Authorization header dropped on JSON-RPC tools/call after successful MCP initialize (Streamable HTTP + OAuth 2.1 / DCR)
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Description
### Describe the bug
## Summary
After a successful OAuth 2.1 + DCR flow against an MCP server using Streamable HTTP, Copilot CLI sends the `Authorization: Bearer …` header on `initialize` but **omits it on subsequent JSON-RPC requests** (`tools/list`, `tools/call`).
The server-side session is shown as "connected" in `/mcp`, but every tool invocation fails with 401.
## Environment
- `copilot --version` → **1.0.37** (latest at time of report)
- macOS (Darwin 25.4.0)
- MCP server: own implementation, Rust, Streamable HTTP via `rmcp` 1.4.0
- Auth: OAuth 2.1 + RFC 7591 (Dynamic Client Registration), public client (PKCE, `token_endpoint_auth_method=none`)
- AS metadata exposed at `/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server` (RFC 8414)
- Same server works correctly with Claude Desktop and Gemini CLI
**Expected**: Tool call succeeds (Bearer sent on the JSON-RPC `tools/call` HTTP request).
**Observed**: Tool call fails. Server logs show the JSON-RPC `tools/call` arrived with no `Authorization` header.
## Server-side evidence
```json
{
"level": "WARN",
"service": "backend",
"target": "rmcp::service",
"message": "response error",
"id": "4",
"error": "ErrorData { code: ErrorCode(-32600), message: \"UNAUTHORIZED: missing Authorization header\", data: None }"
}
```
JSON-RPC id `4` corresponds to a `tools/call` (ids 0–2 are the MCP handshake: `initialize`, `notifications/initialized`, `tools/list`).
The DCR registration of the Copilot CLI client succeeded:
| field | value |
|---|---|
| `client_name` | `GitHub Copilot CLI` |
| `client_type` | `public` |
| `grant_types` | `authorization_code, refresh_token` |
| `redirect_uris` | `http://127.0.0.1:/` |
| `dynamically_registered` | `true` |
So the OAuth flow itself completes — the bug is downstream, in the MCP transport layer not propagating the Bearer to subsequent JSON-RPC HTTP requests.
### Affected version
GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.37.
### Steps to reproduce the behavior
1. Configure the MCP server in `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` with `"type": "http"` pointing at a Streamable HTTP MCP that requires Bearer on every request.
2. Start Copilot CLI, `/mcp` lists the server as connected (browser opens, OAuth flow completes, refresh + access tokens stored).
3. Ask Copilot to invoke any tool exposed by the server.
### Expected behavior
Tool call succeeds (Bearer sent on the JSON-RPC `tools/call` HTTP request).
### Additional context
## Cross-client check
The exact same server, with the exact same DCR + OAuth config, works correctly with:
- **Claude Desktop** — Bearer sent on every JSON-RPC request
- **Gemini CLI MCP client** — Bearer sent on every JSON-RPC request
So the server is compliant with the [MCP Streamable HTTP spec (2025-03-26)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-03-26/basic/transports#streamable-http). The bug is specific to Copilot CLI's handling of the access token
after `initialize`.
## Likely cause
Per the MCP Streamable HTTP spec, **each JSON-RPC message is an independent HTTP POST** to `/mcp`. The `Authorization` header must be attached to **every** request, not just to `initialize` or to the SSE long-lived stream.
It looks like Copilot CLI's OAuthProvider/transport binding only attaches the Bearer at session establishment (or to the SSE stream open), not on subsequent POSTs that carry the JSON-RPC payloads.
Guide de contribution
Ouvrir le guide de contribution
Piste de recherche
Reproduce the failure using the HTTP MCP entry in ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json and a server requiring Bearer authentication. Start by tracing the Streamable HTTP transport and OAuthProvider binding after initialize; done means Authorization is present on notifications/initialized, tools/list, and tools/call requests and the tool call succeeds.
Rédigé par le modèle d'indexation à partir du texte de l'issue.
Évaluation
- Stack technique
- rust
- Domaine
- api, authentication
- Type d'issue
- Bug
- Difficulté
- 4/5
- Temps estimé
- 3-5 jours
- Activité
- Calme
- Clarté
- Plutôt claire
- Accessibilité débutants
- 45/100