Improved url verification, explicit debug mode

.drone.yml

@@ -14,20 +14,27 @@ steps:
       - /root/.cargo/bin/cargo fmt -- --check
 
   - name: cargo check
-    image: clux/muslrust:1.59.0
+    image: rust:1.61-bullseye
     commands:
-      - cargo check
+      - cargo check --all --all-targets
 
   - name: cargo clippy
-    image: clux/muslrust:1.59.0
+    image: rust:1.61-bullseye
     commands:
       - rustup component add clippy
       - cargo clippy --workspace --tests --all-targets --all-features -- -D warnings -D deprecated -D clippy::perf -D clippy::complexity -D clippy::dbg_macro
       - cargo clippy --workspace -- -D clippy::unwrap_used
 
   - name: cargo test
-    image: clux/muslrust:1.59.0
+    image: rust:1.61-bullseye
     environment:
       RUST_BACKTRACE: 1
     commands:
       - cargo test --workspace --no-fail-fast
+
+  - name: cargo run
+    image: rust:1.61-bullseye
+    environment:
+      RUST_BACKTRACE: 1
+    commands:
+      - cargo run -p activitypub_federation --example federation

examples/federation/instance.rs

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ pub struct Instance {
 impl Instance {
     pub fn new(hostname: String) -> Result<InstanceHandle, Error> {
         let settings = InstanceSettingsBuilder::default()
-            .testing_send_sync(true)
+            .debug(true)
             .worker_count(1)
             .build()?;
         let local_instance =

src/core/activity_queue.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use crate::{
     core::signatures::{sign_request, PublicKey},
+    utils::verify_url_valid,
     Error,
     LocalInstance,
     APUB_JSON_CONTENT_TYPE,
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@ impl SendActivity {
     pub async fn send(self, instance: &LocalInstance) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let activity_queue = &instance.activity_queue;
         for inbox in self.inboxes {
+            if verify_url_valid(&inbox, &instance.settings).is_err() {
+                continue;
+            }
             let message = SendActivityTask {
                 activity_id: self.activity_id.clone(),
                 inbox,
@@ -51,7 +55,7 @@ impl SendActivity {
                 public_key: self.actor_public_key.clone(),
                 private_key: self.actor_private_key.clone(),
             };
-            if instance.settings.testing_send_sync {
+            if instance.settings.debug {
                 let res =
                     do_send(message, &instance.client, instance.settings.request_timeout).await;
                 // Don't fail on error, as we intentionally do some invalid actions in tests, to verify that

src/core/inbox.rs

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::{
     core::{object_id::ObjectId, signatures::verify_signature},
     data::Data,
     traits::{ActivityHandler, ApubObject},
-    utils::verify_domains_match,
+    utils::{verify_domains_match, verify_url_valid},
     Error,
     LocalInstance,
 };
@@ -29,13 +29,11 @@ where
     E: From<anyhow::Error> + From<Error>,
 {
     verify_domains_match(activity.id(), activity.actor())?;
+    verify_url_valid(activity.id(), &local_instance.settings)?;
     if local_instance.is_local_url(activity.id()) {
         return Err(Error::UrlVerificationError("Activity was sent from local instance").into());
     }
 
-    (local_instance.settings.verify_url_function)(activity.id())
-        .map_err(Error::UrlVerificationError)?;
-
     let request_counter = &mut 0;
     let actor = ObjectId::<Actor>::new(activity.actor().clone())
         .dereference::<E>(data, local_instance, request_counter)

src/core/object_id.rs

@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ where
     Kind: ApubObject + Send + 'static,
     for<'de2> <Kind as ApubObject>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de2>,
 {
-    #[allow(clippy::to_string_in_display)]
+    #[allow(clippy::recursive_format_impl)]
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
         // Use to_string here because Url.display is not useful for us
         write!(f, "{}", self.0)

src/lib.rs

@@ -32,10 +32,12 @@ pub struct InstanceSettings {
     /// Number of worker threads for sending outgoing activities
     #[builder(default = "64")]
     worker_count: u64,
-    /// Send outgoing activities synchronously, not in background thread. Helps to make tests
-    /// more consistent, but not recommended for production.
+    /// Run library in debug mode. This allows usage of http and localhost urls. It also sends
+    /// outgoing activities synchronously, not in background thread. This helps to make tests
+    /// more consistent.
+    /// Do not use for production.
     #[builder(default = "false")]
-    testing_send_sync: bool,
+    debug: bool,
     /// Timeout for all HTTP requests. HTTP signatures are valid for 10s, so it makes sense to
     /// use the same as timeout when sending
     #[builder(default = "Duration::from_secs(10)")]

src/utils.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::{Error, LocalInstance, APUB_JSON_CONTENT_TYPE};
+use crate::{Error, InstanceSettings, LocalInstance, APUB_JSON_CONTENT_TYPE};
 use http::StatusCode;
 use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
 use tracing::log::info;
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ pub async fn fetch_object_http<Kind: DeserializeOwned>(
 ) -> Result<Kind, Error> {
     // dont fetch local objects this way
     debug_assert!(url.domain() != Some(&instance.hostname));
+    verify_url_valid(url, &instance.settings)?;
     info!("Fetching remote object {}", url.to_string());
 
     *request_counter += 1;
@@ -49,3 +50,35 @@ pub fn verify_urls_match(a: &Url, b: &Url) -> Result<(), Error> {
     }
     Ok(())
 }
+
+/// Perform some security checks on URLs as mentioned in activitypub spec, and call user-supplied
+/// [`InstanceSettings.verify_url_function`].
+///
+/// https://www.w3.org/TR/activitypub/#security-considerations
+pub fn verify_url_valid(url: &Url, settings: &InstanceSettings) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    match url.scheme() {
+        "https" => {}
+        "http" => {
+            if !settings.debug {
+                return Err(Error::UrlVerificationError(
+                    "Http urls are only allowed in debug mode",
+                ));
+            }
+        }
+        _ => return Err(Error::UrlVerificationError("Invalid url scheme")),
+    };
+
+    if url.domain().is_none() {
+        return Err(Error::UrlVerificationError("Url must have a domain"));
+    }
+
+    if url.domain() == Some("localhost") && !settings.debug {
+        return Err(Error::UrlVerificationError(
+            "Localhost is only allowed in debug mode",
+        ));
+    }
+
+    (settings.verify_url_function)(url).map_err(Error::UrlVerificationError)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}