* agent: make createConnection and setConnShortLink apis support setting all link data fields
* add functions
* refactor
* refactor
* fix tests
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* agent: support client notices
* improve
* fix, test
* rename
* cleanup
* send and process notices in more cases
* dont delete
* dont remove notice on other permanent errors
* dont remove notice if there is no notice ID in queue
* add server to error
* allow deleting
* only use notice if key hash matches
* agent: subscribe all connections
* query, version
* BoolInt
* add query to errors
* Revert "add query to errors"
This reverts commit 32a1f7fe11.
* fix optional field
* version
* limit number of in-flight subscriptions to 35000
* agent: optimize subscriptions memory usage more (do not store subscribed queues in memory) WIP
* use new session subscriptions data
* version
* remove old data structure
* remove version
* batch deletions
* test TSessionSubs
* comment
* smp server: limit by time the queues to export journal messages for
* pass queue/msg thresholds separately
* reset db connection on errors
* Revert "smp server: limit by time the queues to export journal messages for"
This reverts commit d3bc0cba4b.
* fix test compilation
* flag to expire messages
* improve test
* expire messages newer than quota
* smp server: store messages in PostgreSQL
* stored procedures to write and to expire messages
* function to export messages
* move all message functions to PostgreSQL, remove delete trigger
* comments
* import messages to db
* fix message import, add export
* fix export
* fix export
* fix compilation flags
* import messages line by line
* fix server start with database storage
* fix compilation
* comments
* smp server: fix server pages when source code is not specified
* servers: include git commit in version
* flexible alpn
* fix test
* fix ghc 8.10.7 build
* servers: prohibit changing role during control port session
* quota for blocked queues
* allow disabling blocking and quota
* fix test
* fix INI file
* smp protocol: create notification credentials via NEW command that creates the queue
* create ntf subscription for queues created with ntf credetials
* do not create ntf credentials when switching connection to another queue
* smp server: refactor subscriptions and delivery
* metric for time between MSG and ACK
* cleanup
* refactor pattern match for ghc 8.10.7
* time buckets
* split max time metric
* histogram
* fix
* agent: fix message delivery in case one of the connections has no snd queue for any reason - it could break delivery to all connections
* simplify
* comment
* refactor, also postpone failing on ratchet sync send prohibited errors
* postpone failing on connection errors to allow subsequent connections succeed
* don't exclude postgres modules for client_library flag
* fix build with client and server postgres flag
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* time buckets
* split max time metric
* histogram
* histogram for confirmed delivery times
* gaugehistogram
* fix created, _ in gauge_histogram
* remove comments
* fix metrics
* protocol: refactor types and encoding
* clean
* smp server: batch commands (#1560)
* smp server: batch commands verification into one DB transaction
* ghc 8.10.7
* flatten transmission tuples
* diff
* only use batch logic if there is more than one transmission
* func
* reset NTF service when adding notifier
* version
* Revert "smp server: use separate database pool for reading queues and creating service records (#1561)"
This reverts commit 3df2425162.
* version
* Revert "version"
This reverts commit d80a6b74c5.
* agent: use PQ keys in contact request data inside link container (but not in contact request link); use PQ keys in invitations sent to contact addresses
* do not use PQ keys in the link with old address versions
* log alpn
* always use HTTP when SNI is sent, regardless of ALPN
* decide credential based on SNI
* do not use web port in SMP/Ntf servers connecting to SMP servers
* simpler
* refactor
* fix
* rfc: client certificates for high volume clients (opertors' chat relays, notification servers, service bots)
* client certificates types (WIP)
* parameterize Transport
* protocol/schema/api changes
* agent API
* rename command
* agent subscriptions return local ClientServiceId to chat
* verify transmissions
* fix receiving client certificates, refactor
* ntf server: remove shared queue for all notification subscriptions (#1543)
* ntf server: remove shared queue for all notification subscriptions
* wait for subscriber with timeout
* safer
* refactor
* log
* remove unused
* WIP service subscriptions and associations, refactor
* process service subscriptions
* rename
* simplify switching subscriptions
* SMP service handshake with additional server handshake response
* notification delivery and STM persistence for services
* smp server: database storage, store log, fix encoding for STORE error, replace String with Text in locks and error
* stats
* more stats
* rename SMP commands
* service subscriptions in ntf server agent (tests fail)
* fix
* refactor
* exports
* subscribe ntf server as service for associated queues
* test ntf service connection, fix SOKS response, fix service associations not removed in STM storage
* INI option to support services
* ntf server: downgrade subscriptions when service is no longer supported, track counts of subscribed queues
* smp protocol: include service certificate fingerprint in the string signed over with entity key (TODO two tests fail)
* fix test
* ntf server prometheus stats, use Int64 in SOKS/ENDS responses (to avoid conversions), additional error status for ntf subscription
* update RFC
* refactor useServiceAuth to avoid ad hoc decisions about which commands use service signatures, and to prohibit service signatures on other commands
* remove duplicate service signature syntax check from checkCredentials, it is checked in verifyTransmission
* service errors, todos
* fix checkCredentials in ntf server, service errors
* refactor service auth
* refactor
* service agent: store returned queue count instead of expected
* refactor serverThread
* refactor serviceSig
* rename
* refactor, rename, test repeat NSUB service association
* respond with error to SUBS
* smp server: export/import service records between database and store log
* comment
* comments
* ghc 8.10.7
* agent: setInvitationShortLink api
* Eq instance
* allow changing link data on server, refactor
* fix
* encodings
* remove link data after connection
* Revert "encodings"
This reverts commit f8e254cca9.
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* parameterize transport by peer type (client/server)
* LogDebug level when test is retried
* support "flipped" HTTP2, fix test retry to avoid retrying pending tests
* move sync to the end of the tests
* agent: return error and message absence differently when getting notification messages
* fix test
* mapM
* inline nse functions, release lock on error or no message
* agent: handle cases when last message ts is not set for notifications; set last ts for "stale" notifications when messages expired and queue is empty, to prevent repeated processing
* only log errors if they exist
* only set last ts for queue that delivered notification
* ntf server, agent: send all periodic notifications from one thread, only to old active clients or new clients with periodic notification mode
* send different type via subscription queues
* option to compact store log on start
* ntf server: skip duplicates when importing tokens and subscriptions
* skip imported last notifications when no token or subscription present
* fix skipped imported notifications count
* all tests
* fix test
* ntf server: allow retries when creating subscriptions, prohibit subscriptions with the same queue but another notifier key or token
* sync files in the test
* refactor
* agent: option to use web port by default for preset servers only
* shorten/restore short links in agent, add encodings for SMP web port setting
* decouple preset domains from preset servers for short links
* refactor, rename
* smp server: short links and owners for channels
* types
* support mutliple rcv keys
* fix down migration, test/create server schema dump
* reduce schema dump
* parameterize type for link data by connection type
* return full connection link data
* test version
* change short link encoding
* test: print pg_dump output
* server pages, link encoding
* fix connection request when queue data and sender ID are created for old servers
* test, change pattern
* ci: install postgresql tools in runner (#1507)
* ci: install postgresql tools in runner
* ci: docker shell abort on error
* fix pattern for ghc 8.10.7
* patch ConnReqUriData SMP encoding to preserve queue mode after decoding
* test for RKEY
* fix/test store log with RKEY
---------
Co-authored-by: sh <37271604+shumvgolove@users.noreply.github.com>
* agent: padded encryption for link data, tests
* lambda
* test short links via proxy
* tests: server persistence with short links
* rfc: group links
* shorten, restore, test short links encoding
* rfc
* agent: join connection when 1-time invitation short link is already secured
* do not pass short link to join
* delete short link record after connection
* smp server: remove locks for deleted queues, additional statistics for objects in memory
* version
* reduce queue cache usage
* less caching, refactor
* comments
* revert version
* smp protocol: short links types and other changes from RFC
* add fields for queue link ID and data
* create queue and ntf credentials with NEW command
* all tests
* simplfiy types, update rfc
* update rfc
* include SenderId in NEW request in case queue data is sent
* store queue data and generate link ID if needed
* update rfc
* agent API and types
* SMP commands and persistence for short links
* SMP client functions for short links
* agent client functions for short links
* create rcv queue with short link (TODO secret_box)
* encryption and encoding for link data, postgres client migration
* test creating short link
* get link and data, tests
* comments
* type signature
* smp server: use COPY to import store log to postgres db
