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multiSession.setActive returns 401 when no active session exists but valid multi-session cookies are present #2911

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opened 2026-03-13 10:27:25 -05:00 by GiteaMirror · 0 comments
GiteaMirror commented 2026-03-13 10:27:25 -05:00
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Originally created by @tigawanna on GitHub (Feb 23, 2026).

Is this suited for github?

  • Yes, this is suited for github

To Reproduce

  • Sign in with User A — both better-auth.session_token and better-auth.session_token_multi-{tokenA} are set.
  • Sign in with User B on the same device — now better-auth.session_token points to User B, and both _multi-{tokenA} and _multi-{tokenB} exist.
  • The active session (User B) expires or is revoked — better-auth.session_token is cleared by getSession, but both _multi- cookies remain (they have their own longer-lived expiry).
  • Call listDeviceSessions — works correctly, returns both User A and User B sessions (this endpoint does not use sessionMiddleware).
  • Call setActive({ sessionToken: tokenA }) — returns 401 Unauthorized.

Current vs. Expected behavior

setActive should succeed when:

  • The target session's _multi-{token} signed cookie is present and valid
  • The session exists in the database and is not expired

The multi-session cookie itself is cryptographically signed by the server and is sufficient proof that the session was legitimately created on this device.

What version of Better Auth are you using?

