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[PATCH v3 05/10] config doc: elaborate on fetch.fsckObjects security

From
Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
Date
Jul 27, 2018, 14:37 UTC
Message-ID
<20180727143720.14948-6-avarab@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<20180525192811.25680-1-avarab@gmail.com>

Change the transfer.fsckObjects documentation to explicitly note the unique security and/or corruption issues fetch.fsckObjects suffers from, since it doesn't have a quarantine environment.

This was already alluded to in the existing documentation, but let's spell it out so there's no confusion here, and give a concrete example of how to work around this limitation.

Let's also prominently note that this is considered to be a limitation of the current implementation, rather than something that's intended and by design, since we might change this in the future.

See https://public-inbox.org/git/20180531060259.GE17344@sigill.intra.peff.net/ for further details.

Signed-off-by: Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>
---
 Documentation/config.txt | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+)
diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 291b4f3c57..7ff453c53b 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -3408,6 +3408,27 @@ On the receiving side, failing fsckObjects will make those objects
 unreachable, see "QUARANTINE ENVIRONMENT" in
 linkgit:git-receive-pack[1]. On the fetch side, malformed objects will
 instead be left unreferenced in the repository.
++
+Due to the non-quarantine nature of the `fetch.fsckObjects`
+implementation it can not be relied upon to leave the object store
+clean like `receive.fsckObjects` can.
++
+As objects are unpacked they're written to the object store, so there
+can be cases where malicious objects get introduced even though the
+"fetch" failed, only to have a subsequent "fetch" succeed because only
+new incoming objects are checked, not those that have already been
+written to the object store. That difference in behavior should not be
+relied upon. In the future, such objects may be quarantined for
+"fetch" as well.
++
+For now, the paranoid need to find some way to emulate the quarantine
+environment if they'd like the same protection as "push". E.g. in the
+case of an internal mirror do the mirroring in two steps, one to fetch
+the untrusted objects, and then do a second "push" (which will use the
+quarantine) to another internal repo, and have internal clients
+consume this pushed-to repository, or embargo internal fetches and
+only allow them once a full "fsck" has run (and no new fetches have
+happened in the meantime).
 
 transfer.hideRefs::
 	String(s) `receive-pack` and `upload-pack` use to decide which
-- 
2.18.0.345.g5c9ce644c3
Previous: Junio C HamanoNext: Junio C Hamano
Message 49 of 69 in “BUG: No way to set fsck.<msg-id> when cloning”
  1. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 24, 2018
  2. Kevin DaudtMay 24, 2018
  3. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 24, 2018
  4. Jeff KingMay 24, 2018
  5. 0/4 fsck: doc fixes & fetch.fsck.* implementationÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 24, 2018
  6. 1/4 config doc: don't describe *.fetchObjects twiceÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 24, 2018
  7. Junio C HamanoMay 25, 2018
  8. 3/4 config doc: elaborate on what transfer.fsckObjects doesÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 24, 2018
  9. Eric SunshineMay 24, 2018
  10. Junio C HamanoMay 25, 2018
  11. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 31, 2018
  12. 2/4 config doc: unify the description of fsck.* and receive.fsck.*Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 24, 2018
  13. Eric SunshineMay 24, 2018
  14. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 24, 2018
  15. Eric SunshineMay 24, 2018
  16. Junio C HamanoMay 25, 2018
  17. 4/4 fetch: implement fetch.fsck.*Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 24, 2018
  18. Junio C HamanoMay 25, 2018
  19. 0/5 fsck: doc fixes & fetch.fsck.* implementationÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 25, 2018
  20. 1/5 config doc: don't describe *.fetchObjects twiceÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 25, 2018
  21. Eric SunshineMay 25, 2018
  22. 2/5 config doc: unify the description of fsck.* and receive.fsck.*Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 25, 2018
  23. Eric SunshineMay 25, 2018
  24. Junio C HamanoMay 28, 2018
  25. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 28, 2018
  26. Junio C HamanoMay 30, 2018
  27. Junio C HamanoMay 30, 2018
  28. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 31, 2018
  29. Junio C HamanoJun 1, 2018
  30. 4/5 config doc: mention future aspirations for transfer.fsckObjectsÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 25, 2018
  31. Christian CouderMay 25, 2018
  32. 5/5 fetch: implement fetch.fsck.*Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 25, 2018
  33. Junio C HamanoMay 30, 2018
  34. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 31, 2018
  35. 3/5 config doc: elaborate on what transfer.fsckObjects doesÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, May 25, 2018
  36. Eric SunshineMay 25, 2018
  37. 00/10 fsck: doc fixes & fetch.fsck.* implementationÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  38. SZEDER GáborJul 30, 2018
  39. 01/10 receive.fsck.<msg-id> tests: remove dead codeÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  40. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  41. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonJul 27, 2018
  42. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  43. 02/10 config doc: don't describe *.fetchObjects twiceÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  44. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  45. 03/10 config doc: unify the description of fsck.* and receive.fsck.*Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  46. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  47. 04/10 config doc: elaborate on what transfer.fsckObjects doesÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  48. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  49. 05/10 config doc: elaborate on fetch.fsckObjects securityÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  50. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  51. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonJul 28, 2018
  52. 06/10 transfer.fsckObjects tests: untangle confusing setupÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  53. 07/10 fetch: implement fetch.fsck.*Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  54. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  55. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  56. Duy NguyenJul 30, 2018
  57. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonJul 30, 2018
  58. 08/10 fsck: test & document {fetch,receive}.fsck.* config fallbackÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  59. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  60. 09/10 fsck: add stress tests for fsck.skipListÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  61. 10/10 fsck: test and document unknown fsck.<msg-id> valuesÆvar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Jul 27, 2018
  62. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonJul 27, 2018
  63. Junio C HamanoJul 27, 2018
  64. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonJul 28, 2018
  65. Junio C HamanoJul 30, 2018
  66. Junio C HamanoMay 28, 2018
  67. Jeff KingMay 24, 2018
  68. Thomas BraunMay 24, 2018
  69. Ævar Arnfjörð BjarmasonMay 25, 2018

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