|
|
|
|
# MSC2230: Store Identity Server in Account Data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The URL of the Identity Sever to use is currently specified at registration and
|
|
|
|
|
login time and then used for the lifetime of a login session. If users wish to
|
|
|
|
|
specify a custom one, they must do so each time they log in on every client.
|
|
|
|
|
Once they have chosen an Identity Server to advertise their 3PIDs on, it would
|
|
|
|
|
be normal that they would wish to continue using this Identity Server for all
|
|
|
|
|
Identity requests in their account accross all clients. This proposal aims to
|
|
|
|
|
make this easier.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Proposal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The base URL of the Identity Server is to be stored in user account data. It
|
|
|
|
|
shall be stored in the same format as in a .well-known file under the key,
|
|
|
|
|
`m.identity_server` and shall comprise a single key, `base_url` which is the
|
|
|
|
|
base URL of the ID Server to use (that is, the part before `/_matrix`).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upon registration or login, a client SHOULD refrain from performing any requests
|
|
|
|
|
to the Identity Server until the account data has been fetched from the server.
|
|
|
|
|
Once it has the account data, it SHOULD check for the presence of the
|
|
|
|
|
`m.identity_server` key. If present, the `base_url` in this key SHOULD be used
|
|
|
|
|
as the Identity Server base URL for the duration of the login session. If this
|
|
|
|
|
key is not present, the client SHOULD populate it with the ID Server URL
|
|
|
|
|
that was or would have been used in the login/registration process. This could
|
|
|
|
|
be either from user input, a .well-known lookup, or a default in the client.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Client SHOULD listen for changes in the `m.identity_server` account data value
|
|
|
|
|
and update the URL that they use for ID Server requests accordingly unless
|
|
|
|
|
the login session and choice of ID Server base URL predates this change, in
|
|
|
|
|
which case they SHOULD continue to use the value they are currently using.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clients can offer a way for users to change the ID server being used. If they
|
|
|
|
|
do, the client MUST update the value of `m.identity_server` accordingly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The `m.identity_server` may be present with a value of `null`. In this case,
|
|
|
|
|
clients MUST treat this as no ID Server URL being set and not perform ID
|
|
|
|
|
Server requests, disabling any functionality that requires such requests.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conversely, if a user wishes to disable ID Server functionality, the client
|
|
|
|
|
shall action this by setting the `base_url` of the `m.identity_server`
|
|
|
|
|
account data entry to `null`.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Transition Period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clients currently logged in with a value configured for the ID Server base
|
|
|
|
|
URL SHOULD use the value from `m.identity_server` if it exists or is created,
|
|
|
|
|
but otherwise continue to use the URL they had previously. They MUST NOT
|
|
|
|
|
populate the `m.identity_server` with their current ID Server base URL.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Tradeoffs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are a number of ways to transition to this new scheme. Clients could
|
|
|
|
|
populate the account data with their current ID Server URL as soon as
|
|
|
|
|
possible, and immediately use any new value seen on account data. This
|
|
|
|
|
would a much faster migration but any users with clients using different
|
|
|
|
|
ID Servers would suddenly find all their clients using the ID Server of
|
|
|
|
|
whichever client they updated first.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Potential issues
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Users will no longer be able to have different clients configured with
|
|
|
|
|
different ID Servers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Security considerations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
An attacker would be able to force all a user clients to use a given ID Server
|
|
|
|
|
if they gained control of any of a user's logins.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Conclusion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This makes the ID server an account setting which means it persists between
|
|
|
|
|
logins. The intention would be to phase out clients ever asking for an ID
|
|
|
|
|
Server URL at registration or login: this will be much easier for users to
|
|
|
|
|
understand whilst still retaining the flexibilty for those who want it.
|