1.4.19

System info

{
  "system": {
    "platform": "linux",
    "arch": "x64",
    "version": "#14~24.04.1-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu Jan 15 15:52:10 UTC 2",
    "release": "6.17.0-14-generic",
    "cpuCount": 8,
    "cpuModel": "Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8365U CPU @ 1.60GHz",
    "totalMemory": "23.29 GB",
    "freeMemory": "4.10 GB"
  },
  "node": {
    "version": "v25.2.1",
    "env": "development"
  },
  "packageManager": {
    "name": "pnpm",
    "version": "10.27.0"
  },
  "frameworks": null,
  "databases": [
    {
      "name": "pg",
      "version": "^8.13.1"
    },
    {
      "name": "drizzle",
      "version": "^0.45.1"
    }
  ],
  "betterAuth": {
    "version": "*",
    "config": {
      "appName": "Dishi",
      "trustedOrigins": [
        "http://localhost:3040"
      ],
      "emailAndPassword": {
        "enabled": true
      },
      "plugins": [
        {
          "name": "api-key",
          "config": {
            "id": "api-key",
            "$ERROR_CODES": {
              "INVALID_METADATA_TYPE": "metadata must be an object or undefined",
              "REFILL_AMOUNT_AND_INTERVAL_REQUIRED": "refillAmount is required when refillInterval is provided",
              "REFILL_INTERVAL_AND_AMOUNT_REQUIRED": "refillInterval is required when refillAmount is provided",
              "USER_BANNED": "User is banned",
              "UNAUTHORIZED_SESSION": "Unauthorized or invalid session",
              "KEY_NOT_FOUND": "API Key not found",
              "KEY_DISABLED": "API Key is disabled",
              "KEY_EXPIRED": "API Key has expired",
              "USAGE_EXCEEDED": "API Key has reached its usage limit",
              "KEY_NOT_RECOVERABLE": "API Key is not recoverable",
              "EXPIRES_IN_IS_TOO_SMALL": "The expiresIn is smaller than the predefined minimum value.",
              "EXPIRES_IN_IS_TOO_LARGE": "The expiresIn is larger than the predefined maximum value.",
              "INVALID_REMAINING": "The remaining count is either too large or too small.",
              "INVALID_PREFIX_LENGTH": "The prefix length is either too large or too small.",
              "INVALID_NAME_LENGTH": "The name length is either too large or too small.",
              "METADATA_DISABLED": "Metadata is disabled.",
              "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED": "Rate limit exceeded.",
              "NO_VALUES_TO_UPDATE": "No values to update.",
              "KEY_DISABLED_EXPIRATION": "Custom key expiration values are disabled.",
              "INVALID_API_KEY": "Invalid API key.",
              "INVALID_USER_ID_FROM_API_KEY": "The user id from the API key is invalid.",
              "INVALID_API_KEY_GETTER_RETURN_TYPE": "API Key getter returned an invalid key type. Expected string.",
              "SERVER_ONLY_PROPERTY": "The property you're trying to set can only be set from the server auth instance only.",
              "FAILED_TO_UPDATE_API_KEY": "Failed to update API key",
              "NAME_REQUIRED": "API Key name is required."
            },
            "hooks": {
              "before": [
                {}
              ]
            },
            "endpoints": {},
            "schema": {
              "apikey": {
                "fields": {
                  "name": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "start": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "prefix": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "key": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "input": false,
                    "index": true
                  },
                  "userId": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "references": {
                      "model": "user",
                      "field": "id",
                      "onDelete": "cascade"
                    },
                    "required": true,
                    "input": false,
                    "index": true
                  },
                  "refillInterval": {
                    "type": "number",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "refillAmount": {
                    "type": "number",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "lastRefillAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "enabled": {
                    "type": "boolean",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false,
                    "defaultValue": true
                  },
                  "rateLimitEnabled": {
                    "type": "boolean",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false,
                    "defaultValue": true
                  },
                  "rateLimitTimeWindow": {
                    "type": "number",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false,
                    "defaultValue": 86400000
                  },
                  "rateLimitMax": {
                    "type": "number",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false,
                    "defaultValue": 10
                  },
                  "requestCount": {
                    "type": "number",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false,
                    "defaultValue": 0
                  },
                  "remaining": {
                    "type": "number",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "lastRequest": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "expiresAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "createdAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": true,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "updatedAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": true,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "permissions": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "metadata": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": true,
                    "transform": {}
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "bearer",
          "config": {
            "id": "bearer",
            "hooks": {
              "before": [
                {}
              ],
              "after": [
                {}
              ]
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "open-api",
          "config": {
            "id": "open-api",
            "endpoints": {}
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "multi-session",
          "config": {
            "id": "multi-session",
            "endpoints": {},
            "hooks": {
              "after": [
                {},
                {}
              ]
            },
            "options": {
              "maximumSessions": 5
            },
            "$ERROR_CODES": {
              "INVALID_SESSION_TOKEN": "[REDACTED]"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "admin",
          "config": {
            "id": "admin",
            "hooks": {
              "after": [
                {}
              ]
            },
            "endpoints": {},
            "$ERROR_CODES": {
              "FAILED_TO_CREATE_USER": "Failed to create user",
              "USER_ALREADY_EXISTS": "User already exists.",
              "USER_ALREADY_EXISTS_USE_ANOTHER_EMAIL": "User already exists. Use another email.",
              "YOU_CANNOT_BAN_YOURSELF": "You cannot ban yourself",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CHANGE_USERS_ROLE": "You are not allowed to change users role",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_USERS": "You are not allowed to create users",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_LIST_USERS": "You are not allowed to list users",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_LIST_USERS_SESSIONS": "You are not allowed to list users sessions",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_BAN_USERS": "You are not allowed to ban users",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_IMPERSONATE_USERS": "You are not allowed to impersonate users",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_REVOKE_USERS_SESSIONS": "You are not allowed to revoke users sessions",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_USERS": "You are not allowed to delete users",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_SET_USERS_PASSWORD": "[REDACTED]",
              "BANNED_USER": "You have been banned from this application",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_GET_USER": "You are not allowed to get user",
