The app crashes if iosCustomBrowser is not provided, react-native 0.77.1

[mluksha]

Issue

The release configuration of the app crashes on iOS if authorize method is called without iosCustomBrowser option. It reproduces only with react-native v0.77.1.

- (id<OIDExternalUserAgent>)getCustomBrowser: (NSString *) browserType {
    typedef id<OIDExternalUserAgent> (^BrowserBlock)(void);
    
    NSDictionary *browsers = @{
        @"safari":
            ^{
                return [OIDExternalUserAgentIOSCustomBrowser CustomBrowserSafari];
            },
        @"chrome":
            ^{
                return [OIDExternalUserAgentIOSCustomBrowser CustomBrowserChrome];
            },
        @"opera":
            ^{
                return [OIDExternalUserAgentIOSCustomBrowser CustomBrowserOpera];
            },
        @"firefox":
            ^{
                return [OIDExternalUserAgentIOSCustomBrowser CustomBrowserFirefox];
            }
    };
    BrowserBlock browser = browsers[browserType];
    return browser();  <-- Thread 1: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (code=1, address=0x10)
}

---

Environment

• Your Identity Provider: IdentityServer 4
• Platform that you're experiencing the issue on: iOS (only release configuration)
• Your react-native Version: 0.77.1
• Your react-native-app-auth Version: 8.0.0
• Are you using Expo?: 52.0.35

[tuladharjaa]

I also am facing this issue. It works fine on iOS simulator

[SunlightKnight]

I'm facing the same issue:

• react-native: 0.77.1
• react-native-app-auth: 8.0.1

Seems to be working fine while debugging (either on the simulator or on the device), but the release build crashes at the return browser() line.

[ksm]

Hello folks. The app I work on also just hit this issue.

The snippet where the problem happens is here. Specifically:

id<OIDExternalUserAgent> externalUserAgent = iosCustomBrowser != nil ? [self getCustomBrowser: iosCustomBrowser] : nil;

iosCustomBrowser != nil evaluates to true even though iosCustomBrowser is not passed in to the JavaScript API (it is undefined). Not sure why this is happening, but it looks like it started happening with RN 0.77.1.

The workaround I found is heavy handed but effective. I used patch-package to set this line of code to id<OIDExternalUserAgent> externalUserAgent = nil, which effectively disables the iosCustomBrowser API, but also solves the crash.

Lastly this issue is only reproducible in release builds. So in order to see it happen in the iOS simulator you must build a release build (not a debug build).

[ksm]

Here is the cause. See official changelog for react-native 0.77.1:

Interop Layer: Properly handle null values coming from NativeModules. (475f797a51 by sammy-SC)

[SunlightKnight]

Hi @ksm and thanks a lot for finding the cause of the problem. I'll be using the patch you provided for now, since I need the app I'm working on to be usable. Hope they will update this package soon.

[valentinrey]

Is there any planned work on this issue? I'm asking because I cannot use the patch, since that open a regular browser session and I need to open an ephemeral browser in private modus for authentication

[valentinrey]

It happens with react-native Version: 0.78.0 as well

[dmohler20]

I am also having the same issue. Hopefully there will be a fix soon.

[valentinrey]

I made a PR for the other issue I opened that truly may fix this issue as well (I think is the same issue)

#1064

[SunlightKnight]

I made a PR for the other issue I opened that truly may fix this issue as well (I think is the same issue)

#1064

It's the same issue, actually, but your PR has solved the problem. Thanks a lot!

[valentinrey]

I made a PR for the other issue I opened that truly may fix this issue as well (I think is the same issue)
#1064

It's the same issue, actually, but your PR has solved the problem. Thanks a lot!

You're welcome! My app is made in bare RN and I'm planning to move it to Expo, but I need some time to do it :)