[tahoe-dev] [tahoe-lafs] #997: The webapi/WUI should have https enabled by default

[tahoe-lafs]

#997: The webapi/WUI should have https enabled by default
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 Reporter:  jsgf                                |           Owner:  nobody   
     Type:  defect                              |          Status:  new      
 Priority:  major                               |       Milestone:  undecided
Component:  unknown                             |         Version:  1.6.0    
 Keywords:  confidentiality wui webapi capleak  |   Launchpad_bug:           
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Comment(by warner):

 I really want to encourage users to run their own gateway. I'm a little
 bit nervous that turning on SSL by default will look like we're suggesting
 people talk to somebody else's gateway, and would imply that eavesdroppers
 on the wire between your browser and that gateway are more of a concern
 than whether your gateway is acting in your own best interests. I
 recognize that using SSL (even on localhost) is strictly equal-or-more-
 secure than non-SSL, but I do wonder if it sends the wrong message to
 users.

 Asking users to install a new CA root feels wrong to me.. it teaches them
 to "improve" their security by adding vulnerabilities into their browser.

 The real question is what secrets (i.e. the filecaps) you're revealing to
 which parties, and whether those are the parties you meant to reveal them
 to. "http://127.0.0.1/" in the browser is harder to spoof than the
 collection of (browser shows usual spoofable lock icon)+(address bar shows
 meaningful DNS name)+(user remembers mapping from DNS name to which
 gateway they meant to use)+(CA/PKI system is uncompromised and maps DNS
 name / cert name to the expected cert)+(gateway isn't logging/revealing
 your filecaps).

 Maybe we should discuss the properties of a web gateway which *only*
 accepted connections from localhost?

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Ticket URL: <http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/ticket/997#comment:6>
tahoe-lafs <http://allmydata.org>
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