              "NO_DATA_TO_UPDATE": "No data to update",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_USERS": "You are not allowed to update users",
              "YOU_CANNOT_REMOVE_YOURSELF": "You cannot remove yourself",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_SET_NON_EXISTENT_VALUE": "You are not allowed to set a non-existent role value",
              "YOU_CANNOT_IMPERSONATE_ADMINS": "You cannot impersonate admins",
              "INVALID_ROLE_TYPE": "Invalid role type"
            },
            "schema": {
              "user": {
                "fields": {
                  "role": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "banned": {
                    "type": "boolean",
                    "defaultValue": false,
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "banReason": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  },
                  "banExpires": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": false,
                    "input": false
                  }
                }
              },
              "session": {
                "fields": {
                  "impersonatedBy": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false
                  }
                }
              }
            },
            "options": {
              "defaultRole": "user"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "organization",
          "config": {
            "id": "organization",
            "endpoints": {},
            "schema": {
              "organization": {
                "fields": {
                  "name": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "sortable": true
                  },
                  "slug": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "unique": true,
                    "sortable": true,
                    "index": true
                  },
                  "logo": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false
                  },
                  "createdAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": true
                  },
                  "metadata": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false
                  }
                }
              },
              "member": {
                "fields": {
                  "organizationId": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "references": {
                      "model": "organization",
                      "field": "id"
                    },
                    "index": true
                  },
                  "userId": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "references": {
                      "model": "user",
                      "field": "id"
                    },
                    "index": true
                  },
                  "role": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "sortable": true,
                    "defaultValue": "member"
                  },
                  "createdAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": true
                  }
                }
              },
              "invitation": {
                "fields": {
                  "organizationId": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "references": {
                      "model": "organization",
                      "field": "id"
                    },
                    "index": true
                  },
                  "email": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "sortable": true,
                    "index": true
                  },
                  "role": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false,
                    "sortable": true
                  },
                  "status": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": true,
                    "sortable": true,
                    "defaultValue": "pending"
                  },
                  "expiresAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": true
                  },
                  "createdAt": {
                    "type": "date",
                    "required": true
                  },
                  "inviterId": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "references": {
                      "model": "user",
                      "field": "id"
                    },
                    "required": true
                  }
                }
              },
              "session": {
                "fields": {
                  "activeOrganizationId": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "required": false
                  }
                }
              }
            },
            "$Infer": {
              "Organization": {},
              "Invitation": {},
              "Member": {},
              "Team": {},
              "TeamMember": {},
              "ActiveOrganization": {}
            },
            "$ERROR_CODES": {
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_NEW_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to create a new organization",
              "YOU_HAVE_REACHED_THE_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_ORGANIZATIONS": "You have reached the maximum number of organizations",
              "ORGANIZATION_ALREADY_EXISTS": "Organization already exists",
              "ORGANIZATION_SLUG_ALREADY_TAKEN": "Organization slug already taken",
              "ORGANIZATION_NOT_FOUND": "Organization not found",
              "USER_IS_NOT_A_MEMBER_OF_THE_ORGANIZATION": "User is not a member of the organization",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to update this organization",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to delete this organization",
              "NO_ACTIVE_ORGANIZATION": "No active organization",
              "USER_IS_ALREADY_A_MEMBER_OF_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "User is already a member of this organization",
              "MEMBER_NOT_FOUND": "Member not found",
              "ROLE_NOT_FOUND": "Role not found",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_NEW_TEAM": "You are not allowed to create a new team",
              "TEAM_ALREADY_EXISTS": "Team already exists",
              "TEAM_NOT_FOUND": "Team not found",
              "YOU_CANNOT_LEAVE_THE_ORGANIZATION_AS_THE_ONLY_OWNER": "You cannot leave the organization as the only owner",
              "YOU_CANNOT_LEAVE_THE_ORGANIZATION_WITHOUT_AN_OWNER": "You cannot leave the organization without an owner",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_THIS_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to delete this member",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_INVITE_USERS_TO_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to invite users to this organization",
              "USER_IS_ALREADY_INVITED_TO_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "User is already invited to this organization",
              "INVITATION_NOT_FOUND": "Invitation not found",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_THE_RECIPIENT_OF_THE_INVITATION": "You are not the recipient of the invitation",
              "EMAIL_VERIFICATION_REQUIRED_BEFORE_ACCEPTING_OR_REJECTING_INVITATION": "Email verification required before accepting or rejecting invitation",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CANCEL_THIS_INVITATION": "You are not allowed to cancel this invitation",
              "INVITER_IS_NO_LONGER_A_MEMBER_OF_THE_ORGANIZATION": "Inviter is no longer a member of the organization",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_INVITE_USER_WITH_THIS_ROLE": "You are not allowed to invite a user with this role",
              "FAILED_TO_RETRIEVE_INVITATION": "Failed to retrieve invitation",
              "YOU_HAVE_REACHED_THE_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_TEAMS": "You have reached the maximum number of teams",
              "UNABLE_TO_REMOVE_LAST_TEAM": "Unable to remove last team",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_THIS_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to update this member",
              "ORGANIZATION_MEMBERSHIP_LIMIT_REACHED": "Organization membership limit reached",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_TEAMS_IN_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to create teams in this organization",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_TEAMS_IN_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to delete teams in this organization",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_THIS_TEAM": "You are not allowed to update this team",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_THIS_TEAM": "You are not allowed to delete this team",
