mfa-flow-test-author

mfa-flow-test-author

Overview

This skill is the per-flow test recipe for multi-factor authentication. It covers the six second-factor mechanisms most commonly found in production systems. Neighbour skills handle the first-factor and session layers: oauth-flow-test-author covers the primary OAuth/OIDC token flow; session-management-test-author covers the post-authentication session lifecycle.

Per ISTQB Glossary v4: authentication is "the process of confirming that someone or something is who or what they claim to be." MFA adds a second or third factor (TOTP, OTP, biometric/hardware key) on top of the first factor (password, SSO).

Shared setup

All test patterns below require a known, fixed second-factor secret in the test environment. Never use production secrets in tests. Provision per-run secrets using the relevant library and store them in the test fixture.

# Common imports used across patterns in this skill
import base64, hashlib, hmac, struct, time
import pyotp          # pyauth.github.io/pyotp

Step 1 - TOTP (RFC 6238)

Per RFC 6238 §4.2, TOTP = HOTP(K, T) where T = floor((t - T0) / X): T0 is the Unix epoch (0) and X is the time step in seconds (default 30).

"The accuracy of the device... is important; however, in practice, a time step of 30 seconds provides adequate margin while protecting against brute-force attacks."

The deterministic property is what makes TOTP testable: given a fixed secret and a fixed for_time, the code is always the same. Use pyotp.TOTP.at(for_time) (pyauth.github.io/pyotp) to generate the expected code in the test and compare it against what the server accepts.

Interoperability test vectors are in RFC 6238 Appendix B: the ASCII secret 12345678901234567890 at Unix time 59 must produce 94287082 with SHA-1, confirming the implementation matches the standard.

import pyotp

def make_totp_fixture(digits=6, interval=30):
    """Return a base32 secret and the matching pyotp.TOTP instance."""
    secret = pyotp.random_base32()     # 32-char base32 per pyotp docs
    totp = pyotp.TOTP(secret, digits=digits, interval=interval)
    return secret, totp

def test_totp_happy_path(client, db):
    secret, totp = make_totp_fixture()
    # Seed the user's MFA secret in the test fixture (not production DB)
    db.set_totp_secret(user_id="alice", secret=secret)

    fixed_time = 1_234_567_890        # deterministic: RFC 6238 Appendix B
    expected_code = totp.at(for_time=fixed_time)   # "89005924" for SHA-1

    response = client.post(
        "/auth/mfa/verify",
        json={"otp": expected_code},
        headers={"X-Test-Time": str(fixed_time)},  # server must accept clock injection
    )
    assert response.status_code == 200

def test_totp_wrong_code_rejected(client, db):
    secret, totp = make_totp_fixture()
    db.set_totp_secret(user_id="alice", secret=secret)

    wrong_code = "000000"
    response = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": wrong_code})
    assert response.status_code in [400, 401]
    assert "invalid" in response.json().get("error", "").lower()

def test_totp_expired_step_rejected(client, db):
    """A code more than valid_window steps old must be rejected."""
    secret, totp = make_totp_fixture()
    db.set_totp_secret(user_id="alice", secret=secret)

    old_time = time.time() - 120      # 4 steps ago; outside the grace window
    stale_code = totp.at(for_time=old_time)
    response = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": stale_code})
    assert response.status_code in [400, 401]

Clock injection requirement: the server MUST accept a test-controlled clock value (env var, header, or config) so the test can pass a fixed for_time. If the server cannot accept clock injection, freeze the system clock for the test process instead. Tests that rely on time.time() with valid_window > 0 are timing-dependent and flaky.

Step 2 - HOTP (RFC 4226)

Per RFC 4226 §5.2:

"HOTP(K,C) = Truncate(HMAC-SHA-1(K,C))"

K is the shared secret, C is the counter value. The counter increments on the client side; the server increments on successful validation only. Per RFC 4226 §7.4, the server maintains a look-ahead window s to tolerate minor counter drift without a denial-of-service risk.

