[Bug] PublicClientApplication acts like confidential client application

[ShmuelCammebys]

Library version used

1.14.3

Java version

17

Scenario

PublicClient (AcquireTokenInteractive, AcquireTokenByUsernamePassword)

Is this a new or an existing app?

This is a new app or experiment

Issue description and reproduction steps

Even though my application is a public client application, and uses MSAL for iOS and Android perfectly fine, when I try connecting to the same client id on Desktop (after registering the application for desktop), it says I need a client_secret:

com.microsoft.aad.msal4j.MsalServiceException: AADSTS7000218: The request body must contain the following parameter: 'client_assertion' or 'client_secret'. Trace ID: f8ca8882-0b92-4e97-9fac-bc491d333900 Correlation ID: f43ae1e8-856f-4ef3-a259-fa58a651ab2c Timestamp: 2024-05-08 10:58:05Z

Relevant code snippets

val application = PublicClientApplication
                    .builder(BuildConfig.ENTRA_CLIENT_ID)
                    .authority(BuildConfig.ENTRA_AUTHORITY)
                    .build()
                val prefs = Preferences.userRoot()

                val storedAccountId = prefs.get(Constants.ENTRA_ACCOUNT_IDENTIFIER, "")
                val redirectUri = "http://localhost:55259"
                val scopes = setOf("User.Read")

                val authResult = application.run {
                    if (storedAccountId.isNullOrBlank()) {
                        acquireToken(
                            InteractiveRequestParameters
                                .builder(URI(redirectUri))
                                .scopes(scopes)
                                .build()
                        )
                    } else {
                        acquireTokenSilently(
                            SilentParameters
                                .builder(
                                    scopes,
                                    application
                                        .accounts
                                        .join()
                                        .find { it.tenantProfiles[storedAccountId] != null }
                                )
                                .build()
                        )
                    }
                }
                entraIdToken = authResult.join().idToken()

Expected behavior

Returns auth token

Identity provider

Microsoft Entra ID (Work and School accounts and Personal Microsoft accounts)

Regression

No response

Solution and workarounds

No response