              "INVITATION_LIMIT_REACHED": "Invitation limit reached",
              "TEAM_MEMBER_LIMIT_REACHED": "Team member limit reached",
              "USER_IS_NOT_A_MEMBER_OF_THE_TEAM": "User is not a member of the team",
              "YOU_CAN_NOT_ACCESS_THE_MEMBERS_OF_THIS_TEAM": "You are not allowed to list the members of this team",
              "YOU_DO_NOT_HAVE_AN_ACTIVE_TEAM": "You do not have an active team",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_NEW_TEAM_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to create a new member",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_REMOVE_A_TEAM_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to remove a team member",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_ACCESS_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to access this organization as an owner",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_A_MEMBER_OF_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not a member of this organization",
              "MISSING_AC_INSTANCE": "Dynamic Access Control requires a pre-defined ac instance on the server auth plugin. Read server logs for more information",
              "YOU_MUST_BE_IN_AN_ORGANIZATION_TO_CREATE_A_ROLE": "You must be in an organization to create a role",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to create a role",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to update a role",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to delete a role",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_READ_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to read a role",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_LIST_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to list a role",
              "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_GET_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to get a role",
              "TOO_MANY_ROLES": "This organization has too many roles",
              "INVALID_RESOURCE": "The provided permission includes an invalid resource",
              "ROLE_NAME_IS_ALREADY_TAKEN": "That role name is already taken",
              "CANNOT_DELETE_A_PRE_DEFINED_ROLE": "Cannot delete a pre-defined role"
            },
            "options": {
              "ac": {
                "statements": {
                  "organization": [
                    "update",
                    "delete"
                  ],
                  "member": [
                    "create",
                    "update",
                    "delete"
                  ],
                  "invitation": [
                    "create",
                    "cancel"
                  ],
                  "team": [
                    "create",
                    "update",
                    "delete"
                  ],
                  "ac": [
                    "create",
                    "read",
                    "update",
                    "delete"
                  ],
                  "kitchen": [
                    "list",
                    "view",
                    "create",
                    "update",
                    "delete",
                    "set-availability"
                  ],
                  "cuisine": [
                    "list",
                    "view",
                    "assign"
                  ],
                  "menu": [
                    "list",
                    "view",
                    "create",
                    "update",
                    "delete"
                  ],
                  "order": [
                    "list",
                    "view",
                    "create",
                    "update",
                    "cancel"
                  ],
                  "favorite": [
                    "list",
                    "create",
                    "delete"
                  ],
                  "location": [
                    "list",
                    "create",
                    "update",
                    "delete"
                  ]
                }
              },
              "roles": {
                "owner": {
                  "statements": {
                    "organization": [
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "member": [
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "invitation": [
                      "create",
                      "cancel"
                    ],
                    "team": [
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "ac": [
                      "create",
                      "read",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "kitchen": [
                      "list",
                      "view",
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete",
                      "set-availability"
                    ],
                    "cuisine": [
                      "list",
                      "view",
                      "assign"
                    ],
                    "menu": [
                      "list",
                      "view",
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "order": [
                      "list",
                      "view",
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "cancel"
                    ],
                    "favorite": [
                      "list",
                      "create",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "location": [
                      "list",
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ]
                  }
                },
                "manager": {
                  "statements": {
                    "organization": [
                      "update"
                    ],
                    "invitation": [
                      "create",
                      "cancel"
                    ],
                    "member": [
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "team": [
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "ac": [
                      "create",
                      "read",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "kitchen": [
                      "list",
                      "view"
                    ],
                    "cuisine": [
                      "list",
                      "view"
                    ],
                    "menu": [
                      "list",
                      "view"
                    ],
                    "order": [
                      "list",
                      "view",
                      "create",
                      "cancel"
                    ],
                    "favorite": [
                      "list",
                      "create",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "location": [
                      "list",
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ]
                  }
                },
                "staff": {
                  "statements": {
                    "organization": [],
                    "member": [],
                    "invitation": [],
                    "team": [],
                    "ac": [
                      "read"
                    ],
                    "kitchen": [
                      "list",
                      "view"
                    ],
                    "cuisine": [
                      "list",
                      "view"
                    ],
                    "menu": [
                      "list",
                      "view",
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "order": [
                      "list",
                      "view",
                      "create",
                      "update"
                    ],
                    "favorite": [
                      "list",
                      "create",
                      "delete"
                    ],
                    "location": [
                      "list",
                      "create",
                      "update",
                      "delete"
                    ]
                  }
                }
              },
              "adminRoles": [
                "owner",
                "manager"
              ]
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      "experimental": {
        "joins": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Which area(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