* compact queues when importing to postgres
* mempty
* version
* handle errors while expiring, mask async exceptions while getting queue
* whitespace
* version
* smp server: split postgres support to a separate executable, to not require postgres library in the main binary
* comments
* enable server_postgres flag by default, add CPP option to test
* refactor
* change default for server_postgres to False
* diff
* smp server: expire only active queues
* version
* do not cache all queues while processing expirations
* refactor
* foldWithOptions_
* version
* use shared lock when expiring all queues
* use TMVar
* comment
* rename
* remove fold options
* do not create locks in the Map for temporarily loaded queues
* fix
* revert version
* smp server: optionally maintain store log with postgres storage (without loading and compacting, for debugging during migration)
* refactor
* remove comment
* smp server: queue store typeclass
* parameterize JournalMsgStore
* typeclass for queue store
* postgres WIP
* compiles, passes tests
* remove StoreType
* split migrations
* progress
* addQueueRec
* reduce type spaghetti
* remove addQueue from typeclass definition
* getQueue
* test postgres storage in SMP server
* fix schema
* comment
* import queues to postgresql
* import queues to postgresql
* log
* fix test
* counts
* ci: test smp server with postgres backend (#1463)
* ci: test smp server with postgres backend
* postgres service
* attempt
* attempt
* empty
* empty
* PGHOST attempt
* PGHOST + softlink attempt
* only softlink attempt
* working attempt (PGHOST)
* remove env var
* empty
* do not start server without DB schema, do not import when schema exists
* export database
* enable all tests, disable two tests
* option for migration confirmation
* comments
---------
Co-authored-by: spaced4ndy <8711996+spaced4ndy@users.noreply.github.com>
* smp server: remove empty journals when opening message queue
* update, do not backup state
* test
* version
* do not close queue state when queue is opened for writing
* comment
* quota = 4
* refactor openMsgQueue to prevent extra state backups
* use interval in config
* version, expire backups after 5 min
* refactor
* test
* agent: store shared message body only once (when it is the same across messages when batching)
* rename
* refactor
* refactor
* save bodies and messages in single transaction
* comment
* comment
* comment
* box
* mapME
* box
* ValueOrRef
* remove instances
* refactor
* comments
* test
* refactor
* mapAccumLM compatibility with ghc 8.10.7
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* agent: save message body once (plan, schema)
* split
* new type
* bs
* encrypt on delivery
* schema
* fix test
* check pad size
* rename
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* ntf server: record token invalidation reason, add date of the last token activity
* update time
* rename
* optional
* include token ID in delivery error
* version
* protocol version
* fix, log error
* xftp server: use recipient ID in control port to delete and block files
* cap smp proxy agent version at 10
* version
* fix prometheus
* fix
* remove old version support
* log connection parameter on error
* tests
* log sent command tag
* log error and client version
* cap proxy version for previous destination server
* comment, test
* remove logging tag
* remove logs
* version
* SMP version 14
* version
* remove comments
* version
* servers: blocking records for content moderation
* update
* encode BLOCKED as AUTH in old versions
* update
* unblock queue command
* test, status command
* server: support server roles and operators
* make server operator optional
* allRoles
* fix test
* different server host in tests
* remove ServerCfg fields used only in UI
* comments
* choose different server for invitation when connecting via address
* fix test in ghc8107
* simplify
* smp server: do not open/read journal message queues that are known to be empty
* cleanup
* version
* close empty queues on first subscription
* revert version
* smp server: combine queue and message store into one class (WIP)
* keep deleted queue tombstones to prevent race conditions and errors when restoring
* move store log from server to store implementations
* STMQueueStore type class
* fix store closed when messages expired, handle store writing errors
* types
* version
* fix recovery from missing write journal, tests
* version
* ntf: get messages for multiple last notifications (#1352)
* ntf: separate get ntf conns api (#1379)
* ntf: separate get ntf conns api
* nonempty
* update
* update
* remove single get api
* fix test
* refactor
* refactor
* ntf: batch get connections (#1387)
* ntf: batch get apis
* works
* fix
* fix
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* smp server: fixed logging format for journal store errors
* version
* colon
* logs
* refactor
* space
* remove comment
* log file name in fixFileSize
* logError
* stricter
* process all queues more efficiently
* use monoid for queue processing
* expire messages concurrently
* concurrently 2
* Revert "concurrently 2"
This reverts commit c1aee1f22c.
* Revert "expire messages concurrently"
This reverts commit fc53137cdb.
* show queue directory or ID in errors
* foldM
* mask_
* try
* mask more
* refactor
* command to delete journal
* uninterruptibleMask_ when writing to state file
* fix ghc8.10.7
* version
* revert version
* smp server: journal store queue state validation
* validate state on update, refactor
* handle message parsing errors
* typo
* fix test, throw exception when file is smaller than expected
* fix
* fix test in ghc 8.10.7
* core: updated journal store API
* parameterize JournalState by read/write type
* collect stats when importing/expiring
* compare stored stats and store for messages and notifications
* simplify
* smp server: remove STM function from MsgStore
* polymorphic MsgStore
* jourmal storage for messages (WIP)
* more journal, test setup
* writeMsg
* test
* tryDelMsg
* delMsgQueue
* remove MsgStoreClass instance of existential wrapper for Msg stores
* store config
* extract common logic out of store instances
* add store type to config
* open journals, cache last message, tests pass
* CLI commands
* refactor import/export messages
* cli commands to import/export journal message store
* export journal without draining, import/export tests
* journal command
* import/export progress
* better progress info
* only log queue state once when importing
* logs
* handle IO errors in journal store, return as STORE error
* recover from state file errors
* fix message files after crash
* fix messages folder
* .401
* stats for undelivered notifications
* logs, stats
* control port show ntf client IDs
* check that Ntf client is still current and that queue is not full, drop notifications otherwise
* prevent losing notifications when client is not current or queue full
* add log when no notifications, remove some logs
* reduce STM transaction
* revert version change
* smp server: pass server information via CLI during server initialization
* more info
* enable client expiration by default, disable port 8000
* update
* ntf server: control port
* version .405
* control
* use own_server_domains from INI file
* fix subs by server in control port
* bigger queues
* ntf server: only print subscriptions per own server when they are > 0
* fix tests
* revert version change
* dont import listThreads in ghc 8.10.7
* smp-server: Allow serving HTTPS and transport on the same port
* update rfc
* servers: refactor TLS credentials
* provide server credentials in SNI hook
* determine TLS server params dynamically, when starting the server
* remove alpn from TransportServerConfig to decide it dynamically where server is started
* diff
* combine HTTP and SMP on the shared port
* Update to SockAddr
* Fix params and web.https parser
* Switch fork urls
* WIP: add smpServerTestStatic test
* Update warp-tls repo
* shared connection tests
* cleanup
* Add protocol tests
* rename cert file, enable both ports and web by default
* terminate with message on missing credentials
* test cert file
* client option to use port 443 as default SMP port
* use SNI in non-SMP clients
* supported
* remove TODO
* advice
* fix test build
* Add RSA-4096 check for web creds, fix test
* Remove directory listing from static app
* message
* messages
* update log tests
---------
Co-authored-by: IC Rainbow <aenor.realm@gmail.com>
* servers: refactor TLS credentials
* provide server credentials in SNI hook
* determine TLS server params dynamically, when starting the server
* remove alpn from TransportServerConfig to decide it dynamically where server is started
* agent: transport isolation mode "Session" (default) to use new SOCKS credentials when client restarts or SOCKS proxy configuration changes
* fix test
* agent: support socks proxy without isolate-by-auth, with and without credentials
* add unit tests
* make xftp use correct SOCKS credentials
* rename
* support ipv6 in brackets, test parsing
* constant
* textToHostMode
* space
* agent: don't prohibit deletion of notifications token if different is passed (fixes turning notifications off after importing database)
* ignore error
* notify
* smp protocol: send DELD when subscribed queue is deleted
* fix, test
* refactor
* send DELD event only if the client supports it (version 10); send END otherwise
* fix test
* notify on notifier rotation
* increase test delays
* smp server: add created/updated/used date to queues to manage expiration, all: make Map updates strict in value
* remove strict
* remove time precision
* diff
* style
* only update when time changed
* smp server: fewer map updates on re-subscriptions
* temp version
* replace Client with ClientId in queues
* version
* version
* comments
* reduce threads when sending ENDs
* revert version
* put DRG state to IORef, split STM transaction of sending notification (#1288)
* put DRG state to IORef, split STM transaction of sending notification
* remove comment
* remove comment
* add comment
* revert version
* newtype for server entity IDs, fix TRcvQueues
* Revert "put DRG state to IORef, split STM transaction of sending notification (#1288)"
This reverts commit 517933d189.
