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annotate doc/security.txt @ 4678:23de24f57566

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issue2550749 - the xmlrpc interface is invoked on content type and not url path. Sending any text/xml data to roundup results in invoking the xml-rpc interface, but a REST or other interface could also consume xml data and do something different. So require the use of 'http(s)://.../xmlrpc' uri to trigger the xmlrpc interface.
author rouilj
date Sun, 25 Nov 2012 18:24:28 -0500
parents 32b24abfe98e
children 8ee41c7372e7
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1 ===================
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2 Security Mechanisms
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3 ===================
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4
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5 Current situation
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6 =================
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7
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8 Current logical controls:
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9
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10 ANONYMOUS_ACCESS = 'deny'
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11 Deny or allow anonymous access to the web interface
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12 ANONYMOUS_REGISTER = 'deny'
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13 Deny or allow anonymous users to register through the web interface
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14 ANONYMOUS_REGISTER_MAIL = 'deny'
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15 Deny or allow anonymous users to register through the mail interface
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16
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17 Current user interface authentication and controls:
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18
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19 - command-line tool access controlled with passwords, but no logical controls
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20 - CGI access is by username and password and has some logical controls
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21 - mailgw access is through identification using sender email address, with
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22 limited functionality available
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23
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24 The web interface implements has specific logical controls,
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25 preventing non-admin users from accessing:
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26
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27 - other user's details pages
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28 - listing the base classes (not issues or their user page)
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29 - editing base classes
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30
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31 Issues
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32 ======
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33
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34 1. The current implementation is ad-hoc, and not complete for all `use cases`_.
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35 2. Currently it is not possible to allow submission of issues through email
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36 but restrict those users from accessing the web interface.
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37 3. Only one user may perform admin functions.
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38 4. There is no verification of users in the mail gateway by any means other
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39 than the From address. Support for strong identification through digital
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40 signatures should be added.
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41 5. The command-line tool has no logical controls.
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42 6. The anonymous control needs revising - there should only be one way to be
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43 an anonymous user, not two (currently there is user==None and
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44 user=='anonymous').
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45
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46
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47 Possible approaches
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48 ===================
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49
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50 Security controls in Roundup could be approached in three ways:
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51
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52 1) at the hyperdb level, with read/write/modify permissions on classes, items
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53 and item properties for all or specific transitions.
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54 2) at the user interface level, with access permissions on CGI interface
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55 methods, mailgw methods, roundup-admin methods, and so on.
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56 3) at a logical permission level, checked as needed.
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57
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58 In all cases, the security built into roundup assumes restricted access to the
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32b24abfe98e Documentation polishing.
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59 hyperdatabase itself, through operating-system controls such as user or group
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60 permissions.
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61
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62
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63 Hyperdb-level control
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64 ---------------------
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65
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66 Control is implemented at the Class.get, Class.set and Class.create level. All
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67 other methods must access items through these methods. Since all accesses go
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68 through the database, we can implement deny by default.
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69
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70 Pros:
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71
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72 - easier to implement as it only affects one module
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73 - smaller number of permissions to worry about
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74
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75 Cons:
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76
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77 - harder to determine the relationship between user interaction and hyperdb
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78 permission.
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79 - a lot of work to define
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80 - must special-case to handle by-item permissions (editing user details,
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81 having private messages)
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82
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83
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84 User-interface control
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85 ----------------------
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86
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87 The user interfaces would have an extra layer between that which
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88 parses the request to determine action and the action method. This layer
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89 controls access. Since it is possible to require methods be registered
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90 with the security mechanisms to be accessed by the user, deny by default
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91 is possible.
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92
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93 Pros:
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94
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95 - much more obvious at the user level what the controls are
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96
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97 Cons:
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98
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99 - much more work to implement
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100 - most user interfaces have multiple uses which can't be covered by a
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101 single permission
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102
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103 Logical control
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104 ---------------
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105
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106 At each point that requires an action to be performed, the security mechanisms
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107 are asked if the current user has permission. Since code must call the
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108 check function to raise a denial, there is no possibility to have automatic
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109 default of deny in this situation.
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110
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111 Pros:
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112
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113 - quite obvious what is going on
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114 - is very similar to the current system
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115
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116 Cons:
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117
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118 - large number of possible permissions that may be defined, possibly
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119 mirroring actual user interface controls.
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120 - access to the hyperdb must be strictly controlled through program code
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121 that implements the logical controls.
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122
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123
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124 Action
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125 ======
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126
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127 The CGI interface must be changed to:
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128
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129 - authenticate over a secure connection
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130 - use unique tokens as a result of authentication, rather than pass the user's
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131 real credentials (username/password) around for each request (this means
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132 sessions and hence a session database)
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133 - use the new logical control mechanisms
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134
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135 - implement the permission module
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136 - implement a Role editing interface for users
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137 - implement htmltemplate tests on permissions
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138 - switch all code over from using config vars for permission checks to using
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139 permissions
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140 - change all explicit admin user checks for Role checks
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141 - include config vars for initial Roles for anonymous web, new web and new
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142 email users
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143
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144 The mail gateway must be changed to:
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145
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146 - use digital signatures
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147 - use the new logical control mechanisms
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148
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149 - switch all code over from using config vars for permission checks to using
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150 permissions
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151
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152 The command-line tool must be changed to:
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153
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154 - use the new logical control mechanisms (only allowing write
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155 access by admin users, and read-only by everyone else)
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156
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157
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