Backend, Client

Auth config (if applicable)

export const auth = betterAuth({
  appName: "Dishi",
  trustedOrigins: AUTHORIZED_ORIGINS,
  emailAndPassword: {
    enabled: true,
  },
  database: drizzleAdapter(db, {
    provider: "pg", // or "mysql", "sqlite"
  }),

  plugins: [
    // tanstackStartCookies(),
    apiKey(),
    bearer(),
    openAPI(),
    multiSession({
      maximumSessions: 5,
    }),
    admin({
      defaultRole: "user",
    }),
    organization({
      ac: organizationAc,
      roles: organizationRoles,
      adminRoles: ["owner", "manager"],
    }),
  ],
  experimental: {
    joins: true,
  },
});

Additional context

Root cause
In the setActive endpoint definition:

setActiveSession: createAuthEndpoint("/multi-session/set-active", {
    method: "POST",
    body: setActiveSessionBodySchema,
    requireHeaders: true,
    use: [sessionMiddleware],  // <-- requires active session
    // ...
})

sessionMiddleware calls getSessionFromCtx, which reads better-auth.session_token. When this cookie is absent, it throws APIError("UNAUTHORIZED") immediately the multi-session handler logic never executes.
Meanwhile, listDeviceSessions does not use sessionMiddleware and works correctly in this state, which makes the UX inconsistent: the user can see their sessions but cannot switch to any of them.