* logServer
* put DRG state to IORef, split STM transaction of sending notification (#1288)
* put DRG state to IORef, split STM transaction of sending notification
* remove comment
* remove comment
* add comment
* revert version
* smp server: get message queue faster, avoiding STM contention if queue exists
* IORef for counter
* Revert "put DRG state to IORef, split STM transaction of sending notification (#1288)"
This reverts commit 517933d189.
* version
* remove IORef
* split notification delivery transations
* revert version
* agent: support new connection user id update
* another way for assertion
* add more tests to setConnUserId
* remove fdescribes
* allow rcv connection to change user id
* add functional test to api
* remove fdescribe
* refactor
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* agent: use weak ThreadId and forkIO in workers instead of async (reduce memory)
* agent: do not start and exit delivery workers when there are no messages to deliver (#1264)
* agent: exit delivery workers when no messages to deliver
* only start delivery workers when there are pending messages
* fix
* focus test
* enable all tests
* lift
* do not exit workers when there is no work
* agent: retry loop that resumes subscriptions as soon as agent is moved to foreground, suspend retry loops while agent is suspended
* reset retry enterval when moving to foreground
* account for network state too
* simplify
* typo
* simplify
* ntf server: only mark subscriptions as pending if the disconnected client is current
* add sessionId to subscribed queue
* add sessionId to subscriptions in ntf server agent
* fix
* agent: fix possible dead lock between sending and receiving messages, stress test for message delivery
* deliver events after the lock is released
* delayed delivery in command processing too
* tests: increase message expiration time
* rfc: faster handshake protocol
* update
* 1 message
* SKEY
* use SKEY for both parties
* test
* update doc
* NEW command parameter
* add k=s param to queue URI
* fix
* add sndSecure field to queues
* make sender key non-optional in SndQueue (WIP, tests fail)
* fast handshake sometimes works (many tests fail)
* correctly handle SKEY retries, avoiding to re-generate the keys
* handle SKEY retries during async connection
* fix most tests (1 test fails)
* remove do
* fix contact requests encoding/tests
* export
* fix: ignore duplicate confirmations, fixes testBatchedPendingMessages
* do not store sndSecure in store log if it is false to allow server downgrade
* add connection invitation encoding tests
* agent: report correct errors from xftp handshake so they are treated as temporary
* disable slow servers test
* remove comments
* all tests
* remove duplicate functions
* agent: report correct errors from xftp handshake so they are treated as temporary
* disable slow servers test
* remove comments
* all tests
* remove duplicate functions
* SMP server information
* fix tests
* country codes
* smp-server: serve contact and link pages from static files (#1084)
* smp-server: serve contact and link pages from static files
* generate index
* use params from ini
* render using ServerInformation
* tweak templates
* update
* fix some html
* smp-server: fix layout (#1097)
* smp-server: fix layout
* port fixes to link page
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
* update server information page
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
Co-authored-by: M. Sarmad Qadeer <MSarmadQadeer@gmail.com>
* update server info
* web: improve server info page design (#1166)
* web: improve server info page design
* web: fix font errors & some tags
* web: improve contact & invitation page layout and header
* update
* remove unused files/css
* cleanup
* fix link page
* remove unused font links
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* show contact address as is
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: M. Sarmad Qadeer <MSarmadQadeer@gmail.com>
* smp: put client proxy command processing threads under a shared semaphore
* add LIMITS.max_proc_threads to server config
* rename to PROXY.client_concurrency
* retry on strictly greater than max concurrency
* set default to 16
* rename
* fix limit
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* agent: aggregate multiple expired subscription responses into a single UP event
* clean up
* refactor processing of expired responses
* refactor
* refactor 2
* refactor unexpectedResponse
* smp: use session vars for reconnecting small agent
* process errors
* split session and protocol functions
* add active flag to agent
* actually invoke agent shutdown
* close proxy agent too
* restore stopping ntf subscribers
* agent: do not mark subscriptions on expired sessions as active, do mark delayed subscriptions as active on the same session, SUBOK response in the next SMP protocol version
* client: prevent sub actions from zombie sessions (#1122)
* client: prevent sub actions from zombie sessions
* error handling
* add AERR to pass background errors to client
* switch to activeClientSession
* put closeClient under activeClientSession
* rename
* remove AERR, do not skip processing
* move check and state update to one transaction
* catch extra UPs
* fix
* check queue is still pending before making it active
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* do not forward agent error
* revert not expiring sending subs
* fixes
* track subscription responses better
* add pending connection
* Revert "revert not expiring sending subs"
This reverts commit 4310a69391.
* do not expire sending commands
* rename
* fix race
* function
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
* proxy: negotiate client-relay version, include it in PFWD commands and in encrypted forwarded transmissions
* rename
* inline
* comment
* use correct server version when encoding forwarded commands
* proxy: include delivery path in SENT event
* send MWARN event to user on server version or host more errors
* Revert "proxy: include delivery path in SENT event"
This reverts commit 5c476718ec.
* transport: reduce ping traffic
* make pings opt-in, enable automatically with SUB commands
* fix reduced delays
* enable pings on MSG too
* rename pingErrorCount
* check timeout counter even when not sending pings
* clean up
* reset timeout error count on any event
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* SMP proxy: low level client and server implementation
* SMP proxy: server implementation (#1098)
* wip
* PRXY command
* progress
* SMP Proxy: client-level implementation (#1101)
* buildable
* encode messages
* update pkey
* fix queue types
* wrap SEND in proxy lookup
* WIP proxy client
* WIP
* post-rebase fixes
* encode something with something
* cleanup
* update
* fix nonce/corrId in batchingTests
* WIP: dig into createSMPProxySession
* agent
* test progress
* pass the test
* parameterize transport handle with transport peer to include server certificate (#1100)
* parameterize transport handle with transport peer to include server certificate
* include server certificate into THandle
* load server chain and sign key
* fix key type
* fix for 8.10
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: IC Rainbow <aenor.realm@gmail.com>
* cleanup
* add 2-server test
* remove subsumed test
* checkCredentials for BrokerMsg
* skip batching tests
* remove userId param
* remove agent changes
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
* remove unused type
* icrease test timeout
* reduce transport block
* envelope sizes
* don't fork unless have proxied commands to process
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: IC Rainbow <aenor.realm@gmail.com>
* parameterize transport handle with transport peer to include server certificate
* include server certificate into THandle
* load server chain and sign key
* fix key type
* fix for 8.10
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: IC Rainbow <aenor.realm@gmail.com>
* parameterize transport handle with transport peer to include server certificate
* include server certificate into THandle
* load server chain and sign key
* fix key type
* fix for 8.10
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: IC Rainbow <aenor.realm@gmail.com>
* test with failing files (in progress)
* print
* add replica uploading state
* Revert "add replica uploading state"
This reverts commit 7068213aa6.
