request

[AHberta]

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Describe the bug

The official ownCloud Desktop Client cannot complete an OpenID Connect Authorization Code + PKCE login against Microsoft Entra ID.

The problem is reproducible with Desktop 7.1.0 using the Windows system OIDC configuration and with Desktop 6.0.3 after starting with a fresh per-user configuration.

Two consecutive failures can be reproduced:

1. Although the configured system value is Prompt=consent, the client sends prompt=consent select_account. Microsoft Entra ID rejects this with AADSTS90023: Unsupported 'prompt' value.

2. If the authorization URL is manually corrected to prompt=consent, Entra authenticates the user and returns an authorization code to the loopback listener. The token request then sends the client ID only as Authorization: Basic base64(<client-id>:); the form body contains no client_id. Entra rejects it with AADSTS900144: The request body must contain the following parameter: 'client_id'.

The Entra application is configured as a public native/desktop client. A client secret cannot be kept confidential in a distributed desktop application.

Expected behavior

• Send exactly the configured prompt value, e.g. prompt=consent, or omit it when empty.
• Support a public native client using Authorization Code + PKCE with token_endpoint_auth_method=none.
• Include client_id in the token request form body.
• Do not require or send a client secret for a public desktop client.
• Complete login and retain a refresh token when offline_access is requested.

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. Register a single-tenant application in Microsoft Entra ID.
2. Add the Mobile and desktop applications loopback redirect URI http://127.0.0.1.
3. Configure it as a public native client using Authorization Code + PKCE; do not create a client secret.
4. With Desktop 7.1.0 configure the Windows system OIDC settings: ClientId=<redacted>, Ports=48080, Scopes=openid offline_access email profile, and Prompt=consent.
5. Start the client and add the preconfigured account.
6. Observe that the URL contains prompt=consent select_account and Entra returns AADSTS90023.
7. Start a fresh attempt and change only prompt=consent%20select_account to prompt=consent.
8. Complete the Entra login. The callback reaches http://127.0.0.1:48080.
9. Observe AADSTS900144 during the token exchange.
10. Install Desktop 6.0.3, rename the configuration created by 7.1.0 so that 6.0.3 starts with a fresh per-user configuration, and connect to the same oCIS instance.
11. Observe AADSTS90023 again.

Screenshots

Screenshots show AADSTS90023 with both Desktop 7.1.0 and Desktop 6.0.3. They can be provided if required.

Logs

Authorization request generated by the client:

https://login.microsoftonline.com/<tenant-id>/oauth2/v2.0/authorize
?response_type=code
&client_id=<client-id>
&redirect_uri=http://127.0.0.1:48080
&code_challenge=<redacted>
&code_challenge_method=S256
&scope=openid email profile
&prompt=consent select_account
&state=<redacted>

After manually changing the prompt to one value, the callback succeeds:

accepted client connection from QHostAddress("127.0.0.1")
GET /?code=<redacted>&state=<redacted>&session_state=<redacted> HTTP/1.1

Token request:

POST https://login.microsoftonline.com/<tenant-id>/oauth2/v2.0/token
Authorization: Basic base64(<client-id>:)
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

grant_type=authorization_code
&code=<redacted>
&redirect_uri=http://127.0.0.1:48080
&code_verifier=<redacted>
&scope=openid%20email%20profile

Response:

{
  "error": "invalid_request",
  "error_description": "AADSTS900144: The request body must contain the following parameter: 'client_id'."
}

Client version number

Reproduced with two official Windows x64 releases:

ownCloud Desktop 7.1.0.19041
ownCloud Desktop 6.0.3.18040
Libraries for 6.0.3: Qt 6.8.3, OpenSSL 3.4.3
Windows 11 x64 (10.0.26200)
Installation: official Windows x64 MSI
Installation path: C:\Program Files\ownCloud

The 6.0.3 test used a fresh per-user configuration after renaming the configuration file written by 7.1.0.

Desktop environment (Linux only)

No response

Client package version and origin (Linux only)

No response

Installation path (Windows only)

C:\Program Files\ownCloud

Server information

ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS) 8.0.0
Deployment: Docker Compose on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
External identity provider: Microsoft Entra ID, single tenant
Storage backend: S3-compatible object storage
Public URL: https://cloud.example.org

Browser login to the oCIS Web UI works. WebFinger/discovery directs the Desktop Client to the tenant-specific Microsoft issuer. The failure occurs in the Desktop Client's direct communication with Microsoft, not in the oCIS reverse proxy.

Additional context

Related issue: #11472

That issue documented prompt=select_account consent and was closed for the Desktop 6.0 milestone. However, the invalid combined prompt is still reproducible with Desktop 6.0.3 and 7.1.0. URL-encoding the space does not make two prompt values valid for Microsoft Entra ID.

The current client implementation also appears to support only client_secret_basic and client_secret_post at the token endpoint. A public native application needs support for none, with client_id in the form body and no client secret.

Embedding an Entra application secret in the registry or deploying it to every managed workstation is not an acceptable production workaround.