Refresh checkpoint with IPC allowlist hardening

CHECKPOINT-encryption.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Checkpoint — Contact-aware feed (2026-08-06)
+# Checkpoint — Renderer IPC method allowlist (2026-08-21)
 
 A stopping point you can return to if this session is closed. Everything below was
 verified green at the moment this file was written.
@@ -6,46 +6,35 @@ verified green at the moment this file was written.
 ## Where things are
 
 - Project: `/home/avi/Projects/0_Nostr`
-- Git repo: `master` @ `a1445d1` ("Add contact-aware feed scope").
+- Git repo: `master` @ `4bde395` ("Restrict renderer IPC to an explicit method allowlist").
-- Working tree is **clean** — this session's contact-aware feed changes and its checkpoint
+- Working tree is **clean** apart from this checkpoint update, which is committed right after.
-  are committed.
+- Underneath sit the contact-aware feed (`a1445d1`), feed aggregation (`37a9d94`) and the
-- On top of that sits the NIP-46 signer work and the original feed aggregation, all committed.
+  NIP-46 signer work, all committed.
 
-## What was completed: contact-aware feed
+## What was completed: security hardening item #1 (IPC allowlist)
 
-The Feed screen (and CLI) can now be scoped to **My contacts**: instead of showing the global
+First fix from the 2026-08-21 security audit. The Electron main process now enforces an
-stream, it fetches the active profile's kind 3 contact list from the enabled relays and returns
+explicit allowlist of renderer-callable methods, so a compromised web page inside the app
-only recent notes authored by those contacts. This builds on the existing aggregation engine.
+can no longer invent arbitrary backend calls (e.g. unknown/future methods or typos that
+might alias onto sensitive ones).
 
-- **Backend** (`src/feed.rs`):
+- **Electron** (`frontend/electron/main.ts`):
-  - `contact_feed(settings, limit, owner_hex)` fetches the owner's contact pubkeys
+  - New `RENDERER_METHODS` set: the three native methods (`pick_image`, `link_preview`,
-    (`contact_pubkeys`) then aggregates only notes from those authors.
+    `upload_image`) plus every Rust-backend method actually used by `frontend/src/lib/api.ts`
-  - `contact_pubkeys` subscribes to kind 3 (contact list) for the owner, collecting the hex
+    (init/get_state, profiles, publish, feed, relays, settings, vault password/unlock,
-    pubkeys of everyone they follow from `TagStandard::PublicKey` tags, de-duplicated.
+    reveal_secret_key, signer control/approve).
-  - `aggregate_feed` still serves the global feed and now delegates to a private
+  - `isAllowedMethod()` gate at the top of the `backend:request` handler; anything not in
-    `aggregate_for(settings, limit, authors)` used by both scopes. When `authors` is set the
+    the list returns `{status:'error', code:'unknown_method'}` and is logged to stderr —
-    NIP-01 filter restricts to those authors **and** `FeedBuilder` drops any note from someone
+    it never reaches the backend process.
-    else (defence in depth for relays that ignore the `authors` filter).
+  - No behaviour change for the real UI: `window.backend.request` is only ever called from
-  - `FeedBuilder::new(limit, authors)` takes an optional author whitelist.
+    `api.ts`, whose full surface is covered by the allowlist (confirmed by grep + tests).
-  - `owner_pubkey(npub)` decodes a stored `npub1...` (or hex) to a `PublicKey`; shared by the
+- Remaining audit items (not yet done): token-based upload path validation (#2), CSP
-    IPC server and the CLI.
+  `'unsafe-inline'` removal + window-open deny (#3), legacy-vault permissions (#4),
-- **IPC** (`src/ipc.rs`): `FeedGet` now accepts `contacts_only: Option<bool>`. With
+  permission race windows (#5), key zeroization (#6).
-  `contacts_only: true`, it resolves the active profile's npub, decodes it, and calls
-  `contact_feed`. Without an active profile it returns a `no_active_profile` error.
-- **CLI** (`src/main.rs`): `feed [--contacts] [limit]` — `--contacts` filters to the active
-  profile's contacts; the no-results message is adjusted accordingly.
-- **Electron/React frontend**: the Feed screen (`FeedScreen.tsx`) gains a segmented **Everyone /
-  My contacts** scope toggle. "My contacts" is disabled when no profile is active (and silently
-  forced back to Everyone). Scope-aware empty states ("No notes from your contacts"), and
-  `feedGet(limit, contactsOnly)` threads the flag from `api.ts` through `AppProvider`.
-- **Styles** (`styles.css`): a `.segmented` pill control for the scope toggle.
 