* <=
* fix
* prints
* test no redundancy
* all tests no redundancy
* revert delay
* refactor
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: spaced4ndy <8711996+spaced4ndy@users.noreply.github.com>
* log control port commands
* auth
* add auth to xftp, config and commands
* log missing auth
* put smp save under auth
* corrections
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* convert compress to a wrapper with passthrough fallback
* add compress1 for non-batched compression
* use original size as upper bound for scratch
* refactor
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* envelope sizes dependent on PQ encryption (WIP)
* add "supported" flag to ratchets, update this flag on ratchet resync
* change connection PQ status on sendMessage
* comment, fix
* refactor
* fix agent performance leak when re-connecting clients, optimize SMP server
* let the clients remove themselves from their clientvars
* fix another test
* do not call removeSubs when AgentClient is not active
* revert some changes
* revert more, refactor
* comment
* rename
* refactor
* refactor
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
* smp: command authorization
* fix encoding, most tests
* remove old tests
* authorize via crypto_box
* extract authenticator to Crypto module
* make TransmissionAuth Maybe
* rfc
* support authenticators in NTF protocol, test matrix (no backwards compatibility yet from new clients to old servers)
* fix/add tests, add version config to "small" agent
* separate client and server versions for SMP protocol
* test batching SMP v7
* do not send session ID in each transmission
* refactor auth verification in the server, split tests
* server "warm up" fixes timing test
* uncomment SUB timing test
* comments, disable two timing tests
* rename version
* increase auth timing test failure threshold
* use different algorithms to authorize snd/rcv commands, use random correlation ID
* transport: fetch and store server certificate (#985)
* THandleParams (WIP, does not compile)
* transport: fetch and store server certificate
* smp: add getOnlinePubKey example to smpClientHandshake
* add server certs and sign authPub
* cleanup
* update
* style
* load server certs from test fixtures
* sign ntf authPubKey
* fix onServerCertificate
* increase delay before sending messages
* require certificate with key in SMP server handshake
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* remove dhSecret from THandle
* remove v8, merge all changes to one version
* parameterize THandle
* rfc: transmission ecnryption
* Revert "parameterize THandle"
This reverts commit 75adfc94fb.
* use batch syntax for ntf server commands
* separate encodeTransmission when there is no key
* typo
Co-authored-by: spaced4ndy <8711996+spaced4ndy@users.noreply.github.com>
* rename
* diff
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: spaced4ndy <8711996+spaced4ndy@users.noreply.github.com>
* xftp: add URI encoding for FileDescription
* tweak URI
* allow smaller blocks
* draft xftpReceiveFileFollow' and xftpSendFilePublic'
* add sending with redirect
* allow 64k chunks
* add migrations with redirect fields
* add test case
* fix deadlock
* revert CLI code
* WIP: working send/receive via URI
* fix field ambiguity
* cleanup
* update agent db schema
* update minimal chunk size
* add rfc
* apply suggestions from code review
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* add createRcvFileRedirect
* extract Simplex.Messaging.ServiceScheme and reuse for files
* update db schema
* check size/digest on receive complete
* cleanup
* use SIZE/DIGEST errors for redirects too
* split digest/size errors from redirect checks
* fix redirect error encoding
* rename RedirectMeta to RedirectFileInfo
* use query encoding for file URI
* group maybe fields under RcvFileRedirect
* add extras field
* update rfc
* add extras encoding and no-redirect tests
* fix toStrict for old ghc
* extra client data in file descr URI
* remove decoded yaml file
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* smp-server: add gen-online CLI command
* use CN and algo from old certificate
* add cert checks to test
* rename command
* fix test
* cert
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <evgeny@poberezkin.com>
* tests: add ntf case with multiple Ntf servers
* simplify test
* fix for master
* add server switch test
* add server switch test
* add message test for ntf server switch
* smp-server: check queue balance in stats vs store
* smp-server: add msgExpired stats
* add msgExpired stats
* split expire/stats transactions
* count and pass msgExpired explicitly
* save/load qCount and use it for checking store
* xftp: test file reception - shouldn't get stuck if file is deleted on server
* comment
* expiration test
* approach
* wip
* sort by retries in other works, revert some diff
* revert diff
* modify tests
* refactor
* refactor
* remove prints
* apply to other workers
* remove import
* comment
* refactor
* revert queue size
* fix test
* rename
* comment, correct number of retries
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* control: add delete command
* logDeleteQueue only when found
* use default StrEncoding for CPDelete arg
* move stats update from main transaction
* use size
* stabilize AUTH timing tests
* more iterations
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* agent: mark work items failed (WIP)
* add tests, created_at
* getWorkItem for snd and rcv files
* fix
* tests
* fix
* tests
* test
* tests
* rename
* fix,refactor
* add indexes
* update schema
* do not try to get more work when resuming an existing worker
---------
Co-authored-by: spaced4ndy <8711996+spaced4ndy@users.noreply.github.com>
* agent: notify about polled message processing (for iOS notifications)
* optionally keep key and support re-opening database
* exports
* test that cannot reopen when created with keepKey: false
* set max number of messages to receive for a notification to 3
* Revert "raise mtl version to 2.3.1 (#912)"
This reverts commit 117168ccce.
* Revert "expand dependency ranges (#911)"
This reverts commit 90a8fc91d3.
* fix test
* remove unnecessary forks
* make text version dependent on GHC version
* text
* remove stack.yaml
* bytestring
* bytestring
* hpack 0.35
* mtl
* add sntrup761 source
* it compiles
* Wrap bindings in non-FFI types
Test passes with a dummy RNG.
* pass ChaChaDRG via FunPtr
* Add iOS smoke test at createAgentStore
* style
* add "ssl" library dep
Attempt to fix missing _SHA512 symbol on macos.
* remove sha512 wrapper and use openssl directly
* restore names, remove dummy RNG
* Revert "remove sha512 wrapper and use openssl directly"
This reverts commit f9f7781f09.
* restore code from RFC
* shorter names
* enable all tests
* remove run test
---------
Co-authored-by: IC Rainbow <aenor.realm@gmail.com>
* Cut transport server to allow custom tcp servers
Allows socket inspection before wrapping up in a transport/prototocol.
* rename
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* Add X509 cert and TLS credentials generator
* Expand Crypto toolkit and rewrite tls credentials with it
* Exclude X keys from SignatureAlgorithmX509 and TLS.PrivKey
* Add helpers for DB marshalling and fingerprints
* Derive public key from private
* remove module name from selectors
* Remove StrEncoding (PrivateKey Ed25519)
* remove comment
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* Split HTTP2 server and client setup
For attaching to an existing TLS session.
* Add genTlsCredentials
* Allow chain construction from separate credentials
So the CA may be stored and leaf ephemeral.
* Rewrap X509 fingerprint into simplex KeyHash used in transport
* Fix docstring
* Remove TLS.Credentials generator
* Trace auto-subs flag
* Replace Bools with SubscriptionMode
* Handle SMOnlyCreate
* Wire remaining todos
* Update tests and fix
* Bump protocol level
* Apply suggestions from code review
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* Scrub needs_sub from agent DB
* Scrub a few more needSubs from the agent api
* change API, fix test
* agent: do not subscribe to queue when creating reply queue
* fix encoding
* WIP: SMOnlyCreate test
* Add SM guard for confirmQueue
Allows the test case to pump the allowConnection
reply without getting PROHIBITED.
* Remove tracing
* add noMessages, remove unnecessary getConnectionMessage from test
* add sending messages to the test
---------
Co-authored-by: IC Rainbow <aenor.realm@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
* server: add control port commands for clients and ghc threads (#835)
* Add stats-rts control query
With supporting ghc-options that would provide the data.
* Add CPSkip command
Allows spamming empty lines a few times to clean up the view.
* server: Add CP commands to enumerate clients and threads
* style
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* use base64 encoding for session ID
* fromMaybe
* whitespace
---------
Co-authored-by: Alexander Bondarenko <486682+dpwiz@users.noreply.github.com>
* Add env lookups for smp server paths
Allows running smp-server without touching system paths.
Can be helpful for running multiple instances.
* allow empty env var values
* diff
* fix
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* agent: catch IO errors correctly in MonadError
* correction
* correction
* utils
* agentFinally to catch IO exceptions in ExceptT
* rename
* remove, inline
* rename utils
* utils unit test
* test to show catch and finally problems
* tryAllErrors
* enable all tests
* make timeouts for batched functions dependent on the number of batches
* fix
* refactor
* refactor
* change import
* refactor
* rename function
* rename
* refactor
* remove space
* ntf server: better batching and logging
* reduce batch delay for ntf server
* comments
* 5.1.3, ntf 1.4.2
* more logging
* more logging
* split large batches, more logging
* remove some logs
* docker entrypoint: DRY store log backup
Don't Repeat Yourself
Set a variable for the full path to the source file.
Create the backup path by appending an extension from `date` output.
Also fixed quoting and switched to an `if` block.
Clean up block level variables.
* docker entrypoint: use ISO 8601 format
The previous format discards information about the local time zone.
* docker entrypoint: always use UTC
Now the format always ends in +00:00, and we can ignore that part again.
* docker entrypoint: provide the date format again
* docker entrypoint: remove time zone from the date format
* docker entrypoint: use an unambiguous date format
Present a leading zero before the month:
YYYY-0MM-DD
Both YYYY-MM-DD and YYYY-DD-MM are used by people and can be confusing in the beginning of the month.