Workaround

We temporarily patched sessionMiddleware to bypass the check when _multi- cookies are present:

const sessionMiddleware = createAuthMiddleware(async (ctx) => {
    const session = await getSessionFromCtx(ctx);
    if (!session?.session) {
        const cookieHeader = ctx.headers?.get("cookie") || "";
        const cookieNames = cookieHeader.split(";").map(c => c.trim().split("=")[0]);
        const hasMultiCookie = cookieNames.some(n => n.includes("_multi-"));
        if (hasMultiCookie) {
            return { session: null };
        }
        throw new APIError("UNAUTHORIZED");
    }
    return { session };
});

Suggested fix

Remove sessionMiddleware from the setActive endpoint, or replace it with a lighter middleware that allows the request when valid multi-session cookies are present. The handler already performs its own authentication via getSignedCookie on the specific _multi-{token} cookie, which is server-signed and sufficient to verify legitimacy.

AI was used to summarize the findings but i personally went through the steps to get to the bottom of it

Originally created by @tigawanna on GitHub (Feb 23, 2026). ### Is this suited for github? - [x] Yes, this is suited for github ### To Reproduce - Sign in with User A — both better-auth.session_token and better-auth.session_token_multi-{tokenA} are set. - Sign in with User B on the same device — now better-auth.session_token points to User B, and both _multi-{tokenA} and _multi-{tokenB} exist. - The active session (User B) expires or is revoked — better-auth.session_token is cleared by getSession, but both _multi- cookies remain (they have their own longer-lived expiry). - Call listDeviceSessions — works correctly, returns both User A and User B sessions (this endpoint does not use sessionMiddleware). - Call setActive({ sessionToken: tokenA }) — returns 401 Unauthorized. ### Current vs. Expected behavior setActive should succeed when: - The target session's _multi-{token} signed cookie is present and valid - The session exists in the database and is not expired The multi-session cookie itself is cryptographically signed by the server and is sufficient proof that the session was legitimately created on this device. ### What version of Better Auth are you using? 1.4.19 ### System info ```bash { "system": { "platform": "linux", "arch": "x64", "version": "#14~24.04.1-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu Jan 15 15:52:10 UTC 2", "release": "6.17.0-14-generic", "cpuCount": 8, "cpuModel": "Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8365U CPU @ 1.60GHz", "totalMemory": "23.29 GB", "freeMemory": "4.10 GB" }, "node": { "version": "v25.2.1", "env": "development" }, "packageManager": { "name": "pnpm", "version": "10.27.0" }, "frameworks": null, "databases": [ { "name": "pg", "version": "^8.13.1" }, { "name": "drizzle", "version": "^0.45.1" } ], "betterAuth": { "version": "*", "config": { "appName": "Dishi", "trustedOrigins": [ "http://localhost:3040" ], "emailAndPassword": { "enabled": true }, "plugins": [ { "name": "api-key", "config": { "id": "api-key", "$ERROR_CODES": { "INVALID_METADATA_TYPE": "metadata must be an object or undefined", "REFILL_AMOUNT_AND_INTERVAL_REQUIRED": "refillAmount is required when refillInterval is provided", "REFILL_INTERVAL_AND_AMOUNT_REQUIRED": "refillInterval is required when refillAmount is provided", "USER_BANNED": "User is banned", "UNAUTHORIZED_SESSION": "Unauthorized or invalid session", "KEY_NOT_FOUND": "API Key not found", "KEY_DISABLED": "API Key is disabled", "KEY_EXPIRED": "API Key has expired", "USAGE_EXCEEDED": "API Key has reached its usage limit", "KEY_NOT_RECOVERABLE": "API Key is not recoverable", "EXPIRES_IN_IS_TOO_SMALL": "The expiresIn is smaller than the predefined minimum value.", "EXPIRES_IN_IS_TOO_LARGE": "The expiresIn is larger than the predefined maximum value.", "INVALID_REMAINING": "The remaining count is either too large or too small.", "INVALID_PREFIX_LENGTH": "The prefix length is either too large or too small.", "INVALID_NAME_LENGTH": "The name length is either too large or too small.", "METADATA_DISABLED": "Metadata is disabled.", "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED": "Rate limit exceeded.", "NO_VALUES_TO_UPDATE": "No values to update.", "KEY_DISABLED_EXPIRATION": "Custom key expiration values are disabled.", "INVALID_API_KEY": "Invalid API key.", "INVALID_USER_ID_FROM_API_KEY": "The user id from the API key is invalid.", "INVALID_API_KEY_GETTER_RETURN_TYPE": "API Key getter returned an invalid key type. Expected string.", "SERVER_ONLY_PROPERTY": "The property you're trying to set can only be set from the server auth instance only.", "FAILED_TO_UPDATE_API_KEY": "Failed to update API key", "NAME_REQUIRED": "API Key name is required." }, "hooks": { "before": [ {} ] }, "endpoints": {}, "schema": { "apikey": { "fields": { "name": { "type": "string", "required": false, "input": false }, "start": { "type": "string", "required": false, "input": false }, "prefix": { "type": "string", "required": false, "input": false }, "key": { "type": "string", "required": true, "input": false, "index": true }, "userId": { "type": "string", "references": { "model": "user", "field": "id", "onDelete": "cascade" }, "required": true, "input": false, "index": true }, "refillInterval": { "type": "number", "required": false, "input": false }, "refillAmount": { "type": "number", "required": false, "input": false }, "lastRefillAt": { "type": "date", "required": false, "input": false }, "enabled": { "type": "boolean", "required": false, "input": false, "defaultValue": true }, "rateLimitEnabled": { "type": "boolean", "required": false, "input": false, "defaultValue": true }, "rateLimitTimeWindow": { "type": "number", "required": false, "input": false, "defaultValue": 86400000 }, "rateLimitMax": { "type": "number", "required": false, "input": false, "defaultValue": 10 }, "requestCount": { "type": "number", "required": false, "input": false, "defaultValue": 0 }, "remaining": { "type": "number", "required": false, "input": false }, "lastRequest": { "type": "date", "required": false, "input": false }, "expiresAt": { "type": "date", "required": false, "input": false }, "createdAt": { "type": "date", "required": true, "input": false }, "updatedAt": { "type": "date", "required": true, "input": false }, "permissions": { "type": "string", "required": false, "input": false }, "metadata": { "type": "string", "required": false, "input": true, "transform": {} } } } } } }, { "name": "bearer", "config": { "id": "bearer", "hooks": { "before": [ {} ], "after": [ {} ] } } }, { "name": "open-api", "config": { "id": "open-api", "endpoints": {} } }, { "name": "multi-session", "config": { "id": "multi-session", "endpoints": {}, "hooks": { "after": [ {}, {} ] }, "options": { "maximumSessions": 5 }, "$ERROR_CODES": { "INVALID_SESSION_TOKEN": "[REDACTED]" } } }, { "name": "admin", "config": { "id": "admin", "hooks": { "after": [ {} ] }, "endpoints": {}, "$ERROR_CODES": { "FAILED_TO_CREATE_USER": "Failed to create