doc: REST API authentication #1021

aravindavk · 2018-07-17T06:48:29Z

Closes: #1019
Signed-off-by: Aravinda VK [email protected]

rishubhjain · 2018-07-17T09:32:59Z

pkg/tools/glustercli-auth-header.py

+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    user = "glustercli"
+    secret_file = sys.argv[1]
+    secret = open(secret_file).read()


I think its better to use:

with open(secret_file) as f:

instead of open().read() since file getting closed immediately is not assured. After python 3.2 it will thow a warning.ResourceWarning

this is only development tool, errors are not handled

I will update the tool

rishubhjain · 2018-07-17T09:54:19Z

@aravindavk The document looks good, maybe we can add another heading stating the error received by the user if the auth fails or if proper authentication steps are not followed. It can be a part of another document (capturing all errors and their solutions) as well.

Closes: #1019 Signed-off-by: Aravinda VK <[email protected]>

Madhu-1 · 2018-07-17T13:05:22Z

pkg/tools/glustercli-auth-header.py

+    claims['iat'] = datetime.utcnow()
+    claims['exp'] = datetime.utcnow() + timedelta(seconds=10)
+
+    token = jwt.encode(claims, secret, algorithm='HS256')


This looks fine, To provide more security, we need to add URL tampering protection also
@aravindavk any thoughts on this

in the server side, we need to enable (HTTP method) validation to avoid miss use of the token.

makes sense. Please open new issue for the same.

atinmu · 2018-07-18T06:28:55Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+## Default user
+
+When `glusterd2` starts for the first time, it creates the
+`$GLUSTERD2_STATEDIR/auth` file which will contain the secret. If


Do we document anywhere what GLUSTERD2_STATEDIR path mean? Might be good to point out to a link.

Do we document anywhere what GLUSTERD2_STATEDIR path mean? Might be good to point out to a link

I don't think we have a document about the paths yet. We should do it.

Apart from that, I have a concern about using the GD2 secret by external tools.

The secret is meant to be accessible only by GD2. GD2 should be using this secret to create and handout tokens. Having the clients access the secret is a big security risk. Later in the document, we ask that the secret be copied out externally and have external client generate their own token. This is a serious lapse of security. Because the secret can be passed along to unintended users and those users would have full access to the GD2 cluster.

Ideally, as I mentioned earlier GD2 should be the one generating and handing out tokens. Even for glustercli it would be preferrable that you use token. GD2 should generate a token for CLI and save it to a known place. And we should add a way to generate tokens to GD2 (ReST or CLI to be decided).

Sorry about bringing this up now. I should have been paying attention when the actual PR was being reviewed. I'll open up a new issue about glustercli not using the secret file directly. We can merge this PR without waiting for that, but only if it is modified to address my comments later on.

atinmu · 2018-07-18T06:29:56Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+
+When `glusterd2` starts for the first time, it creates the
+`$GLUSTERD2_STATEDIR/auth` file which will contain the secret. If
+"gluster" user group is available in the system then this `auth` file


Do we mention how to create "gluster" user group?

I don't think we need to do this. This is simple unix knowledge. In any case, if installed from packages, the package should take care of creating the users/groups. I don't think any gluster packages do this yet.

It may be worthwhile to point out this is a unix group interacting with file permissions and not some special gluster thing in that case. The word group and phrase "in that machine" alone may not hint at that strongly enough.

atinmu · 2018-07-18T06:31:17Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+    GLUSTERD2_AUTH_SECRET (environment variable)
+    --secret-file (default path)
+
+## Curl example


Should be under ReST API section?

A link should be added from the ReST API document to this doc.

kshlm · 2018-07-18T09:13:57Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+## Default user
+
+When `glusterd2` starts for the first time, it creates the
+`$GLUSTERD2_STATEDIR/auth` file which will contain the secret. If


Do we document anywhere what GLUSTERD2_STATEDIR path mean? Might be good to point out to a link

I don't think we have a document about the paths yet. We should do it.

Apart from that, I have a concern about using the GD2 secret by external tools.

The secret is meant to be accessible only by GD2. GD2 should be using this secret to create and handout tokens. Having the clients access the secret is a big security risk. Later in the document, we ask that the secret be copied out externally and have external client generate their own token. This is a serious lapse of security. Because the secret can be passed along to unintended users and those users would have full access to the GD2 cluster.

Ideally, as I mentioned earlier GD2 should be the one generating and handing out tokens. Even for glustercli it would be preferrable that you use token. GD2 should generate a token for CLI and save it to a known place. And we should add a way to generate tokens to GD2 (ReST or CLI to be decided).

Sorry about bringing this up now. I should have been paying attention when the actual PR was being reviewed. I'll open up a new issue about glustercli not using the secret file directly. We can merge this PR without waiting for that, but only if it is modified to address my comments later on.

kshlm · 2018-07-18T09:15:25Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+
+When `glusterd2` starts for the first time, it creates the
+`$GLUSTERD2_STATEDIR/auth` file which will contain the secret. If
+"gluster" user group is available in the system then this `auth` file


I don't think we need to do this. This is simple unix knowledge. In any case, if installed from packages, the package should take care of creating the users/groups. I don't think any gluster packages do this yet.

kshlm · 2018-07-18T09:16:42Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+    GLUSTERD2_AUTH_SECRET (environment variable)
+    --secret-file (default path)
+
+## Curl example


A link should be added from the ReST API document to this doc.

kshlm · 2018-07-18T09:32:23Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+
+
+## Using REST APIs from outside the Cluster nodes
+


I'd prefer you remove this section completely for now. Or at least modify such that it doesn't involve copying out the secret file. The glustercli example would need to be completely removed. For the curl example, you should change it so that the python script is used to generate a token on one of peers, and the token is copied over.

makes sense. I updated the same in other comment #1021 (comment)

For the curl example, you should change it so that the python script is used to generate a token on one of peers, and the token is copied over.

