MSC2290: Separate Endpoints for Threepid Binding

proposals/2229-rebind-existing-3pid.md

@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 # Allowing 3PID Owners to Rebind
 
+## Note: This MSC has been made obselete by MSC2290.
+
+MSC2290 provides two separate API endpoints, one for adding a 3PID to the
+homeserver, and another for binding to an identity server. These new
+endpoints will allow the homeserver to enforce rules on emails that already
+exist on the homeserver, only when modifying homeserver email, while only
+needing to forward requests when binding to an identity server. This removes
+the problem MSC2229 is trying to solve, and it is thus made obselete.
+
+---
+
 ```
 3PID
     noun

proposals/2290-separate-threepid-bind-hs.md

@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+# Separate Endpoints for Binding Threepids
+
+*Note: This MSC obseletes
+[MSC2229](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/2229), which dealt
+with changing the rules of the `bind` flag on [POST
+/account/3pid](https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/r0.5.0#post-matrix-client-r0-account-3pid).
+That endpoint is being deprecated as part of this MSC, thus MSC2229 is no
+longer relevant.*
+
+On the Client Server API there is currently a single endpoint for binding a
+threepid (an email or a phone number): [POST
+/account/3pid](https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/r0.5.0#post-matrix-client-r0-account-3pid).
+Depending on whether the `bind` flag is `true` or `false`, the threepid will
+be bound to either a user's account on the homeserver, or both the homeserver
+and an identity server. Note that we use the term `add` when talking about
+adding a threepid to a homeserver, and `bind` when binding a threepid to an
+identity server. This terminology will be used throughout the rest of this
+proposal.
+
+Typically, when using the `/account/3pid` endpoint, the identity server
+handles the verification -- either by sending an email to an email address,
+or a SMS message to a phone number. Once completed, the homeserver will check
+with the identity server that verification had indeed happened, and if so,
+the threepid would be either added to the homeserver, or added to the
+homeserver and bound to the identity server simultaneously.
+
+Now, consider the fact that the identity server used in this process is
+provided by the user, using the endpoint's `id_server` parameter. If the user were
+to supply a malicious identity server that would immediately answer "yes" to
+any threepid validation, then the user could add any threepid to their
+account on the homeserver (which is likely not something homeserver admins want).
+
+To be clear, this is not a long-standing security issue. It is not a problem
+in any released version of Synapse, as Synapse keeps a list of "trusted
+identity servers" that acts a whitelist for what identity servers a user can
+specify.
+
+The concept of this whitelist is being removed in this MSC however, as part
+of lessening the reliance of homeservers on identity servers. This cannot be
+done while the homeserver is still trusting an identity server for validation
+of threepids. If the endpoints are split, the homeserver will handle the
+validation of threepids being added to user accounts, and identity servers
+will validate threepids being bound to themselves.
+
+## Proposal
+
+To solve this problem, two new endpoints will be added to the Client Server
+API: `POST /account/3pid/bind` and `POST /account/3pid/add`. Both will
+require authentication and be rate-limited. The request parameters of `POST
+/account/3pid/bind` are the same as [POST
+/account/3pid](https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/unstable#post-matrix-client-r0-account-3pid),
+minus the `bind` flag, and the contents of `three_pid_creds` have been
+brought to the top level of the request body. The request parameters of `POST
+/account/3pid/add` will simply consist of a JSON body containing
+`client_secret` and `sid`.
+
+The homeserver should prevent a threepid being added to a user's account if
+it already part of another user's account. However, the homeserver should not
+check for existing threepids when binding to an identity server. Identity
+servers do not enforce this requirement and neither should the proxying
+homeserver.
+
+An example of binding a threepid to an identity server with this new endpoint
+is as follows:
+
+First the client must request the threepid be validated by its chosen identity server.
+
+```
+POST https://identity.server/_matrix/identity/v2/validate/email/requestToken
+
+{
+    "client_secret": "don'tT3ll",
+    "email": "bob@example.com",
+    "send_attempt": 1
+}
+```
+
+Once an email has been sent, the user clicks the link in the email, which
+notifies the identity server that the email has been verified.
+
+Next, the client completes the bind by calling the new endpoint on the homeserver:
