diff --git a/proposals/3419-guest-state-events.md b/proposals/3419-guest-state-events.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..15160455 --- /dev/null +++ b/proposals/3419-guest-state-events.md @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +# Guest State Events + +## Problem + +Currently guest users are not allowed to create arbitrary state events. This is +a problem for [MSC3401](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/3401), +where it would be useful for guests to be able to create `m.call.member` events +in order to participate in a call. + +## Proposal + +Let guests send arbitrary state events much like a normal user. Servers may rate +limit state events from guests much more aggressively to mitigate abuse. + +We also relax the existing requirement that guests are only allowed to send +`m.room.message` events, instead allowing them to send any kind of event +allowed by the room's power level configuration as if they were a normal user. + +## Security considerations + +The only reason that guests are denied from performing certain operations is to +avoid malicious unauthorised users consuming resources and causing a DoS. In +this instance, sending state events can be quite resource intensive, so if we +didn't have a good use case that needed them it'd be right to veto them. + +Also, by default, users (guest or otherwise) can't send state events, which +further reduces the risk of abuse. Instead, a room intended for guest-capable +voice/video rooms as per MSC3401 would explicitly set a powerlevel to let users +send `m.call.member` events. This MSC would simply make it then permissible +for guests to send as well as non-guests, subject to the powerlevels. + +## Alternatives + +Rather than using guest access, apps could use shared secret registration to +work around this limitation. However, that feels like a different MSC.