Test vectors (Appendix D of RFC 4226): secret 12345678901234567890, counter 0 -> 755224, counter 1 -> 287082.

def test_hotp_sequential_codes(client, db):
    secret = pyotp.random_base32()
    hotp = pyotp.HOTP(secret)           # pyotp.HOTP(s, digits=6, initial_count=0)
    db.set_hotp_secret(user_id="bob", secret=secret, counter=0)

    # Each code is valid exactly once; server increments counter on success
    for counter in range(3):
        code = hotp.at(counter)
        response = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": code})
        assert response.status_code == 200, f"counter {counter} rejected"

def test_hotp_replay_rejected(client, db):
    """Replaying a used counter code must be rejected (counter advanced)."""
    secret = pyotp.random_base32()
    hotp = pyotp.HOTP(secret)
    db.set_hotp_secret(user_id="bob", secret=secret, counter=0)

    code = hotp.at(0)
    client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": code})   # consume counter 0
    replay = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": code})
    assert replay.status_code in [400, 401]

def test_hotp_look_ahead_resync(client, db):
    """Server must accept a code within the resync window (RFC 4226 §7.4)."""
    secret = pyotp.random_base32()
    hotp = pyotp.HOTP(secret)
    db.set_hotp_secret(user_id="bob", secret=secret, counter=0)
    # Client is 2 steps ahead (simulates missed increments)
    ahead_code = hotp.at(2)
    response = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": ahead_code})
    assert response.status_code == 200

Step 3 - SMS / email OTP

SMS and email OTPs are not standardized in a single RFC. Test them by controlling the delivery channel: inject a fixed code via a stub (test-double transport), then verify that:

1. The code is accepted within its TTL.
2. The code is rejected after expiry.
3. The code cannot be used a second time (single-use).
4. A wrong code is rejected.

def test_sms_otp_happy_path(client, sms_stub):
    """sms_stub is a test double that captures outbound OTPs."""
    client.post("/auth/mfa/send-otp", json={"channel": "sms"})
    captured_otp = sms_stub.last_otp()          # read from the stub

    response = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": captured_otp})
    assert response.status_code == 200

def test_sms_otp_single_use(client, sms_stub):
    client.post("/auth/mfa/send-otp", json={"channel": "sms"})
    captured_otp = sms_stub.last_otp()
    client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": captured_otp})   # consume
    replay = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": captured_otp})
    assert replay.status_code in [400, 401]

def test_sms_otp_expired(client, sms_stub, freeze_clock):
    client.post("/auth/mfa/send-otp", json={"channel": "sms"})
    captured_otp = sms_stub.last_otp()
    freeze_clock.advance(seconds=600)           # advance past TTL
    response = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"otp": captured_otp})
    assert response.status_code in [400, 401]

Email OTP tests follow the same pattern; replace sms_stub with an email delivery stub (e.g., a mock SMTP sink such as Mailpit or MailHog).

Step 4 - WebAuthn / passkey (virtual authenticator)

WebAuthn Level 2 §7.1 defines the registration ceremony as a sequence where navigator.credentials.create() is called with PublicKeyCredentialCreationOptions, the authenticator creates an asymmetric key pair, and the server verifies the attestation. The authentication ceremony (§7.2) uses navigator.credentials.get() and produces a signed assertion.

For automated testing, bypass the physical authenticator using the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) WebAuthn domain, which provides a virtual authenticator per WebAuthn L2 §11 ("User Agent Automation"). CDP is available in Playwright via browserContext.newCDPSession(page) (playwright.dev/docs/api/class-cdpsession).

# Playwright + CDP virtual authenticator pattern (Python)
import pytest
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

@pytest.fixture
def virtual_auth_page():
    with sync_playwright() as p:
        browser = p.chromium.launch()          # CDP only on Chromium
        context = browser.new_context()
        page = context.new_page()

        # Open CDP session and enable the WebAuthn domain
        cdp = context.new_cdp_session(page)
        cdp.send("WebAuthn.enable", {"enableUI": False})

        # Add a virtual authenticator (CTAP2, internal transport, UV=true)
        result = cdp.send("WebAuthn.addVirtualAuthenticator", {
            "options": {
                "protocol": "ctap2",
                "transport": "internal",
                "hasResidentKey": True,
                "hasUserVerification": True,
                "isUserVerified": True,
                "automaticPresenceSimulation": True,   # auto-approve gestures
            }
        })
        authenticator_id = result["authenticatorId"]

        yield page, cdp, authenticator_id

        cdp.send("WebAuthn.removeVirtualAuthenticator",
                 {"authenticatorId": authenticator_id})
        browser.close()


def test_webauthn_registration(virtual_auth_page, app_url):
    """Happy path: register a passkey with the virtual authenticator."""
    page, cdp, auth_id = virtual_auth_page
    page.goto(f"{app_url}/settings/passkeys")
    page.click("#register-passkey")
    # navigator.credentials.create() resolves automatically via virtual auth
    page.wait_for_selector("#passkey-registered-confirmation")
    assert page.is_visible("#passkey-registered-confirmation")

