MFA: challenge timeout / code expired
A TOTP or push challenge was rejected because it expired or the device clock drifted outside the verification window.
Quick fix
Read the commands before running them. Anything that restarts a service, deletes data or changes permissions should be tried on a non-production system first.
# TOTP codes are time-based: sync the device clock
# Server: allow +/- 1 step (30s) of skew instead of widening windows
date -u # verify server time
# Re-enroll the authenticator if drift persistsHow to diagnose Auth errors
Identity errors are almost always configuration mismatches between two systems rather than code bugs: a redirect URI registered with a trailing slash, a client secret that was rotated on one side only, a clock that has drifted past the token skew allowance. Because the identity provider deliberately returns vague errors to avoid leaking information to attackers, the provider's own log is usually far more informative than the message your application receives.
If the quick fix above does not resolve it, work through these steps. They apply to this whole class of error, not just to this one message, which is usually what saves the time.
- Open the identity provider's log or event stream first. Auth0, Okta and Keycloak all record a detailed reason that they never send back to the client.
- Compare the redirect URI byte for byte, including scheme, port and trailing slash.
http://localhost:3000/callbackandhttp://localhost:3000/callback/are different URIs. - Decode the token rather than guessing. Paste it into a local JWT decoder and check
iss,aud,expandnbf, never a remote paste site, because tokens are credentials. - Check clock skew with
timedatectlorntpq -p. Kerberos, SAML and JWT all reject tokens outside a tight time window, and a drifting VM clock produces intermittent, unreproducible auth failures. - For passkeys and WebAuthn, verify the Relying Party ID matches the origin exactly and that the page is served over HTTPS or on
localhost. Nothing else is a secure context.
Tools worth reaching for
Provider audit logsjwt decoding (locally)openssl x509 -noout -textbrowser devtools network tab
Authoritative references
Primary documentation for this error, worth reading before applying any fix in production.
Related Auth errors
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- Keycloak: Invalid parameter: redirect_uriKeycloak rejected the redirect URI because it is not listed in the client's Valid Redirect…
- Microsoft Entra ID: AADSTS50011 (redirect URI mismatch)The redirect_uri sent in the authorisation request is not registered on the app registration…
- OAuth 2: invalid_grant (PKCE code_verifier does not match)The code_verifier sent to the token endpoint does not hash to the code_challenge sent to the…
- OIDC: nonce mismatchThe nonce in the returned ID token does not match the nonce sent in the auth request…
- OIDC: unable to find a signing key that matches the kidThe token was signed with a key the verifier does not have. Identity providers rotate signing…
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Something missing or wrong?
This entry is maintained by hand. If the fix is out of date, incomplete, or you have a better one, email a correction and it will be reviewed.