aws / aws/amazon-q-developer-cli

Remote HTTP MCP server OAuth fails with false "issuer mismatch" when RFC 9728 resource URL differs from authorization server issuer

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Dominant language
Rust
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Description

### Checks

- [x] I have searched [github.com/aws/amazon-q-developer-cli/issues](https://github.com/aws/amazon-q-developer-cli/issues?q=) and there are no duplicates of my issue
- [x] I have run `q doctor` in the affected terminal session
- [x] I have run `q restart` and replicated the issue again

### Operating system

macOS 26.6.2 (25G83)

### Expected behaviour

When connecting to a remote HTTP MCP server that uses OAuth, kiro-cli should follow RFC 9728 (Protected Resource Metadata) and RFC 8414 (Authorization Server Metadata). The MCP resource identifier and the authorization server's issuer are distinct values and are not required to match. The CLI should discover the authorization server listed in the protected-resource metadata and validate its issuer against that authorization server's own metadata document — not against the MCP resource URL. The connection should succeed and complete the OAuth flow, exactly as the Kiro IDE does with the same configuration.

### Actual behaviour

kiro-cli rejects the connection with:

GitLab ✗ failed Authorization server issuer mismatch:
expected https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com/api/v4/mcp,
received https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com

The CLI incorrectly expects the authorization server's issuer to equal the MCP resource URL (.../api/v4/mcp). GitLab correctly advertises a resource of https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com/api/v4/mcp with an authorization server / issuer of https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com. These are supposed to differ per spec, so the CLI raises a false mismatch and refuses to connect. The identical configuration works in the Kiro IDE.

### Steps to reproduce

1. Configure a remote HTTP MCP server in ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json that uses OAuth where the authorization server issuer differs from the MCP resource URL. Example (GitLab Dedicated):

"GitLab": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com/api/v4/mcp",
"oauthScopes": ["mcp"]
}

2. The server's OAuth discovery returns (both spec-compliant):
- GET /.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/api/v4/mcp
{ "resource": "https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com/api/v4/mcp",
"authorization_servers": ["https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com"],
"scopes_supported": ["mcp"] }
- GET /.well-known/oauth-authorization-server
{ "issuer": "https://X.gitlab-dedicated.com", ... }

3. Start a chat / trigger the MCP connection:
kiro-cli chat

4. Observe the "Authorization server issuer mismatch" error and the server failing to connect.

Note: The same config connects successfully in the Kiro IDE, confirming the discovery documents are valid and the defect is in the CLI's issuer validation.

### Environment

```yaml

[q-details]
version = "2.19.2"
hash = "80d5aeb353825e5fbbe66c5e5c07084979af0262"
date = "2026-08-25T02:48:27.049726Z (2d ago)"
variant = "full"

[system-info]
os = "macOS 26.6.2 (25G83)"
chip = "Apple M4 Pro"
total-cores = 14
memory = "24.00 GB"

[environment]
cwd = "/Users/USER"
cli-path = "/Users/USER"
os = "Mac"
shell-path = "/bin/zsh"
shell-version = "5.9"
terminal = "iTerm 2"
install-method = "unknown"

[env-vars]
PATH = "/Users/USER/.local/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/opt/homebrew/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/System/Cryptexes/App/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/local/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/bin:/var/run/com.apple.security.cryptexd/codex.system/bootstrap/usr/appleinternal/bin:/pkg/env/global/bin:/Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/Resources/utilities:/Users/USER/.local/bin"
QTERM_SESSION_ID = "b40ddb9c90db46f1aafbc571a36d5564"
Q_SET_PARENT_CHECK = "1"
Q_TERM = "2.15.2"
SHELL = "/bin/zsh"
TERM = "xterm-256color"
__CFBundleIdentifier = "com.googlecode.iterm2"
```

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with the remote HTTP MCP configuration in ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json and reproduce the failure using `kiro-cli chat` with the GitLab Dedicated example. Trace the OAuth protected-resource and authorization-server discovery, then verify that a resource URL differing from the issuer completes the OAuth flow without the false mismatch.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
rust
Domain
api, authentication, cli
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
68/100

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