Prevent crash during SSO token expiration

[grantfitzsimmons]

Describe the bug
When an SSO authorization token expires due to inactivity, Specify 7 currently loses application state and may crash if the user attempts a refresh. The crash originates from the identity provider (login.ufl.edu), and Specify does not handle or communicate token expiry in a user-friendly way.

To Reproduce

1. Log into Specify 7 using an SSO provider (e.g., login.ufl.edu).
2. Navigate to a record set and open a Batch Edit or run a Query.
3. Leave the app idle until the SSO token expires.
4. Attempt any interaction or click Refresh.
5. See either a crash or unhandled redirect from the identity provider.

Requirements

• Do not attempt background token renewal or preserve user state on expiry.
• Warn users shortly before their session expires with a dialog allowing them to keep their session alive ("Your session will expire in 5 minutes. Click OK to stay logged in.").
  (It would be neat if this hooked into the browser's warning system to bring their attention to the tab).
• On expiry, display a dialog:
  “This session has expired. You have been logged out.”
• After acknowledging the dialog, redirect users to the login screen.

Reported By
Warren, University of Florida

[bronwyncombs]

Reported by Garth @ University of Michigan via BoldDesk:

We are reporting a recurring issue where Specify 7 crashes across multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox) following periods of inactivity or minor network disruptions.

Issue Summary:

• The crash occurs when a user with open tabs attempts to resume work after an elapsed time interval (which can be very short).

• It is also triggered when users transition between onsite routers at the RMC.

• Symptoms include 502 gateway errors and subsequent application crashes referencing "/ephemeral/" URLs, even when attempting workflows in private browsing windows or via hard refreshes.

• In a specific recurring case, the crash happens consistently when a user attempts to modify and run a routine query from their saved list.

Potential Root Cause: Given that the issue is tied to elapsed time and network roaming, it appears closely linked to the existing Specify GitHub issue: "Prevent crash during SSO token expiration" (#7817). The application seems to crash rather than handle expired tokens or disrupted network connections gracefully.

Specify 7 Crash Report - 2026-04-13T14_40_13.271Z.txt