We are following shared secret approach. No change required for curl example unless we decide to do shared token approach again.

aravindavk · 2018-07-18T14:07:19Z

I think confusion here is user documentation vs developer documentation. I should convert this as developer documentation since users need not make any change to glustercli arguments if deployment is unchanged.(Like custom localstatedir)

I will remove the last section which talks about the temporary arrangement to use this from outside the cluster. Once user management is implemented then they can use those credentials for making REST calls.

Till the user management is implemented, we can't use these REST APIs from outside the cluster.

aravindavk · 2018-07-18T14:10:48Z

Added comment about Shared token vs Shared secret approach here #1030

aravindavk · 2018-07-18T14:18:19Z

Apart from that, I have a concern about using the GD2 secret by external tools.

This is temporary till the user management is in place. Once we implement user management, only glustercli will use the secret file. Future REST API documentation may looks like,

Create user/app using glustercli useradd <username> which will prompt for secret and creates the user. For example: glustercli useradd webui
Once the user is created, REST APIs can be consumed from any node by authenticating using the credentials specified in previous command. For example, glustercli --user webui --secret-file=~/.gluster/webui.secret peer status. Secret can be specified using --secret, --secret-file, env var etc.

phlogistonjohn · 2018-07-18T21:21:19Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+
+## glustercli
+
+With default installation, `glustercli` will know the location of


Perhaps, "The glustercli command knows the default location of the auth file." would read more clearly.

phlogistonjohn · 2018-07-18T21:22:11Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+
+With default installation, `glustercli` will know the location of
+`auth` file. `glustercli` will generate JWT token using the secret
+available in `auth` file and attach it with every REST API calls.


"every REST API call." or "all REST API calls."

phlogistonjohn · 2018-07-18T21:24:28Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+
+Default installation will not require any change to use `glustercli`.
+
+If `auth` file is in different path(When `glusterd2` is running with


If the auth file is in a different path (for example, when glusterd2 is running with a custom workdir)...

phlogistonjohn · 2018-07-18T21:25:16Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+    glustercli --secret-file=/root/setup1/glusterd2/auth peer status
+
+**Note**: bash alias can be added like `alias glustercli='glustercli
+--secret-file=/root/setup1/glusterd2/auth`


Do you think it might be a little out of place to teach people about bash aliases in the doc?

phlogistonjohn · 2018-07-18T21:26:43Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+    --secret
+    --secret-file
+    GLUSTERD2_AUTH_SECRET (environment variable)
+    --secret-file (default path)


Putting --secret-file here again seems confusing from a user perspective IMO. Just don't mention it and say "default path". It may play into the implementation but I don't think that's relevant to the person reading the doc.

phlogistonjohn · 2018-07-18T21:27:31Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+
+**Note**: Change the path of script and auth file to match your setup.
+
+Thats all, use `gcurl` wherever `curl` is necessory. For example, to start a Volume


necessary not necessory

phlogistonjohn · 2018-07-18T21:30:07Z

doc/rest-authentication.md

+Install `jwt` library using `pip install jwt` or using `dnf install
+python-jwt`. Generate JWT token using,
+
+    import jwt


It might make sense to enclose this block with ````python` esp. if its expected this will be viewed using github/github-style-markdown-renderer.

Madhu-1 · 2018-10-26T05:04:23Z

@aravindavk anything pending on this PR?

Madhu-1 · 2018-12-19T09:36:43Z

@aravindavk ping, can you address review comments and resolve the merge conflict so that we can get this PR in.

aravindavk added the GCS-Sprint2-review-pending label Jul 17, 2018

aravindavk requested review from prashanthpai, sac, rishubhjain and Madhu-1 July 17, 2018 06:48

rishubhjain reviewed Jul 17, 2018

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doc: REST API authentication

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Closes: #1019 Signed-off-by: Aravinda VK <[email protected]>

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kshlm mentioned this pull request Jul 18, 2018

glustercli ReST auth should not use the GD2 secret directly #1030

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rishubhjain mentioned this pull request Aug 10, 2018

Updating quick user guide #1076

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doc: REST API authentication #1021

doc: REST API authentication #1021

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Madhu-1 commented Oct 26, 2018

Madhu-1 commented Dec 19, 2018


		## glustercli

		With default installation, `glustercli` will know the location of


		Default installation will not require any change to use `glustercli`.

		If `auth` file is in different path(When `glusterd2` is running with


		Note: Change the path of script and auth file to match your setup.

		Thats all, use `gcurl` wherever `curl` is necessory. For example, to start a Volume

doc: REST API authentication #1021

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doc: REST API authentication #1021

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aravindavk commented Jul 18, 2018

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Madhu-1 commented Oct 26, 2018

Madhu-1 commented Dec 19, 2018

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