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CVE Record

CVE-2026-73420: NextAuth.js: Email normalizer validates the address before Unicode normalization, allowing a homoglyph @ bypass

NextAuth.js provides authentication for Next.js. Prior to @auth/core 0.41.3 and next-auth 4.24.15 and 5.0.0-beta.32, the defaultNormalizer used by the email and magic-link sign-in flow validates an address before applying Unicode normalization. An address can contain a Unicode character such as U+FF20 FULLWIDTH COMMERCIAL AT that is not ASCII at-sign but canonicalizes to an ASCII at-sign under NFKC or NFKD normalization. The address passes the normalizer's single-at-sign check, but a downstream sendVerificationRequest mail library or delivery service that normalizes the address can then see two at-sign separators and deliver the passwordless sign-in link to an attacker-controlled recipient. Applications are affected when the email provider uses the built-in normalizer rather than a custom normalizeIdentifier and the downstream sender applies Unicode normalization. An attacker who knows a victim's email address can request the misrouted magic link and sign in as the victim without victim interaction. This issue is fixed in @auth/core 0.41.3 and next-auth 4.24.15 and 5.0.0-beta.32.

CriticalCVSS 9.1Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysiscritical

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A flaw can cause an email sign-in link intended for a known victim to be delivered to an attacker-controlled address. Successful abuse enables passwordless account takeover without victim interaction, but only under specific email-normalization conditions.

Executive priority

Treat affected passwordless authentication deployments as an urgent patching priority because successful exploitation can compromise accounts without victim action. First identify externally accessible applications meeting all disclosed prerequisites, then upgrade and verify production dependencies.

Technical view

The default email normalizer validates separators before Unicode normalization. A non-ASCII character can later normalize into an ASCII at-sign, causing a downstream mail system to interpret a different recipient. Fixes are available in @auth/core 0.41.3, next-auth 4.24.15, and 5.0.0-beta.32.

Likely exposure

Exposure requires an affected version, email or magic-link authentication, the built-in normalizer, and a downstream sender that applies Unicode normalization. Applications using a custom normalizeIdentifier or a sender without such normalization do not meet the disclosed conditions.

Exploitation context

A remote, unauthenticated attacker who knows a victim's email address may obtain a misrouted sign-in link and impersonate the victim. The attack requires a susceptible delivery path. The bundle marks KEV false, and the cited sources provide no evidence of active exploitation.

Researcher notes

This is a validation-before-canonicalization weakness classified as CWE-180. Risk depends on behavior across the authentication normalizer and downstream delivery system, so version checks alone establish potential exposure, not exploitability. Review the complete email-processing chain without testing against real users.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade @auth/core to 0.41.3 or later.
  • Upgrade next-auth 4.x to 4.24.15 or later.
  • Upgrade next-auth 5 beta deployments to beta.32 or later.
  • Confirm production lockfiles and deployed artifacts contain the fixed dependency versions.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory applications using NextAuth.js email or magic-link sign-in.
  • Identify whether each email provider uses the built-in normalizer or custom normalizeIdentifier.
  • Determine whether the downstream mail library or delivery service performs Unicode normalization.
  • Safely verify in non-production that ambiguous Unicode email addresses cannot redirect sign-in links.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
5

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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ATT&CK lookup starting points

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cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-180: Exact CWE lookup

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Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2026-73420 mapping review

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Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.1 (4.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
7Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: yesTechnical Impact: total

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
9.1CVSS 4.0CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NGitHub_M

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 4.0 score

9.1Critical
CVSS 4.0 vector shape for CVE-2026-73420Attack VectorAttack ComplexityAttack RequirementsPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionVS ConfidentialityVS IntegrityVS AvailabilitySS ConfidentialitySS IntegritySS Availability

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Attack Requirements
NonePresent
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NonePassiveActive
VS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
VS Integrity
HighLowNone
VS Availability
HighLowNone
SS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
SS Integrity
HighLowNone
SS Availability
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc
Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
nextauthjsnext-auth< 4.24.15, >= 5.0.0-beta.4, < 5.0.0-beta.32Listed
@authcore>= 0.1.0, < 0.41.3Listed
Weakness

CWE details

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-180 · source CWE mapping

Incorrect Behavior Order: Validate Before Canonicalize

Incorrect Behavior Order: Validate Before Canonicalize represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.