user", "USER_ALREADY_EXISTS": "User already exists.", "USER_ALREADY_EXISTS_USE_ANOTHER_EMAIL": "User already exists. Use another email.", "YOU_CANNOT_BAN_YOURSELF": "You cannot ban yourself", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CHANGE_USERS_ROLE": "You are not allowed to change users role", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_USERS": "You are not allowed to create users", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_LIST_USERS": "You are not allowed to list users", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_LIST_USERS_SESSIONS": "You are not allowed to list users sessions", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_BAN_USERS": "You are not allowed to ban users", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_IMPERSONATE_USERS": "You are not allowed to impersonate users", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_REVOKE_USERS_SESSIONS": "You are not allowed to revoke users sessions", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_USERS": "You are not allowed to delete users", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_SET_USERS_PASSWORD": "[REDACTED]", "BANNED_USER": "You have been banned from this application", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_GET_USER": "You are not allowed to get user", "NO_DATA_TO_UPDATE": "No data to update", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_USERS": "You are not allowed to update users", "YOU_CANNOT_REMOVE_YOURSELF": "You cannot remove yourself", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_SET_NON_EXISTENT_VALUE": "You are not allowed to set a non-existent role value", "YOU_CANNOT_IMPERSONATE_ADMINS": "You cannot impersonate admins", "INVALID_ROLE_TYPE": "Invalid role type" }, "schema": { "user": { "fields": { "role": { "type": "string", "required": false, "input": false }, "banned": { "type": "boolean", "defaultValue": false, "required": false, "input": false }, "banReason": { "type": "string", "required": false, "input": false }, "banExpires": { "type": "date", "required": false, "input": false } } }, "session": { "fields": { "impersonatedBy": { "type": "string", "required": false } } } }, "options": { "defaultRole": "user" } } }, { "name": "organization", "config": { "id": "organization", "endpoints": {}, "schema": { "organization": { "fields": { "name": { "type": "string", "required": true, "sortable": true }, "slug": { "type": "string", "required": true, "unique": true, "sortable": true, "index": true }, "logo": { "type": "string", "required": false }, "createdAt": { "type": "date", "required": true }, "metadata": { "type": "string", "required": false } } }, "member": { "fields": { "organizationId": { "type": "string", "required": true, "references": { "model": "organization", "field": "id" }, "index": true }, "userId": { "type": "string", "required": true, "references": { "model": "user", "field": "id" }, "index": true }, "role": { "type": "string", "required": true, "sortable": true, "defaultValue": "member" }, "createdAt": { "type": "date", "required": true } } }, "invitation": { "fields": { "organizationId": { "type": "string", "required": true, "references": { "model": "organization", "field": "id" }, "index": true }, "email": { "type": "string", "required": true, "sortable": true, "index": true }, "role": { "type": "string", "required": false, "sortable": true }, "status": { "type": "string", "required": true, "sortable": true, "defaultValue": "pending" }, "expiresAt": { "type": "date", "required": true }, "createdAt": { "type": "date", "required": true }, "inviterId": { "type": "string", "references": { "model": "user", "field": "id" }, "required": true } } }, "session": { "fields": { "activeOrganizationId": { "type": "string", "required": false } } } }, "$Infer": { "Organization": {}, "Invitation": {}, "Member": {}, "Team": {}, "TeamMember": {}, "ActiveOrganization": {} }, "$ERROR_CODES": { "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_NEW_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to create a new organization", "YOU_HAVE_REACHED_THE_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_ORGANIZATIONS": "You have reached the maximum number of organizations", "ORGANIZATION_ALREADY_EXISTS": "Organization already exists", "ORGANIZATION_SLUG_ALREADY_TAKEN": "Organization slug already taken", "ORGANIZATION_NOT_FOUND": "Organization not found", "USER_IS_NOT_A_MEMBER_OF_THE_ORGANIZATION": "User is not a member of the organization", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to update this organization", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to delete this organization", "NO_ACTIVE_ORGANIZATION": "No active organization", "USER_IS_ALREADY_A_MEMBER_OF_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "User is already a member of this organization", "MEMBER_NOT_FOUND": "Member not found", "ROLE_NOT_FOUND": "Role not found", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_NEW_TEAM": "You are not allowed to create a new team", "TEAM_ALREADY_EXISTS": "Team already exists", "TEAM_NOT_FOUND": "Team not found", "YOU_CANNOT_LEAVE_THE_ORGANIZATION_AS_THE_ONLY_OWNER": "You cannot leave the organization as the only owner", "YOU_CANNOT_LEAVE_THE_ORGANIZATION_WITHOUT_AN_OWNER": "You cannot leave the organization without an owner", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_THIS_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to delete this member", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_INVITE_USERS_TO_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to invite users to this organization", "USER_IS_ALREADY_INVITED_TO_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "User is already invited to this organization", "INVITATION_NOT_FOUND": "Invitation not found", "YOU_ARE_NOT_THE_RECIPIENT_OF_THE_INVITATION": "You are not the recipient of the invitation", "EMAIL_VERIFICATION_REQUIRED_BEFORE_ACCEPTING_OR_REJECTING_INVITATION": "Email verification required before accepting or rejecting invitation", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CANCEL_THIS_INVITATION": "You are not allowed to cancel this invitation", "INVITER_IS_NO_LONGER_A_MEMBER_OF_THE_ORGANIZATION": "Inviter is no longer a member of the organization", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_INVITE_USER_WITH_THIS_ROLE": "You are not allowed to invite a user with this role", "FAILED_TO_RETRIEVE_INVITATION": "Failed to retrieve invitation", "YOU_HAVE_REACHED_THE_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_TEAMS": "You have reached the maximum number of teams", "UNABLE_TO_REMOVE_LAST_TEAM": "Unable to remove last team", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_THIS_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to update this member", "ORGANIZATION_MEMBERSHIP_LIMIT_REACHED": "Organization membership limit reached", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_TEAMS_IN_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to create teams in this