    # Verify a credential was stored on the virtual authenticator
    creds = cdp.send("WebAuthn.getCredentials", {"authenticatorId": auth_id})
    assert len(creds["credentials"]) == 1


def test_webauthn_authentication(virtual_auth_page, app_url):
    """Full round-trip: register then authenticate with the same passkey."""
    page, cdp, auth_id = virtual_auth_page
    # Register first
    page.goto(f"{app_url}/settings/passkeys")
    page.click("#register-passkey")
    page.wait_for_selector("#passkey-registered-confirmation")

    # Now authenticate
    page.goto(f"{app_url}/login")
    page.click("#passkey-login")
    # navigator.credentials.get() resolves automatically
    page.wait_for_url(f"{app_url}/dashboard")
    assert "/dashboard" in page.url


def test_webauthn_user_verification_required(virtual_auth_page, app_url, cdp):
    """When UV is disabled mid-session, server must reject the assertion."""
    page, cdp, auth_id = virtual_auth_page
    # Register with UV enabled, then disable UV on the virtual authenticator
    # and attempt login; the RP requires UV=true, so it must reject
    cdp.send("WebAuthn.setUserVerified",
             {"authenticatorId": auth_id, "isUserVerified": False})
    page.goto(f"{app_url}/login")
    page.click("#passkey-login")
    page.wait_for_selector("#login-error")
    assert page.is_visible("#login-error")

Server-side verification uses @simplewebauthn/server (simplewebauthn.dev/docs/packages/server). verifyRegistrationResponse({ response, expectedChallenge, expectedOrigin, expectedRPID }) returns { verified, registrationInfo }. After authentication, verifyAuthenticationResponse({ response, expectedChallenge, expectedOrigin, expectedRPID, credential }) returns { verified, authenticationInfo: { newCounter } } - the newCounter must be persisted to prevent signature-counter replay.

Step 5 - Recovery codes

Recovery codes are single-use backup tokens. Test:

1. A valid unused code grants access.
2. The code cannot be used a second time.
3. An invalid code is rejected.
4. Exhausting all codes forces re-enrollment (or locks the account per policy).

def test_recovery_code_single_use(client, db):
    codes = db.generate_recovery_codes(user_id="alice", count=8)
    first_code = codes[0]

    r1 = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"recovery_code": first_code})
    assert r1.status_code == 200

    r2 = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"recovery_code": first_code})
    assert r2.status_code in [400, 401]     # consumed

def test_invalid_recovery_code_rejected(client, db):
    db.generate_recovery_codes(user_id="alice", count=8)
    r = client.post("/auth/mfa/verify", json={"recovery_code": "XXXX-XXXX"})
    assert r.status_code in [400, 401]

Step 6 - MFA enrollment

Enrollment is the registration flow that binds a second factor to an account. Test:

1. Enrollment requires a valid first-factor session.
2. Enrollment completes only after the user verifies the factor (confirm OTP or passkey ceremony completes).
3. Enrollment cannot be completed with a wrong verification code.
4. Concurrent enrollment requests do not create duplicate factors.

def test_totp_enrollment_requires_valid_session(client):
    # Unauthenticated request to the enroll endpoint must be rejected
    r = client.post("/auth/mfa/enroll/totp")
    assert r.status_code in [401, 403]

def test_totp_enrollment_verify_confirms_factor(client, db, authenticated_session):
    r = client.post("/auth/mfa/enroll/totp",
                    headers=authenticated_session.headers)
    assert r.status_code == 200
    provisioned_secret = r.json()["secret"]   # server-generated, base32

    totp = pyotp.TOTP(provisioned_secret)
    confirm_code = totp.now()

    r2 = client.post("/auth/mfa/enroll/totp/confirm",
                     json={"otp": confirm_code},
                     headers=authenticated_session.headers)
    assert r2.status_code == 200
    assert db.user_has_totp(user_id=authenticated_session.user_id)

Step 7 - Step-up authentication

Step-up authentication re-challenges an already-authenticated user when a sensitive operation is requested. The user holds a valid session token but must prove their second factor again before the resource is granted.

