5.1 KiB
Policy System Fix Conversation
Initial Context
This session continued from a previous conversation about implementing policy manager requirements from GitHub Issue #5.
User Request 1: Clarification on Privileged Flag
User: "ok, so the privileged flag relates only to read, not write"
Response: Confirmed understanding that privileged flag only affects read operations, not write operations. The privileged flag allows parties involved in an event (author or p-tagged users) to read it, but doesn't restrict who can write such events.
User Request 2: OR Logic for Read Access
User: "read_allow and privileged both allow read access, they are not exclusive"
Response: Understood that read access should use OR logic - a user can read if they are in the read_allow list OR if they are involved in a privileged event. Previously the implementation was treating them as mutually exclusive.
Implementation Changes Made
1. Privileged Flag - Read Only
- Removed privileged checks from write operations
- Updated all write-related tests to reflect that privileged doesn't affect write operations
- Modified policy.go to only check privileged flag for read operations
2. OR Logic for Read Access
- Implemented OR logic in checkRulePolicy for read operations
- Three cases handled: a. With allow list: user in list OR (privileged AND involved) = allow b. Without allow list but privileged: only involved parties = allow c. Neither: continue to other checks
3. Test Updates
- Updated TestCheckRulePolicy to reflect privileged doesn't affect write
- Updated TestReadAllowWithPrivileged to use OR logic
- Updated TestSamplePolicyFromUser to use OR logic
- Updated TestPolicyIntegration to remove privileged write restrictions
- Updated precedence_test.go to document OR logic behavior
4. Bug Fixes
- Fixed empty read_allow list with privileged flag allowing everyone
- Now correctly restricts to involved parties only
User Request 3: Implicit Kind Whitelist
User: "ok, i have just seen that the kinds in global policy fields or the set that have rules specified should be allowed, otherwise denied"
Response: Implemented implicit kind whitelist based on rule presence:
- If specific rules exist, only kinds with rules are allowed
- If only global rule exists (no specific rules), all kinds allowed
- If no rules at all, all kinds allowed (falls to default policy)
Updated checkKindsPolicy logic to:
- Check explicit whitelist first (backwards compatibility)
- Check explicit blacklist second (backwards compatibility)
- Otherwise use implicit whitelist based on rule presence
User Request 4: Security - Reject Unauthenticated
User: "make sure if there is no authed pubkey, just reject everything"
Response: Added critical security check at the beginning of CheckPolicy:
// CRITICAL SECURITY: Reject all unauthenticated access
if len(loggedInPubkey) == 0 {
return false, nil // Silently reject unauthenticated users
}
This ensures no authentication = no access, regardless of policy rules.
User Request 5: Create Summary
User: "summarize this chat and write to the file 'policyfixes.md' in the root of the repository"
Response: Created comprehensive policyfixes.md documenting:
- All critical conceptual fixes
- Policy evaluation order
- Important behavioral rules
- Bug fixes
- Test updates
- Files modified
Key Insights During Implementation
-
Submitter vs Author: write_allow and read_allow control who can submit/read events (the logged-in user), not who authored the event. This is relay access control, not content validation.
-
Privileged Read Pattern: Creates a "private message" pattern where events are readable only by involved parties, but anyone can create privileged events.
-
OR Logic Flexibility: Combining explicit permissions (allow lists) with implicit permissions (privileged involvement) provides flexible access patterns.
-
Implicit Kind Whitelist: Automatically filters kinds based on rule presence, eliminating need for explicit kind configuration when rules are defined.
-
Security by Default: Authentication requirement at the policy layer ensures no unauthorized access regardless of policy configuration.
Test Results
- All 336+ policy tests passing after fixes
- Comprehensive test verifies all 5 requirements from Issue #5
- Precedence tests document exact evaluation order
Files Modified
- pkg/policy/policy.go - Core implementation
- pkg/policy/policy_test.go - Updated tests
- pkg/policy/comprehensive_test.go - New comprehensive test
- pkg/policy/precedence_test.go - Updated precedence tests
- pkg/policy/read_access_test.go - Updated for OR logic
- pkg/policy/policy_integration_test.go - Updated for privileged behavior
- docs/POLICY_FINAL_FIX_SUMMARY.md - Documentation
- policyfixes.md - Summary document (created)
Current Status
All policy system requirements implemented and tested. The system now provides:
- Secure by default (authentication required)
- Predictable behavior (clear evaluation order)
- Flexible access control (OR logic for reads)
- Automatic kind filtering (implicit whitelist)
- Fully tested and documented