Mailing-List: contact dev-help@couchdb.apache.org; run by ezmlm
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: dev@couchdb.apache.org
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:31:48 +0000 (UTC)
From: =?utf-8?Q?St=C3=A9phane_Alnet_=28JIRA=29?= <jira@apache.org>
To: dev@couchdb.apache.org
Message-ID: 
 <1264593881.13148.1335879109027.JavaMail.tomcat@hel.zones.apache.org>
Subject: [jira] [Created] (COUCHDB-1475) _users design documents access
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

St=C3=A9phane Alnet created COUCHDB-1475:
---------------------------------------

             Summary: _users design documents access
                 Key: COUCHDB-1475
                 URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/COUCHDB-1475
             Project: CouchDB
          Issue Type: Question
          Components: Database Core
    Affects Versions: 1.2
         Environment: Debian/testing
            Reporter: St=C3=A9phane Alnet
            Priority: Minor


Sorry I'm coming in late on this topic, I found this while testing my exist=
ing code against 1.2.0.

The comments for commit e5503ffef957dc5e8784c7223e318738ae79b6df indicate f=
or `after_doc_read`:

          If the doc is a design doc and the userCtx doesn't identify
          an admin or db-admin:
          -> 403 // Forbidden

This breaks the (previously working) case where access to the _users databa=
se is restricted using a "members" security property, and authorized users =
could use a couchapp found in the _users database to manager user records.

(These power-users would have, say, "user_manager_ro" and "user_manager_rw"=
 roles assigned to them, with the ro/rw aspect handled by a specific valida=
te_doc_udpate() which would be part of the couchapp; the roles were entered=
 in the _users' database members.roles security field.)

Pointing me back to a discussion explaining the background for this new beh=
avior would be sufficient, if it is effectively a desirable side-effect and=
 things will remain as they are. Otherwise it seems a finer-grained logic f=
or after_doc_read() would be able to restore the desired result, along the =
lines of:

          If the doc is a design doc and (there are no security members.rol=
es and no members.names) and (the userCtx doesn't identify
          an admin or db-admin)
          -> 403 // Forbidden

Thanks,
S.

PS: Overall I'm surprised the changes in that commit used new Erlang code r=
ather than suggesting best-practices using the exisiting security features.=
 I don't understand how hiding the design documents enhances security ("sec=
urity by obscurity"), but that's beyond what I'm asking here.


--
This message is automatically generated by JIRA.
If you think it was sent incorrectly, please contact your JIRA administrato=
rs: https://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/ContactAdministrators!default.jsp=
a
For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira