knowless 1.1.2 → 1.1.3

package/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -30,6 +30,38 @@ v1.0.0 are:
 - Documentation corrections
 - Helper exports that pull existing mechanism back into the library
 
+## [1.1.3] — 2026-05-03
+
+Documentation-only release. Surfaces a partial enumeration leak
+in the default `failureRedirect` fallback that previously read as
+"Mode-A only" guidance but actually applies to every adopter.
+POST /login is built to make valid/invalid/rate-limited responses
+indistinguishable (timing equivalence, sham tokens, sham-recipient
+mailing, identical response shapes); the link-click stage extends
+that contract, but the default `failureRedirect` cascade points at
+`loginPath` (typically `/login`) — so a user clicking a sham link
+lands on a "Sign in" page and immediately knows the link was
+rejected, defeating the POST-stage work. plato wraps knowless with
+`failureRedirect: '/'` for exactly this reason. No code changes.
+
+### Documented
+
+- `GUIDE.md` Step-4 callout — replaced the narrow "Mode-A
+  heads-up" with a broader "set `failureRedirect: '/'` — it's
+  part of the silent-miss contract, not just a UX knob"
+  guidance, with the reasoning chain (POST-stage work, link-
+  click extension, leak-free landing) and the explicit opt-in
+  for adopters who want "try again" UX (`failureRedirect:
+  cfg.loginPath`). plato cited as the reference adopter.
+- `GUIDE.md` config-table row for `failureRedirect` —
+  expanded the cell to lead with the silent-miss framing
+  rather than the Mode-A 404 framing.
+- `knowless.context.md` `failureRedirect` comment in the
+  options block — flagged the default as a leak, pointer to
+  the new gotcha.
+- `knowless.context.md` gotcha #20 — full silent-miss
+  contract write-up with the trade-off and reference adopter.
+
 ## [1.1.2] — 2026-05-03
 
 Documentation-only release. Adopters were repeatedly missing that

package/GUIDE.md

@@ -384,12 +384,25 @@ and `startLogin` would compute. The bare `deriveHandle` re-export
 takes pre-normalized input; use the instance method unless you
 have a specific reason to call the lower-level primitive.
 
-> **Mode-A heads-up: set `failureRedirect`.** If you only mount
-> `auth.callback` (not `auth.loginForm`), the default
-> `failureRedirect` cascade points at `/login` — a route you
-> don't serve. An expired or replayed magic-link click will 302
-> to a 404. Set `failureRedirect: '/'` (or any route you do
-> serve) when wiring Mode A.
+> **Set `failureRedirect: '/'` — it's part of the silent-miss
+> contract, not just a UX knob.** The default falls back to
+> `loginPath` (typically `/login`). That's a partial enumeration
+> leak: `POST /login` goes to significant lengths to make
+> valid/invalid/rate-limited submissions indistinguishable
+> (timing equivalence, sham tokens, sham-recipient mailing,
+> identical response shapes) — but if a user clicks a sham or
+> expired magic link and lands on a "Sign in" page, they
+> immediately know the link was rejected, defeating the work the
+> POST stage did. The leak-free landing is the same page any
+> logged-out visitor sees on first arrival — usually `/`. Mode-A
+> adopters have an extra reason: the default `failureRedirect`
+> cascade points at `/login`, a route Mode A doesn't serve, so
+> expired/replayed clicks 302 to a 404. Reference: plato wraps
+> knowless with `failureRedirect: '/'` for this reason.
+> Adopters who genuinely want a "try again" UX after failure
+> can opt in explicitly with `failureRedirect: cfg.loginPath`,
+> but understand you're trading the silent-miss guarantee at
+> the link-click stage for that UX.
 
 ### Step 5: Pre-seed users (closed-registration mode, default)
 
@@ -808,7 +821,7 @@ Full options table:
 | `trustedProxies` | no | `['127.0.0.1', '::1']` | IPs allowed to set `X-Forwarded-For`. |
 | `shamRecipient` | no | `null@knowless.invalid` | Where sham mail goes (your MTA must discard it). |
 | `sweepIntervalMs` | no | `300000` | Sweeper tick (5 min default). |
-| `failureRedirect` | no | (= `loginPath`) | Where /auth/callback failures redirect. **Mode-A adopters:** if you don't mount `loginForm`, set this to a route you actually serve (e.g. `/`) — otherwise expired/replayed magic-link clicks 302 to a 404. |
+| `failureRedirect` | no | (= `loginPath`) | Where /auth/callback failures (expired / used / sham / malformed token) redirect. **Set this to `'/'` (or any logged-out landing).** Default falls back to `loginPath`, which is a silent-miss leak: a user who clicks a sham/expired link and lands on a "Sign in" page knows the link was rejected, defeating the anti-enumeration work done at POST /login. Part of the silent-miss contract, not a UX knob. Mode-A adopters who don't mount `loginForm` *also* hit a 404 with the default. Opt back into the "try again" UX by passing `loginPath` explicitly if you understand the trade. |
 | `store` | no | (built-in `node:sqlite`) | Inject your own store implementation. |
 | `mailer` | no | (built-in nodemailer) | Inject your own mailer. |
 

package/knowless.context.md

@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ const auth = knowless({
   linkPath:   '/auth/callback',
   verifyPath: '/verify',
   logoutPath: '/logout',
-  failureRedirect: null,              // null → loginPath
+  failureRedirect: null,              // null → loginPath (LEAK — set '/'; see gotcha #20)
 
   // --- Mail / SMTP ---
   smtpHost: 'localhost',
@@ -770,6 +770,24 @@ rate-limits) belongs above the library.
     return shape. Don't wrap `startLogin` in something that surfaces
     the branch to the caller; that re-opens the enumeration oracle.
 
+20. **`failureRedirect` is part of the silent-miss contract.**
+    Default falls back to `loginPath` — a partial enumeration
+    leak. POST /login goes to significant lengths to keep
+    valid/invalid/rate-limited submissions indistinguishable
+    (timing, sham tokens, sham-recipient mailing, identical
+    response shapes), and the link-click stage extends that
+    contract: real tokens issue a session + redirect to
+    `nextUrl`; failures (expired, used, sham, malformed) go to
+    `failureRedirect`. If that's `/login`, a user who clicks a
+    sham link lands on a "Sign in" page and immediately knows
+    the link was rejected — defeating the POST-stage work. Set
+    `failureRedirect: '/'` (or any route a logged-out visitor
+    would see on first arrival) so a sham click is
+    indistinguishable from a never-clicked link. Adopters who
+    genuinely want a "try again" UX after failure opt back in
+    explicitly with `failureRedirect: cfg.loginPath`. plato is
+    the reference adopter for the leak-free wiring.
+
 ## Constraints
 
 - **Node 20+** -- targeting LTS; tested on Node 22

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "knowless",
-  "version": "1.1.2",
+  "version": "1.1.3",
   "description": "Small, opinionated, full-stack passwordless auth for Node.js services that don't need to email their users for anything but the sign-in link.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./src/index.js",