* docker entrypoint: use appropriate quoting
Without avoiding field splitting a password containing a space changes the number of arguments being set.
* docker entrypoint: use explicit braces for custom variables
Make the intentions clear and don't assume the user knows the special cases for when variables won't be extended.
Example:
word=animal
words=mistake
echo "$words vs $word vs ${word}s"
* docker entrypoint-xftp-server: braces and quoting
* docker entrypoint-xftp-server: backup block
* docker entrypoints: explain date format in a comment
* switched from long to short option to date for POSIX
* docker entrypoint-smp-server: explain date format
* docker entrypoint-xftp-server: explain date format
* docker entrypoints: further explain format
I fixed the case to match the date format letters.
Also, use words to explain since I don't want everyone to need to read about date formats to understand.
* docker entrypoints: only quote letters
I was either going to quote the dashes too or stop quoting the colons.
Having less quotes was more readable.
* Revert "docker entrypoint: use an unambiguous date format"
This reverts commit ba2a93bad9.
* docker entrypoints: remove %F
* docker entrypoint-smp-server: remove %F
Used part of the explicit ISO 8601 format,
provided by the coreutils date invocation guide.
* docker entrypoint-xftp-server: remove %F
Used part of the explicit ISO 8601 format,
provided by the coreutils date invocation guide.
* Add GH Actions workflow to build and push Docker image on release
* Use a matrix to support building other applications
* Rename application from simplexmq to smp-server
* Remove linux/386 platform
* Remove linux/arm64 platform
* xftp: agent API to set and test servers
* ProtocolTestStep
* update agent API for XFTP servers
* ci: update ubuntu versions
* disable test hanging on ubuntu
* ci: disable 2 tests on linux only, switch to ubuntu 20 and 22
* fix platform name
* keep ubuntu 22 binaries
* Revert "keep ubuntu 22 binaries"
This reverts commit a1bbb12870.
* skip 1 more test
* skip 1 more test
* log os
* log os
* unconditionally skip test
* skip 1 more test in CI
* fix tests
* add llvm to build stage
running docker build on Apple Sillicon would result in this error:
#14 49.39 <no location info>: error:
#14 49.39 Warning: Couldn't figure out LLVM version!
#14 49.39 Make sure you have installed LLVM between [9 and 13)
I assume it can’t find llvm/clang?
* install using unattended helper script
the current haskell is hardcoded to x86, so switch to using haskell’s official helper script which supports arm
also need to bump up setting the path, since ghcup is no longer in /usr/bin
reference: https://www.haskell.org/ghcup/guide/#continuous-integration
* add numa headers/libs
docker build (specifically haskell install step) would fail with :
#7 107.2 utils/ghc-cabal/dist-install/build/tmp/ghc-cabal: error while loading shared libraries: libnuma.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
I think this is because numa isn’t installed on arm instances of focal by default, but it is in later versions
anyway this fixes that
* also add numa to final
The image builds at this point! But it fails to boot on arm - again with a numa error.
This fixes that.
* don’t specify llvm version
---------
Co-authored-by: +shyfire131 <shyfire131@shyfire131.net>
- chunk download doesn't loop on permanent errors
- decryption errors are considered permanent - local worker doesn't retry
- update replica retries; to do - consider use for this field, or remove it
- rcv file Error status - to prevent repeat reads of chunks for download, files for decryption; also plan to use it for filtering on cleanup
- error string saved in separate field for debugging (not part of status type)
- agent event for rcv file errors
Noticed that the environment variables for SMP server when using Docker were improperly quoted, so I corrected them.
This will fix an issue with server address being displayed incorrectly in the CLI when viewing init logs.
I also explicitly added the `:latest` tag for the Docker image in the Running example to make it more clear which tag is being run (no tag defaults to `latest`.)
* xftp: expire files on the server
* track/limit used storage
* support storage quota and disabling queue creation in CLI parameters
* fix ini file
* correction
---------
Co-authored-by: spaced4ndy <8711996+spaced4ndy@users.noreply.github.com>
* server_key_hash fields
* test
* refactor
* fix
* order
* use sync command in test
* refactor
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* xftp: cli client draft
* more stubs
* compiles
* hash, app
* options parsers, random
* tmp
* xftp CLI client agent, simplify CLI command syntax
* only allow argument as a second parameter
* pivot signature draft
* receive file
* pivot sent chunks to recipients
* encryptFile - temp, chunks, specs
* send (upload) file and save file descriptions
* refactor, remove encrypted file
* save file size in description as string
* include filename inside padded encrypted file
* call chunk uploads concurrently, using queueing in HTTP2 as library client does not support concurrent streaming uploads
* download file (does not work yet)
* add digests to sent chunks
* fix recv - save file using AppendMode
* encrypt/decrypt sent file with secretbox
* remove print
* fix file description parsing in tests
* fix test
---------
Co-authored-by: Evgeny Poberezkin <2769109+epoberezkin@users.noreply.github.com>
* end SMP client connection after configured number of PING errors, reset PING error count on any success
* only terminate client on PING timeout
* refactor
* comment
* execute asynchronous commands for correct users
* pass transport session to message processing to avoid race condition
* account for server changes when determining unused servers
* enable one test
* enable all tests, remove log
* subscribe users in different sessions
* remove comments
* include userId to rcv queue map key
* use hash of userId[:entityId] as SOCKS proxy username
- allow receiving multiple messages from single iOS notification (#1355, #1362).
- prepare connection to accept to avoid race condition with events (#1365).
- transport isolation mode "Session" (default) to use new SOCKS credentials when client restarts or SOCKS proxy configuration changes (#1321).
Ntf server:
- control port (#1354).
- enable pings on ntf subscriptions, to resubscribe on reconnection (#1353).
SMP server:
- support multiple server ports (#1319).
- support serving HTTPS and SMP transport on the same port (#1326, #1327).
- persist iOS notifications to avoid losing them when Ntf server is offline (#1336, #1339, #1350).
- fix lost notification subscriptions (#1347).
- reject SKEY with different key earlier, at verification step (#1366).
- pass server information via CLI during server initialization (#1356).
- show version on server page (#1341).
- explicit graceful shutdown on SIGINT (#1360).
XRCP (remote access protocol):
- use SHA3-256 in hybrid key agreement (#1302).
- session encryption with forward secrecy (#1328).
# 6.0.5
SMP agent:
- support generic SOCKS proxy (without isolate-by-auth).
- reduce max message sizes
# 6.0.4
SMP server:
- better performance/memory: fewer map updates on re-subscriptions (#1297), split and reduce STM transactions (#1294)
- send DELD when subscribed queue is deleted (#1312)
- add created/updated/used date to queues to manage expiration (#1306)
XFTP server: truncate file creation time to 1 hour (#1310)
Servers:
- bind control port only to 127.0.0.1 for better security in case of firewall misconfiguration (#1280)
- reduce memory used for period stats (#1298)
Agent: process last notification from list (#1307)
- report receive file error with redirected file ID, when redirect is present (#1304)
- special error when deleted user record is not in database (#1303)
- fix race when sending a message to the deleted connection (#1296)
- support for multiple messages in a single notification
Ntf server:
- only use SOCKS proxy for servers without public address (#1314)
# 6.0.3
Agent:
- fix possible stuck queue rotation (#1290).
SMP server:
- batch END responses when subscribed client switches to reduce server and client traffic.
- reduce STM transactions for better performance.
- add stats for END events and for SUB/DEL event batches.
- remove "expensive" stats to save memory.
# 6.0.2
SMP agent:
- fix stuck connection commands when a server is not responding.
- store query errors, reduce slow query threshold to 1ms.
Notification server:
- reduce PING interval to 1 minute.
- fix subscriptions disabled on race condition (only mark subscriptions with END status when received via the active connection).
# 6.0.1
SMP agent:
- support changing user of the new connection.
- do not start delivery workers when there are no messages to deliver.
- enable notifications for all connections.
- combine database transactions when subscribing.
SMP server:
- safe compacting of store log.
- fix possible race when creating client that might lead to memory leak.
Dependencies: upgrade tls to 1.9
# 6.0.0
Version 6.0.0.8
Agent:
- enabled fast handshake support.
- batch-send multiple messages in each connection.
