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Re: [RFC] Adding a challenge-response authentication method to git://

From
Andreas Ericsson <ae@op5.se>
Date
Aug 14, 2008, 09:15 UTC
Message-ID
<48A3F7AA.8070001@op5.se>
In-Reply-To
<20080814005723.GM3782@spearce.org>
Shawn O. Pearce wrote:
Show 30 quoted lines
> "Stephen R. van den Berg" <srb@cuci.nl> wrote:
>> I'm not trying to solve all management problems, I'm just trying to
>> offer a simple solution for the small-user-base-central-repository case
>> without a lot of code-bloat on the git side.
>> If it doesn't fit ones needs, use ssh or something else; but it does
>> have its merits for the simple centralised setups.
> 
> OK, then my final two cents, and I'll shutup.
> 
> - Add to git-daemon a new service command, "git-authenticate-user".
> - Clients request "git-authenticate-user 'repository'".
> - The auth_user routine:
> 	enters 'repository' ('ala upload-pack)
> 	execs "git-authenticate-user ."
> 
> - git-authenticate-user:
> 	send pkt-line challenge
> 	recv pkt-line username
> 	recv pkt-line SHA-1(username + password + challenge)
> 	
> 	read gitconfig for "auth.passwordfile"
> 	read passwordfile for entry $username
> 		("user:pass:upload-pack,receive-pack")
> 	verify response
> 
> 	send pkt-line ok/fail
> 	recv pkt-line "git-$service '.'"
> 	check $service is allowed
> 	exec git-$service .
> 
I'd do it like this instead:
daemon: auth_user = dlsym(dlopen("auth-module.so", RTLD_NOW), "authenticat");
client: "git-authenticate action 'repository'"
daemon: send pkt-line challenge
client: send pkt-line username
client: send pkt-line SHA1(username + password + challenge)
daemon: if (auth_user(repository, action, username, password, struct sockaddr_in *inbound))
               allow_connection();
This approach has several nifty benefits:
* The otherwise duplicated code (for different auth schemes) is
  done only once (in the git daemon).
* If the git daemon has no authentication module loaded, we might
  as well not bother sending any challenge and just pretend we do
  not know about the authentication scheme.
* Any kind of authentication scheme can be supported without changing
  the core code. If the authentication module does something wrong,
  one can continue to serve read-only requests by simply unloading
  the module.
* Modules is a great way for newcomers to get started contributing to
  git so it's a nice way of getting more contributors/sub-maintainers.
-- 
Andreas Ericsson                   andreas.ericsson@op5.se
OP5 AB                             www.op5.se
Tel: +46 8-230225                  Fax: +46 8-230231
Previous: Stephen R. van den BergNext: Stephen R. van den Berg
Message 14 of 18 in “[RFC] Adding a challenge-response authentication method to git://”
  1. Stephen R. van den BergAug 13, 2008
  2. Petr BaudisAug 13, 2008
  3. David BrownAug 14, 2008
  4. Petr BaudisAug 14, 2008
  5. Stephen R. van den BergAug 14, 2008
  6. Petr BaudisAug 14, 2008
  7. Stephen R. van den BergAug 14, 2008
  8. Shawn O. PearceAug 13, 2008
  9. Stephen R. van den BergAug 13, 2008
  10. Shawn O. PearceAug 13, 2008
  11. Stephen R. van den BergAug 14, 2008
  12. Shawn O. PearceAug 14, 2008
  13. Stephen R. van den BergAug 14, 2008
  14. Andreas EricssonAug 14, 2008
  15. Stephen R. van den BergAug 14, 2008
  16. david@lang.hmAug 14, 2008
  17. david@lang.hmAug 14, 2008
  18. Shawn O. PearceAug 14, 2008

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