+
+```
+POST https://home.server/_matrix/client/r0/account/3pid/bind
+
+{
+    "id_server": "example.org",
+    "id_access_token": "abc123_OpaqueString",
+    "sid": "abc123987",
+    "client_secret": "don'tT3ll"
+}
+```
+
+The homeserver will then make a bind request to the specified identity server
+on behalf of the user. The homeserver will record if the bind was successful
+and notify the user.
+
+The threepid has now been bound on the user's requested identity server
+without causing that threepid to be used for password resets or any other
+homeserver-related functions.
+
+For completeness, here is an example of adding a threepid to the homeserver
+only, using the `/account/3pid/add` endpoint:
+
+The homeserver is validating the threepid in this instance, so the client
+must use the `/requestToken` endpoint of the homeserver:
+
+```
+POST https://home.server/_matrix/client/r0/account/3pid/email/requestToken
+
+{
+    "client_secret": "don'tT3ll",
+    "email": "bob@example.com",
+    "send_attempt": 1,
+}
+```
+
+Once an email has been sent, the user clicks the link in the email, which
+notifies the homeserver that the threepid has been verified.
+
+The client then sends a request to the endpoint on the homeserver to add 
+the threepid to a user's account.
+
+```
+POST https://home.server/_matrix/client/r0/account/3pid/add
+
+{
+    "sid": "abc123987",
+    "client_secret": "don'tT3ll"
+}
+```
+
+The threepid has now been added to the user's account.
+
+To achieve the above flows, some changes need to be made to existing
+endpoints. The `id_server` and `id_access_token` parameters are to be removed
+from the Client-Server API's [POST
+/account/3pid/email/requestToken](https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/unstable#post-matrix-client-r0-account-3pid-email-requesttoken)
+and [POST
+/account/3pid/msisdn/requestToken](https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/unstable#post-matrix-client-r0-account-3pid-msisdn-requesttoken)
+endpoints, as these endpoints are now only intended for the homeserver to
+send validation requests from.
+
+Additionally, the [POST
+/account/3pid](https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/unstable#post-matrix-client-r0-account-3pid)
+endpoint is deprecated as the two new endpoints replace its functionality.
+The `bind` parameter is to be removed, with the endpoint functioning as if
+`bind` was `false`. Allowing an endpoint to add a threepid to both the
+identity server and homeserver at the same time requires one to trust the
+other, which is the exact behaviour we're trying to eliminate. Doing this
+also helps backward compatibility, as explained below.
+
+The text "It is imperative that the homeserver keep a list of trusted
+Identity Servers and only proxies to those that it trusts." is to be removed
+from all parts of the spec, as the homeserver should no longer need to trust
+any identity servers.
+
+## Tradeoffs
+
+One may question why clients don't just contact an identity server directly
+to bind a threepid, bypassing the implications of binding through a
+homeserver. While this will work, binds should still occur through a
+homeserver such that the homeserver can keep track of which binds were made,
+which is important when a user wishes to deactivate their account (and remove
+all of their bindings made on different identity servers).
+
+A verification could occur on an identity server, which could then tell the
+homeserver that a validation happened, but then there are security
+considerations about how to authenticate an identity server in that instance
+(and prevent people pretending to be identity servers and telling homeservers
+about hundreds of fake threepid additions to a user's account).
+
+## Backwards compatibility
+
+Old matrix clients will continue to use the `/account/3pid` endpoint. This
+MSC removes the `bind` parameter and forces `/account/3pid` calls to act as
+if `bind` was set to `false`. Old clients will still be able to add 3pids to
+the homeserver, but not bind to the identity server. New homeservers must
+ignore any `id_server` information passed to this endpoint.
+
+New matrix clients running with old homeservers should try their desired
+endpoint (either `/account/3pid/add` or `/account/3pid/bind`) and on
+receiving a HTTP `404` error code, should either attempt to use
+`/account/3pid` with the `bind` parameter or give up, at their discretion.
+
+## Security considerations
+
+Reducing the homeserver's trust in identity servers should be a boost to
+security and improve decentralisation in the Matrix ecosystem to boot.
+
+Some endpoints of the Client Server API allow a user to provide an
+`id_server` parameter. Caution should be taken for homeserver developers to
+stop using these user-provided identity servers for any sensitive tasks, such
+as password reset or account registration, if it removes the concept of a
+trusted identity server list.