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initial WebID Document considerations #9

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Jun 19, 2024
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10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions biblio.json
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Expand Up @@ -26,5 +26,15 @@
],
"href": "https://solidos.solidcommunity.net/",
"title": "SolidOS"
},
"WebID": {
"authors": [
"Andrei Sambra",
"Henry Story",
"Tim Berners-Lee"
],
"href": "https://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/webid/spec/identity/",
"title": "WebID 1.0",
"publisher": "WebID Incubator Group"
Comment on lines +37 to +38
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...except that the WebID XG never published this, with or without a version declaration. It would be better to title it as what it was, "WebID 1.0 Editor's Draft" (which must be read and understood as "Editor's Draft of WebID 1.0") ... and of course, the document now served from that location says "Draft Community Group Report 05 March 2014", which is similarly but differently inaccurate and contrary to the "publisher" identified here.

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In case we can't quickly resolve it in this PR I created a dedicated issue for it #10

}
}
30 changes: 30 additions & 0 deletions index.bs
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Expand Up @@ -118,3 +118,33 @@ The attacker writes a malicious `text/html` file to the server. Depending on the
#### Considerations

Servers are strongly encouraged to consider the countermeasures in the context of the use cases they want to enable or disable on a given storage. For instance, using `Content-Security-Policy: sandbox` will universally prohibit various functionalities for applications, including but not limited to accessing local storage, executing scripts, using forms, interacting with plugins, or including external content. This broad range of restrictions may not be desirable for various categories of applications that rely on client-side storage mechanisms, collaborative features, or dynamic content interaction.

## Protecting WebID Document ## {#protecting-webid-document}

Solid access policy enforcement heavily relies on the identities of agents. Requesting Parties are identified
with [[WebID]] and applications with ClientID [[Solid.OIDC]].
User's WebID Document includes trust anchors, like designation to their [[Solid.OIDC]] Provider (aka. issuer).
In other approaches, public keys could be published or discoverable via the user's WebID Document.
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### Fully impersonate the user

If the malicious app can write or append to the user's WebID, it could inject trust anchors, allowing complete impersonation.
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#### Prerequisites
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* Authorization system depends on a specific trust anchor in the user's WebID Document.
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For example, [[Solid.OIDC]] issuer designation or pubic keys/keyset.
* User authorizes a malicious application to write or append to their WebID Document.
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The context of malicious application is unclear here. Whether it is something that adheres to Solid Protocol interacting with a Solid storage, or just generally anything potentially having the means to update the WebID Profile Document. They are separate cases, and whether or to what extent this document (Solid Security Considerations) should touch on WebID Profile Documents that are not available via the Solid Protocol needs a consideration.

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#### Attack

* The attacker publishes a malicious application, such as generating cool AI avatars and setting them in the user's profile.
* User authenticates with the malicious application
* If the access control system enforces client constraints, the user also authorizes the application to write or append to their WebID Document.
* Application injects attacker's trust anchor into the user's WebID Document
* The attacker can completely impersonate the user, which allows full access to all the data owned by the user.
As well as any data shared with that user by others, with the full extent of access they granted to the user.
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### Countermeasures

Issue(9):