organization", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_TEAMS_IN_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to delete teams in this organization", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_THIS_TEAM": "You are not allowed to update this team", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_THIS_TEAM": "You are not allowed to delete this team", "INVITATION_LIMIT_REACHED": "Invitation limit reached", "TEAM_MEMBER_LIMIT_REACHED": "Team member limit reached", "USER_IS_NOT_A_MEMBER_OF_THE_TEAM": "User is not a member of the team", "YOU_CAN_NOT_ACCESS_THE_MEMBERS_OF_THIS_TEAM": "You are not allowed to list the members of this team", "YOU_DO_NOT_HAVE_AN_ACTIVE_TEAM": "You do not have an active team", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_NEW_TEAM_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to create a new member", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_REMOVE_A_TEAM_MEMBER": "You are not allowed to remove a team member", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_ACCESS_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not allowed to access this organization as an owner", "YOU_ARE_NOT_A_MEMBER_OF_THIS_ORGANIZATION": "You are not a member of this organization", "MISSING_AC_INSTANCE": "Dynamic Access Control requires a pre-defined ac instance on the server auth plugin. Read server logs for more information", "YOU_MUST_BE_IN_AN_ORGANIZATION_TO_CREATE_A_ROLE": "You must be in an organization to create a role", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to create a role", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_UPDATE_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to update a role", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_DELETE_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to delete a role", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_READ_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to read a role", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_LIST_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to list a role", "YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_GET_A_ROLE": "You are not allowed to get a role", "TOO_MANY_ROLES": "This organization has too many roles", "INVALID_RESOURCE": "The provided permission includes an invalid resource", "ROLE_NAME_IS_ALREADY_TAKEN": "That role name is already taken", "CANNOT_DELETE_A_PRE_DEFINED_ROLE": "Cannot delete a pre-defined role" }, "options": { "ac": { "statements": { "organization": [ "update", "delete" ], "member": [ "create", "update", "delete" ], "invitation": [ "create", "cancel" ], "team": [ "create", "update", "delete" ], "ac": [ "create", "read", "update", "delete" ], "kitchen": [ "list", "view", "create", "update", "delete", "set-availability" ], "cuisine": [ "list", "view", "assign" ], "menu": [ "list", "view", "create", "update", "delete" ], "order": [ "list", "view", "create", "update", "cancel" ], "favorite": [ "list", "create", "delete" ], "location": [ "list", "create", "update", "delete" ] } }, "roles": { "owner": { "statements": { "organization": [ "update", "delete" ], "member": [ "create", "update", "delete" ], "invitation": [ "create", "cancel" ], "team": [ "create", "update", "delete" ], "ac": [ "create", "read", "update", "delete" ], "kitchen": [ "list", "view", "create", "update", "delete", "set-availability" ], "cuisine": [ "list", "view", "assign" ], "menu": [ "list", "view", "create", "update", "delete" ], "order": [ "list", "view", "create", "update", "cancel" ], "favorite": [ "list", "create", "delete" ], "location": [ "list", "create", "update", "delete" ] } }, "manager": { "statements": { "organization": [ "update" ], "invitation": [ "create", "cancel" ], "member": [ "create", "update", "delete" ], "team": [ "create", "update", "delete" ], "ac": [ "create", "read", "update", "delete" ], "kitchen": [ "list", "view" ], "cuisine": [ "list", "view" ], "menu": [ "list", "view" ], "order": [ "list", "view", "create", "cancel" ], "favorite": [ "list", "create", "delete" ], "location": [ "list", "create", "update", "delete" ] } }, "staff": { "statements": { "organization": [], "member": [], "invitation": [], "team": [], "ac": [ "read" ], "kitchen": [ "list", "view" ], "cuisine": [ "list", "view" ], "menu": [ "list", "view", "create", "update", "delete" ], "order": [ "list", "view", "create", "update" ], "favorite": [ "list", "create", "delete" ], "location": [ "list", "create", "update", "delete" ] } } }, "adminRoles": [ "owner", "manager" ] } } } ], "experimental": { "joins": true } } } } ``` ### Which area(s) are affected? (Select all that apply) Backend, Client ### Auth config (if applicable) ```typescript export const auth = betterAuth({ appName: "Dishi", trustedOrigins: AUTHORIZED_ORIGINS, emailAndPassword: { enabled: true, }, database: drizzleAdapter(db, { provider: "pg", // or "mysql", "sqlite" }), plugins: [ // tanstackStartCookies(), apiKey(), bearer(), openAPI(), multiSession({ maximumSessions: 5, }), admin({ defaultRole: "user", }), organization({ ac: organizationAc, roles: organizationRoles, adminRoles: ["owner", "manager"], }), ], experimental: { joins: true, }, }); ``` ### Additional context Root cause In the setActive endpoint definition: ```ts setActiveSession: createAuthEndpoint("/multi-session/set-active", { method: "POST", body: setActiveSessionBodySchema, requireHeaders: true, use: [sessionMiddleware], // <-- requires active session // ... }) ``` sessionMiddleware calls getSessionFromCtx, which reads better-auth.session_token. When this cookie is absent, it throws APIError("UNAUTHORIZED") immediately the multi-session handler logic never executes. Meanwhile, listDeviceSessions does not use sessionMiddleware and works correctly in this state, which makes the UX inconsistent: the user can see their sessions but cannot switch to any of them. # Workaround We temporarily patched sessionMiddleware to bypass the check when _multi- cookies are present: ```ts const sessionMiddleware = createAuthMiddleware(async (ctx) => { const session = await getSessionFromCtx(ctx); if (!session?.session) { const cookieHeader = ctx.headers?.get("cookie") || ""; const cookieNames = cookieHeader.split(";").map(c => c.trim().split("=")[0]); const hasMultiCookie = cookieNames.some(n => n.includes("_multi-")); if (hasMultiCookie) { return { session: null }; } throw new APIError("UNAUTHORIZED"); } return { session }; }); ``` ## Suggested fix Remove sessionMiddleware from the setActive endpoint, or replace it with a lighter middleware that allows the request when valid multi-session cookies are present. The handler already performs its own authentication via getSignedCookie on the specific _multi-{token} cookie, which is server-signed and sufficient to verify legitimacy. AI was used to summarize the findings but i personally went through the steps to get to the bottom of it
GiteaMirror added the bug label 2026-03-13 10:27:25 -05:00
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Reference: github-starred/better-auth#2911
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