def test_step_up_triggers_mfa_challenge(client, authenticated_session_no_mfa):
    """Accessing a privileged endpoint without MFA should return 403/step-up."""
    r = client.delete("/account/delete",
                      headers=authenticated_session_no_mfa.headers)
    assert r.status_code in [403, 401]
    data = r.json()
    assert data.get("mfa_required") is True

def test_step_up_grants_access_after_mfa(client, db, authenticated_session_no_mfa):
    """After completing MFA the privileged operation is permitted."""
    secret, totp = make_totp_fixture()
    db.set_totp_secret(user_id=authenticated_session_no_mfa.user_id,
                       secret=secret)

    fixed_time = 1_234_567_890
    code = totp.at(for_time=fixed_time)

    # Step-up: verify MFA
    step_up = client.post(
        "/auth/step-up",
        json={"otp": code},
        headers={**authenticated_session_no_mfa.headers,
                 "X-Test-Time": str(fixed_time)},
    )
    assert step_up.status_code == 200
    elevated_token = step_up.json()["elevated_token"]

    # Use elevated token on the privileged endpoint
    r = client.delete("/account/delete",
                      headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {elevated_token}"})
    assert r.status_code == 200

Step 8 - End-to-end MFA coverage checklist

For each second factor in scope:

1. Happy path (valid code/credential accepted)
2. Wrong code/credential rejected
3. Expired code rejected (TOTP, SMS/email OTP)
4. Replay rejected (HOTP, recovery codes, SMS/email OTP)
5. Enrollment requires authenticated session
6. Enrollment requires successful verification of the new factor
7. Step-up re-challenges on privileged operations
8. Recovery codes: single-use + invalid-code rejection
9. WebAuthn: registration round-trip, authentication round-trip, UV enforcement, credential storage verified via CDP

Anti-patterns

Anti-pattern	Why it fails	Fix
Call totp.now() without clock injection	Test is time-dependent; window drift makes it flaky	Use totp.at(for_time=fixed_time) with clock injection
Use real SMS/email in tests	Network dependency; non-deterministic; costs money	Replace transport with a test-double stub
Use PKCE plain in the surrounding OAuth flow	Defeats PKCE per RFC 7636 §4.2	Always S256; see oauth-flow-test-author
Skip replay test for OTPs	Single-use property unverified	Step 2 / Step 3 negative cases
Launch a real authenticator device for WebAuthn	Blocks CI; hardware not available headlessly	CDP virtual authenticator (Step 4)
Test only the happy enrollment path	Enrollment with wrong code silently succeeds	Step 6 confirm-with-wrong-code negative test
Trust signCount == 0 as a sign of no replay risk	Some authenticators always report 0; server must track and reject decreasing counts	Persist newCounter from verifyAuthenticationResponse

Limitations

• CDP virtual authenticator is Chromium-only; it is not available on Firefox or WebKit. Add a skip guard (pytest.mark.skipif) for non-Chromium browser fixtures.
• automaticPresenceSimulation: True suppresses the user-gesture requirement; tests do not cover the UI/UX of the authenticator prompt itself. Cover prompt rendering with a separate visual-regression test.
• This skill is the per-flow recipe. IdP-specific enrollment UIs (Keycloak OTP policies, Auth0 Actions, Okta Factors API) are in keycloak-tests, auth0-tests, okta-tests.
• pyotp requires a base32-encoded secret per pyauth.github.io/pyotp; the raw ASCII secrets used in RFC 6238 Appendix B test vectors must be base32-encoded before passing to pyotp.TOTP.

References

• rfc6238 RFC 6238 TOTP: Time-Based One-Time Password Algorithm https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6238
• rfc6238-b RFC 6238 Appendix B test vectors https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6238#appendix-B
• rfc4226 RFC 4226 HOTP: An HMAC-Based One-Time Password Algorithm https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4226
• webauthn-l2 W3C Web Authentication Level 2 https://www.w3.org/TR/webauthn-2/
• cdp-webauthn Chrome DevTools Protocol - WebAuthn domain https://chromedevtools.github.io/devtools-protocol/tot/WebAuthn/
• pw-cdp Playwright CDPSession.send() https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-cdpsession
• simplewebauthn-server SimpleWebAuthn - Server package https://simplewebauthn.dev/docs/packages/server
• pyotp PyOTP - Python One-Time Password library https://pyauth.github.io/pyotp/
• oauth-flow-test-author - companion: first-factor OAuth/OIDC flows
• session-management-test-author - companion: post-auth session lifecycle
• keycloak-tests, auth0-tests, okta-tests - IdP-specific enrollment patterns