- resume subscriptions as soon as agent moves to foreground or as network connection resumes.
- "known" servers to determine whether to use SMP proxy.
- retry on SMP proxy NO_SESSION error.
- fixes to notification subscriptions.
- persistent server statistics.
- better concurrency.
SMP server:
- reduce threads usage.
- additional statistics.
- improve disabling inactive clients.
- additional control port commands for monitoring.
Notification server:
- support onion-only SMP servers.
# 5.8.2
Agent:
- fast handshake support (disabled).
- new statistics api.
SMP server:
- fast handshake support (SKEY command).
- minor changes to reduce memory usage.
# 5.8.1
Agent:
- API to reconnect one server.
- Better error handling of file errors and remote control connection errors.
- Only start uploading file once all chunks were registered on the servers.
SMP server:
- additional stats for sent message notifications.
- fix server page layout.
# 5.8.0
Version 5.8.0.10
SMP server and client:
- protocol extension to forward messages to the destination servers, to protect sending client IP address and transport session.
Agent:
- process timed out subscription responses to reduce the number of resubscriptions.
- avoid sending messages and commands when waiting for response timed out (except batched SUB and DEL commands).
- fix issue with stuck message reception on slow connection (when response to ACK timed out, and the new message was not processed until resubscribed).
- fix issue when temporary file sending or receiving error was treated as permanent.
SMP server:
- include OK responses to all batched SUB requests to reduce subscription timeouts.
XFTP server:
- report file upload timeout as TIMEOUT, to avoid delivery failure.
# 5.7.6
XFTP agent:
- treat XFTP handshake timeouts and network errors as temporary, to retry file operations.
# 5.7.5
SMP agent:
- fail if non-unique connection IDs are passed to sendMessages (to prevent client errors and deadlocks).
# 5.7.4
SMP agent:
- remove re-subscription timeouts (as they are tracked per operation, and could cause failed subscriptions).
- reconnect XFTP clients when network settings changes.
- fix lock contention resulting in stuck subscriptions on network change.
# 5.7.3
SMP/NTF protocol:
- add ALPN for handshake version negotiation, similar to XFTP (to preserve backwards compatibility with the old clients).
- upgrade clients to versions v7/v2 of the protocols.
SMP server:
- faster responses to subscription requests.
XFTP client:
- fix network exception during file download treated as permanent file error.
SMP agent:
- do not report subscription timeouts while client is offline.
# 5.7.2
SMP agent:
- fix connections failing when connecting via link due to race condition on slow network.
- remove concurrency limit when waiting for connection subscription.
- remove TLS timeout.
# 5.7.1
SMP agent:
- increase timeout for TLS connection via SOCKS
# 5.7.0
Version 5.7.0.4
_Please note_: the earliest SimpleX Chat clients supported by this version of the servers is 5.5.3 (released on February 11, 2024).
SMP server:
- increase max SMP protocol version to 7 (support for deniable authenticators).
NTF server:
- increase max NTF protocol version to 2 (support for deniable authenticators).
XFTP server:
- version handshake using ALPN.
SMP agent:
- increase timeouts for XFTP files.
- don't send commands after timeout.
- PQ encryption support.
# 5.6.2
Version 5.6.2.2.
SMP agent:
- Lower memory consumption (~20-25%).
- More stable XFTP file uploads and downloads.
- API to receive network connectivity changes from the apps.
- to reduce battery consumption: connection attempts interval growing to every 2 hours when app reports as offline.
- to reduce retries and traffic: 50% increased timeouts when on mobile network.
XFTP server:
- expire files on start.
- version negotiation based on TLS ALPN and handshake.
NTF server:
- reduced downtime by ~100x faster start time.
- exclude test tokens from statistics.
# 5.6.1
Version 5.6.1.0.
- Much faster iOS notification server start time (fewer skipped notifications).
- Fix SMP server stored message stats.
- Prevent overwriting uploaded XFTP files with subsequent upload attempts.
- Faster base64 encoding/parsing.
- Control port audit log and authentication.
# 5.6.0
Version 5.6.0.4.
SMP protocol/client/server:
- support deniable sender command authorization (to be enabled in the next version).
- remove support for SMP protocol versions (prior to v4, 07/2022).
Agent:
- optional post-quantum key agreement using sntrup761 in double ratchet protocol.
- improve performance of deleting multiple connections and files by batching database operations.
- delay connection deletion to deliver pending messages.
- API to test for notifications server.
- remove support for client protocols versions (prior to 10/2022).
XFTP server:
- restore storage quota in case of failed uploads.
Performance and stability improvements.
# 5.5.3
Agent:
- notification token API also returns active notifications server.
- support file descriptions with redirection and file URIs.
Servers:
- CLI commands for online key and certificate rotation.
- Configure config and log paths via environment variables.
# 5.5.2
Extensible handshake for clients and SMP/NTF servers (ignore extra data).
# 5.5.1
SMP servers:
- do not keep stats file open
- additional stats about currently stored messages
Agent:
- support multiple notification servers (only one can be used at a time).
- expire messages after "quota exceeded" error after 7 days (instead of 21 days previously).
- stabilize message delivery, remove unnecessary subscription retries and traffic.
- improve database performance for message delivery.
- fix sockets/memory leak - a very old bug "activated" by improvements in v5.5.0.
# 5.5.0
Code:
- compatible with GHC 8.10.7 to support compilation for armv7a.
- migrate to `crypton` from deprecated `cryptonite` (the seed for DRG is now sha512-hashed).
- use ChaChaDRG for all random IDs, keys and nonces, only using hashed entropy as seed.
- more efficient transaction batching in SMP protocol client and server.
Agent:
- stabilize message reception and delivery, migrate message delivery to database queue.
- additional event MSGNTF confirming that message received via notification is processed.
- efficient processing of messages sent to multiple recipients with batched database transactions.
- new worker abstraction for all queued tasks resilient to race conditions and some database errors.
- many fixed race conditions.
- background mode for iOS NSE.
- additional error reporting to client on critical errors (to be show as alert in the clients).
- functional api to get worker statistics.
SMP/XFTP servers:
- fix socket and memory leak on servers with high load (inactive clients without subscriptions are disconnected after set time of inactivity).
- control port improvements.
- fix statistics for stored queues, messages and files.
- make writing to store log atomic (fixes a rare bug in XFTP server).
- more robust connection switching logic, API to abort switching the address
Notification server:
- batch subscriptions to SMP servers
# 5.1.1 (NTF server 1.4.0)
Agent:
- store and check hashes of previous encrypted messages to differentiate between duplicates and decryption errors
Server:
- larger processing queues
- expire messages when restoring them
# 5.1.0
XFTP client:
- check encrypted file exists when uploading
- remove user ID from deletion API
Agent:
- vacuum database on migrations
SMP server:
- configure message expiration time in INI file
# 5.0.0
SimpleX File Transfer Protocol (XFTP):
- XFTP server
- XFTP CLI
- support XFTP in the agent
Other changes:
- preserve retry interval for sending messages on agent restarts
- support IPv6 in the servers and in the agent
- support for 32-bit platforms
Read more about XFTP in this post: https://simplex.chat/blog/20230301-simplex-file-transfer-protocol.html
# 4.4.1
SMP agent:
- fix handling of server addresses.
- prevent message delivery getting stuck on IO error in SMP client.
# 4.4.0
SMP agent:
- support multiple user profiles with transport session isolation.
- support optional transport isolation per connection.
- batch connection deletion
- improve asynchronous connection deletion – it may now be completed after the client is restarted as well.
- improve subscription logic to retry if initial attempt fails.
- end SMP client connection after a number of failed PINGs (default is 3).
# 4.3.0
SMP server:
- additional server usage statistics.
SMP agent:
- increase retry interval when sending messages after ERR QUOTA.
# 4.2.0
SMP agent and server:
@@ -19,7 +614,7 @@ SMP agent:
Notification server (v1.3.0):
- check token status when sending verification notificaiton.
- check token status when sending verification notification.
# 4.1.0
@@ -38,15 +633,15 @@ SMP agent:
SMP server:
- Basic authentication. The server address can now include an optional password that is required to create messaging queues, so the contacts who message you will not be able to receive messages via your server, unless you share with them the address with the password. It is recommended to enable basic authentication on all private servers by adding `create_password` parameter into AUTH section of server INI file (the previously deployed servers do not have this section, you need to add it).
