Copilot CLI OAuth login fails — CLI doesn't bind to port declared in its own CIMD client-metadata.json
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Description
Describe the bug
When authenticating to an MCP server that uses CIMD (Client ID Metadata Document) OAuth, Copilot CLI fails with:
{"error":"invalid_request","error_description":"Redirect URI 'http://127.0.0.1:<random_port>/' does not match CIMD redirect_uris.","state":"..."}
Root cause: Copilot CLI's own published client metadata ( https://github.com/copilot/cli/client-metadata.json ) declares a single fixed redirect URI:
"redirect_uris": ["http://127.0.0.1:33418/"]
Per the CIMD/OAuth spec, the redirect_uri used in the /authorize request must exactly match this declared value (RFC 8252's "any loopback port" leniency only applies when no port is specified — here one is).
However, Copilot CLI does not bind its local OAuth callback listener to port 33418 — it uses a different, seemingly random port instead (observed: 63450, then 61566), even when port 33418 is confirmed free/unused on the machine. This causes every login attempt against CIMD-based OAuth servers to fail.
Affected version
Copilot CLI v1.0.83, Windows
Steps to reproduce the behavior
- Confirm port 33418 is free ( Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 33418 returns nothing).
- Attempt login to an MCP server using CIMD OAuth (client_id = a metadata document URL).
- Copilot CLI opens a callback listener on a different port than 33418.
- Server rejects with invalid_request / redirect_uri mismatch.
Expected behavior
Copilot CLI should bind its OAuth loopback listener to the exact port(s) declared in its own client-metadata.json (33418), consistent with CIMD requirements.
Additional context
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by tracing the OAuth flow from the /authorize request to the local loopback callback listener, then compare its selected port with the redirect_uris value in the published client-metadata.json. Reproduce with port 33418 free and a CIMD MCP server; done means the listener and request use the declared URI and login no longer returns invalid_request.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- shell
- Domain
- authentication, cli
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 64/100