 ## Commits
 
-- `a1445d1` "Add contact-aware feed scope" — the full feature: `src/feed.rs`
+- `4bde395` "Restrict renderer IPC to an explicit method allowlist" — `main.ts` only (+49 lines).
-  (`contact_feed`/`contact_pubkeys`/`aggregate_for` + author whitelist), IPC `FeedGet`
-  `contacts_only`, CLI `feed --contacts`, the frontend scope toggle + styles + tests, README.
-  (Parent: `1fd057d` "Refresh checkpoint with feed aggregation".)
 
 ## How it was verified (all green)
 
@@ -53,33 +42,36 @@ only recent notes authored by those contacts. This builds on the existing aggreg
 cargo test            # 84 passed
 cargo clippy --all-targets   # clean
 cargo fmt --check     # clean
-cargo build --release # builds (rebuilt so the GUI runs the new backend)
+cargo build --release # ok
 npm run typecheck     # clean (frontend/)
-npm run lint          # clean (pre-existing module warning only)
+npm run lint          # clean (pre-existing module-type warning only)
 npm run format:check  # clean
 npm test              # 78 passed (14 files)
-npm run electron:build # compiles the Electron main process
+npm run electron:build # compiles the Electron main process with the new gate
 npm run build         # rebuilds the React bundle (dist/)
 ```
 
 ## How to resume
 
 1. Open the repo: `cd /home/avi/Projects/0_Nostr`
-2. State is committed: `git status` should be clean; `git log --oneline -5` shows `a1445d1`
+2. State is committed: `git status` should be clean; `git log --oneline -3` shows `4bde395`
-   at the top.
+   on top.
-3. To try the contact feed:
+3. Launch as usual: `cd frontend && npm start` (backend already built in `target/release/`).
-   - GUI: open the **Feed** screen and switch **Everyone → My contacts**. You need an active
+4. To see the gate working: from the DevTools console run
-     profile that follows people; the segmented control filters the feed to their notes.
+   `window.backend.request('not_a_method')` → resolves to a `unknown_method` error envelope;
-   - CLI: `./target/release/nostr-manager-backend feed --contacts 10` prints up to 10 recent
+   normal screens keep working unchanged.
-     notes from the active profile's contacts.
+5. Re-run verification with the commands above.
-4. Re-run verification with the commands above.
 
 ## Outstanding / next steps (if you continue)
 
-- The contact feed depends on the kind 3 contact list being present on the enabled relays; a
+Security-audit follow-ups in priority order:
-  profile with no contacts (or a newly created one that has never published a contact list)
+
-  produces an empty feed, which is expected but could be surfaced more clearly in the GUI.
+1. **Upload path tokens** — `upload_image` currently reads any renderer-supplied file path;
-- A live end-to-end check of the feed (global and contacts) against public relays has not been
+   issue random tokens per picked file and accept only those (`main.ts`).
-  run in this session; the deterministic parts are covered by unit + frontend tests.
+2. **CSP** — drop `'unsafe-inline'` from `script-src` in `frontend/index.html`; add
-- The checkpoint/session discipline in AGENTS.md says to commit the feature first, then the
+   `setWindowOpenHandler` deny + `shell.openExternal` for external links in `main.ts`.
-  checkpoint update. This was done: `a1445d1` (feature) then this checkpoint commit.
+3. **Legacy vault perms** — repo-root `profiles_vault.json` is group-readable (0664);
+   chmod 600 / delete after confirming migration; also auto-tighten during migration in
+   `src/vault.rs`.
+4. **Write-race fixes** — create files with mode 0600 at creation time in `vault.rs`.
+5. **Zeroize** — wipe decrypted key material via the `zeroize` crate.