- Disable creating new queues completely with `new_queues: off` parameter in AUTH section of INI file - it can be used to simplify migrating the exising connections to another server.
- Disable creating new queues completely with `new_queues: off` parameter in AUTH section of INI file - it can be used to simplify migrating the existing connections to another server.
- Updated server CLI with changed defaults:
- interactive server initialization, use -y flag to initalize the server non-interactively.
- interactive server initialization, use -y flag to initialize the server non-interactively.
- store log is now enabled by default, so messaging queues and messages are restored when the server is restarted (to restore undelivered messages the server needs to be stopped with SIGINT signal).
- a random password is now generated by default during the server initialization.
SMP agent:
- API to test SMP servers. It connects to the server, creates and deletes a messaging queue. The new SimpleX Chat client uses this API to allow you to test that you have the correct server address, with the valid certificate fingerprint and pasword, before enabling the new server.
- API to test SMP servers. It connects to the server, creates and deletes a messaging queue. The new SimpleX Chat client uses this API to allow you to test that you have the correct server address, with the valid certificate fingerprint and password, before enabling the new server.
# 3.4.0
@@ -92,9 +687,9 @@ SMP server and agent:
SMP server:
- restore undeliverd messages when the server is restarted.
- restore undelivered messages when the server is restarted.
- SMP protocol v3 to support push notification:
- updated SEND and MSG to add message flags (for notification flag that contros whether the notification is sent and for any future extensions) and to move message meta-data sent to the recipient into the encrypted envelope.
- updated SEND and MSG to add message flags (for notification flag that confirm whether the notification is sent and for any future extensions) and to move message meta-data sent to the recipient into the encrypted envelope.
- update NKEY and NID to add e2e encryption keys (for the notification meta-data encryption between SMP server and the client), and update NMSG to include this meta-data.
- update ACK command to include message ID (to avoid acknowledging unprocessed message).
- add NDEL commands to remove notification subscription credentials from SMP queue.
@@ -105,7 +700,7 @@ SMP agent:
- new protocol for duplex connection handshake reducing traffic and connection time.
- support for SMP notifications server and managing device token.
- remove redundant FQDN validation from TLS handshake to prepare for access via Tor.
- support for fully stopping agent and for termporary suspending agent operations.
- support for fully stopping agent and for temporary suspending agent operations.
- improve management of duplicate message delivery.
📢 SimpleXMQ v1 is released - with many security, privacy and efficiency improvements, new functionality - see [release notes](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/releases/tag/v1.0.0).
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ You can either run your own SMP server locally or deploy using [Linode StackScri
It's the easiest to try SMP agent via a prototype [simplex-chat](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat) terminal UI.
## Deploy SMP server on Linux
## Deploy SMP/XFTP servers on Linux
You can run your SMP server as a Linux process, optionally using a service manager for booting and restarts.
You can run your SMP/XFTP server as a Linux process, optionally using a service manager for booting and restarts.
Notice that `smp-server` requires `openssl` as run-time dependency (it is used to generate server certificates during initialization). Install it with your packet manager:
Notice that `smp-server` and `xftp-server` requires `openssl` as run-time dependency (it is used to generate server certificates during initialization). Install it with your packet manager:
- Initialize SMP server with `smp-server init [-l] -n <fqdn>` or `smp-server init [-l] --ip <ip>` - depending on how you initialize it, either FQDN or IP will be used for server's address.
d="m 282.715,299.835 a 3.29,3.29 0 0 0 -2.662,5.336 l 9.474,12.261 A 7.894,7.894 0 0 0 289,320.257 v 18.21 a 7.877,7.877 0 0 0 7.895,7.895 h 84.21 A 7.877,7.877 0 0 0 389,338.468 v -18.211 c 0,-0.999 -0.19,-1.949 -0.525,-2.826 l 9.472,-12.26 a 3.29,3.29 0 0 0 -2.433,-5.334 3.29,3.29 0 0 0 -2.772,1.31 l -9.013,11.666 a 7.91,7.91 0 0 0 -2.624,-0.45 h -84.21 c -0.922,0 -1.8,0.163 -2.622,0.45 l -9.015,-11.666 a 3.29,3.29 0 0 0 -2.543,-1.312 z m 14.18,49.527 A 7.877,7.877 0 0 0 289,357.257 v 52.21 a 7.877,7.877 0 0 0 7.895,7.895 h 84.21 A 7.877,7.877 0 0 0 389,409.468 v -52.211 a 7.877,7.877 0 0 0 -7.895,-7.895 z"
The implementation of sntrup761 is the _exact_ copy from this [Internet draft](https://www.ietf.org/archive/id/draft-josefsson-ntruprime-streamlined-00.html).
*)printf"${RED}Unsupported Ubuntu version!${NC}\nPlease file Github issue with request to support Ubuntu %s: https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/issues/new\n""$VERSION_ID"&&exit1;;
esac
version="$(printf'%s'"$VERSION_ID"| tr '.''_')"
arch="$(uname -p)"
case"$arch" in
x86_64)arch="$(printf'%s'"$arch"| tr '_''-')";;
*)printf"${RED}Unsupported architecture!${NC}\nPlease file Github issue with request to support %s architecture: https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/issues/new""$arch"&&exit1;;
- [Connection link: 1-time invitation and contact address](#connection-link-1-time-invitation-and-contact-address)
- [Appendix A: SMP agent API](#smp-agent-api)
- [API functions](#api-functions)
- [API events](#api-events)
## Abstract
The purpose of SMP agent protocol is to define the syntax and the semantics of communications between the client and the agent that connects to [SMP](./simplex-messaging.md) servers.
It provides:
-protocol to create and manage bi-directional (duplex) connections between the users of SMP agents consisting of two (or more) separate unidirectional (simplex) SMP queues, abstracting away multiple steps required to establish bi-directional connections and any information about the servers location from the users of the agent protocol.
-API to create and manage bi-directional (duplex) connections between the users of SMP agents consisting of two (or more) separate unidirectional (simplex) SMP queues, abstracting away multiple steps required to establish bi-directional connections and any information about the servers location from the users of the agent protocol.
- management of E2E encryption between SMP agents, generating ephemeral asymmetric keys for each connection.
- SMP command authentication on SMP servers, generating ephemeral keys for each SMP queue.
- TCP/TLS transport handshake with SMP servers.
- validation of message integrity.
SMP agent protocol provides no encryption or security on the client side - it is assumed that the agent is executed in the trusted and secure environment, in one of three ways:
- via TCP network using secure connection.
- via local port (when the agent runs on the same device as a separate process).
- via agent library, when the agent logic is included directly into the client application - [SimpleX Chat for terminal](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat) uses this approach.
SMP agent API provides no security between the agent and the client - it is assumed that the agent is executed in the trusted and secure environment, via the agent library, when the agent logic is included directly into the client application - [SimpleX Chat for terminal](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat) uses this approach.
## SMP agent
SMP agents communicate with each other via SMP servers using [simplex messaging protocol (SMP)](./simplex-messaging.md) according to the commands received from its users. This protocol is a middle layer in SimpleX protocols (above SMP protocol but below any application level protocol) - it is intended to be used by client-side applications that need secure asynchronous bi-directional communication channels ("connections").
SMP agents communicate with each other via SMP servers using [simplex messaging protocol (SMP)](./simplex-messaging.md) according to the API calls used by the client applications. This protocol is a middle layer in SimpleX protocols (above SMP protocol but below any application level protocol) - it is intended to be used by client-side applications that need secure asynchronous bi-directional communication channels ("connections").
The agent must have a persistent storage to manage the states of known connections and of the client-side information of SMP queues that each connection consists of, and also the buffer of the most recent sent and received messages. The number of the messages that should be stored is implementation specific, depending on the error management approach that the agent implements; at the very least the agent must store the hashes and IDs of the last received and sent messages.
## SMP servers management
SMP agent protocol commands do not contain the addresses of the SMP servers that the agent will use to create and use the connections (excluding the server address in queue URIs used in JOIN command). The list of the servers is a part of the agent configuration and can be dynamically changed by the agent implementation:
SMP agent API does not use the addresses of the SMP servers that the agent will use to create and use the connections (excluding the server address in queue URIs used in JOIN command). The list of the servers is a part of the agent configuration and can be dynamically changed by the agent implementation:
- by the client applications via any API that is outside of scope of this protocol.
