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testland/mfa-flow-test-author

Build-an-X workflow for authoring automated tests covering multi-factor authentication flows: TOTP (RFC 6238, deterministic codes from a known secret + fixed time), HOTP (RFC 4226, counter-based), SMS/email OTP, WebAuthn/passkey registration and authentication via Chrome DevTools Protocol virtual authenticator (WebAuthn L2 §11), recovery codes, MFA enrollment, and step-up authentication challenges. Use when the team needs end-to-end MFA test coverage beyond what oauth-flow-test-author covers, or when introducing a new second factor to an existing auth surface.

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name:
mfa-flow-test-author
description:
Build-an-X workflow for authoring automated tests covering multi-factor authentication flows: TOTP (RFC 6238, deterministic codes from a known secret + fixed time), HOTP (RFC 4226, counter-based), SMS/email OTP, WebAuthn/passkey registration and authentication via Chrome DevTools Protocol virtual authenticator (WebAuthn L2 §11), recovery codes, MFA enrollment, and step-up authentication challenges. Use when the team needs end-to-end MFA test coverage beyond what oauth-flow-test-author covers, or when introducing a new second factor to an existing auth surface.
metadata:
{"keywords":"mfa, totp, hotp, webauthn, passkey, otp, sms, recovery-codes, step-up, enrollment, rfc6238, rfc4226"}

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.

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 = Unix epoch 0 and X = time step (default 30s). TOTP is testable because it is deterministic: a fixed secret + fixed for_time always yields the same code. Generate the expected code with pyotp.TOTP.at(for_time) (pyotp) and compare it against what the server accepts.

Interoperability test vectors are in RFC 6238 Appendix B: ASCII secret 12345678901234567890 at Unix time 59 produces 94287082 with SHA-1.

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)

HOTP(K, C) is counter-based: K is the shared secret, C the counter. The client increments C on each use; the server increments only on successful validation and keeps a look-ahead window s (RFC 4226 §7.4) to tolerate drift.

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)

Registration calls navigator.credentials.create(); authentication calls navigator.credentials.get() and produces a signed assertion. For CI, bypass the physical device with the Chrome DevTools Protocol WebAuthn domain virtual authenticator (WebAuthn L2 §11), reached in Playwright via browserContext.newCDPSession(page) (pw-cdp).

# 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()

        cdp = context.new_cdp_session(page)
        cdp.send("WebAuthn.enable", {"enableUI": False})

        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")
    page.wait_for_selector("#passkey-registered-confirmation")
    assert page.is_visible("#passkey-registered-confirmation")

    creds = cdp.send("WebAuthn.getCredentials", {"authenticatorId": auth_id})
    assert len(creds["credentials"]) == 1

Full authentication round-trip, user-verification enforcement, and server-side verification with @simplewebauthn/server (persist newCounter to block signature-counter replay): references/webauthn-virtual-authenticator.md.

Step 5 - Recovery codes

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 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

Re-challenge a valid session for its second factor before a sensitive operation.

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-patternWhy it failsFix
Call totp.now() without clock injectionTest is time-dependent; window drift makes it flakyUse totp.at(for_time=fixed_time) with clock injection
Use real SMS/email in testsNetwork dependency; non-deterministic; costs moneyReplace transport with a test-double stub
Use PKCE plain in the surrounding OAuth flowDefeats PKCE per RFC 7636 §4.2Always S256; see oauth-flow-test-author
Skip replay test for OTPsSingle-use property unverifiedStep 2 / Step 3 negative cases
Launch a real authenticator device for WebAuthnBlocks CI; hardware not available headlesslyCDP virtual authenticator (Step 4)
Test only the happy enrollment pathEnrollment with wrong code silently succeedsStep 6 confirm-with-wrong-code negative test
Trust signCount == 0 as a sign of no replay riskSome authenticators always report 0; server must track and reject decreasing countsPersist 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

Workspace
testland
Visibility
Public
Created
Last updated
Repository
https://github.com/testland/qa
Publish Source
GitHub
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