- by the agents themselves based on availability and latency of the configured servers.
## SMP agent protocol components
## SMP agent protocol scope
SMP agent protocol has 3 main parts:
SMP agent protocol has 2 main parts:
- the syntax and semantics of the messages that SMP agents exchange with each other in order to:
- the messages that SMP agents exchange with each other in order to:
- negotiate establishing unidirectional (simplex) encrypted queues on SMP servers.
- exchange client messages and delivery notifications, providing sequential message IDs and message integrity (by including the hash of the previous message).
- the syntax and semantics of the commands that are sent by the agent clients to the agents. This protocol allows to create and manage multiple connections, each consisting of two or more SMP queues.
- the syntax and semantics of the message that the clients of SMP agents should send out-of-band (as pre-shared "invitation" including queue URIs) to protect [E2E encryption][1] from active attacks ([MITM attacks][2]).
- re-negotiate messaging queues to use and connection e2e encryption.
- the messages that the clients of SMP agents should send out-of-band (as pre-shared "invitation" including queue URIs) to protect [E2E encryption][1] from active attacks ([MITM attacks][2]).
[Appendix A](#appendix-a-smp-agent-api) of this document describes:
- the functional API used by the client application with the agent. This API allows to create and manage multiple connections, each consisting of two or more SMP queues.
- events that the agent passes to the clients.
## Duplex connection procedure
@@ -75,54 +69,126 @@ SMP agent protocol has 3 main parts:
The procedure of establishing a duplex connection is explained on the example of Alice and Bob creating a bi-directional connection consisting of two unidirectional (simplex) queues, using SMP agents (A and B) to facilitate it, and two different SMP servers (which could be the same server). It is shown on the diagram above and has these steps:
1. Alice requests the new connection from the SMP agent A using SMP NEW command.
2. Agent A creates an SMP connection on the server (using [SMP protocol](./simplex-messaging.md)) and responds to Alice with the invitation that contains queue information and the encryption key Bob's agent B should use. The invitation format is described in [Connection request](#connection-request).
3. Alice sends the [connection request](#connection-request) to Bob via any secure channel (out-of-band message).
4. Bob sends `JOIN` command with the connection request as a parameter to agent B to accept the connection.
- Agent B sends an "SMP confirmation" with SMP SEND command to the SMP queue specified in the connection request - SMP confirmation is an unauthenticated message with an ephemeral key that will be used to authenticate Bob's commands to the queue, as described in SMP protocol, and Bob's info (profile, public key for E2E encryption, etc.). This message is encrypted using key passed in the connection request (or with the derived key, in which case public key for key derivation should be sent in clear text).
- Agent A receives the SMP confirmation containing Bob's key and info as SMP MSG.
- Agent A notifies Alice sending REQ notification with Bob's info.
- Alice accepts connection request with ACPT command.
- Agent A secures the queue with SMP KEY command.
- Agent B tries sending authenticated SMP SEND command with agent `HELLO` message until it succeeds. Once it succeeds, Bob's agent "knows" the queue is secured.
6. Agent B creates a new SMP queue on the server.
7.Establish Bob's SMP queue:
-Agent B sends `REPLY` message (SMP SEND command) with the connection request to this 2nd queue to Alice's agent (via the 1st queue) - this connection request SHOULD use "simplex" URI scheme.
-Agent A, having received `REPLY` message, sends unauthenticated message (SMP SEND) to SMP queue with Alice agent's ephemeral key that will be used to authenticate Alice's commands to the queue, as described in SMP protocol, and Alice's info.
-Bob's agent receives the key and Alice's information and secures the queue (SMP KEY).
-Bob's agent sends the notification `INFO` with Alice's information to Bob.
- Alice's agent keeps sending `HELLO` message until it succeeds.
8. Agents A and B notify Alice and Bob that connection is established.
- Once sending`HELLO`succeeds, Alice's agent sends to Alice `CON` notification that confirms that now both parties can communicate.
-Once Bob's agent receives `HELLO` from Alice's agent, it sends to Bob `CON` notification as well.
1. Alice requests the new connection from the SMP agent A using agent `createConnection` api function.
2. Agent A creates an SMP queue on the server (using [SMP protocol](./simplex-messaging.md)`NEW` command) and responds to Alice with the invitation that contains queue information and the encryption keys Bob's agent B should use. The invitation format is described in [Connection link](connection-link-1-time-invitation-and-contact-address).
3. Alice sends the [connection link](#connection-link-1-time-invitation-and-contact-address) to Bob via any secure channel (out-of-band message) - as a link or as a QR code.
4. Bob uses agent `joinConnection` api function with the connection link as a parameter to agent B to accept the connection.
5.Agent B creates Bob's SMP reply queue with SMP server `NEW` command.
6. Agent B confirms the connection: sends an "SMP confirmation" with SMP server `SEND` command to the SMP queue specified in the connection link - SMP confirmation is an unauthenticated message with an ephemeral key that will be used to authenticate Bob's commands to the queue, as described in SMP protocol, and Bob's info (profile, public key for E2E encryption, and the connection link to this 2nd queue to Agent A - this connection link SHOULD use "simplex" URI scheme). This message is encrypted using key passed in the connection link (or with the derived shared secret, in which case public key for key derivation should be sent in clear text).
6. Alice confirms and continues the connection:
- Agent A receives the SMP confirmation containing Bob's key, reply queue and info as SMP server `MSG`.
- Agent A notifies Alice sending `CONF` notification with Bob's info.
- Alice allows connection to continue with agent `allowConnection` api function.
- Agent A secures the queue with SMP server `KEY` command.
- Agent A sends SMP confirmation with ephemeral sender key, ephemeral public encryption key and profile (but without reply queue).
7.Agent B confirms the connection:
-receives the confirmation.
-sends the notification `INFO` with Alice's information to Bob.
-secures SMP queue that it sent to Alice in the first confirmation with SMP `KEY` command .
-sends `HELLO` message via SMP `SEND` command. This confirms that the reply queue is secured and also validates that Agent A secured the first SMP queue
8. Agent A notifies Alice.
- receives `HELLO` message from Agent B.
- sends`HELLO`message to Agent B via SMP `SEND` command.
-sends `CON` notification to Alice, confirming that the connection is established.
9. Agent B notifies Bob.
- Once Agent B receives `HELLO` from Agent A, it sends to Bob `CON` notification as well.
At this point the duplex connection between Alice and Bob is established, they can use `SEND` command to send messages. The diagram also shows how the connection status changes for both parties, where the first part is the status of the SMP queue to receive messages, and the second part - the status of the queue to send messages.
The most communication happens between the agents and servers, from the point of view of Alice and Bob there are 4 steps (not including notifications):
1. Alice requests a new connection with `NEW` command and receives the invitation.
2. Alice passes connection request out-of-band to Bob.
3. Bob accepts the connection with `JOIN` command with the connection request to his agent.
4. Alice accepts the connection with `ACPT`command.
1. Alice requests a new connection with `createConnection` agent API function and receives the connection link.
2. Alice passes connection link out-of-band to Bob.
3. Bob accepts the connection with `joinConnection` agent API function with the connection link to his agent.
4. Alice accepts the connection with `ACPT`agent API function.
5. Both parties receive `CON` notification once duplex connection is established.
Clients SHOULD support establishing duplex connection asynchronously (when parties are intermittently offline) by persisting intermediate states and resuming SMP queue subscriptions.
## Fast duplex connection procedure
Previously described duplex connection procedure requires sending 4 messages creating a bad UX for the users - it requires waiting until each party in online before the messages can be sent.
It allows users validating connecting party profile before proceeding with the connection, but it turned out to be unnecessary UX step and is not used in the client applications.
It also protects against an attacker who compromised TLS and uses the sender queue ID sent to the recipient to secure the queue before the sender can. This attack is very hard, and this accepting its risk is better than worse UX. Future protocol versions could mitigate this attack by encrypting entity IDs.
Faster duplex connection process is possible with the `SKEY` command added in v9 of SMP protocol.
1. Alice requests the new connection from the SMP agent A using agent `createConnection` api function
2. Agent A creates an SMP queue on the server (using [SMP protocol](./simplex-messaging.md) `NEW` command with the flag allowing the sender to secure the queue) and responds to Alice with the invitation that contains queue information and the encryption keys Bob's agent B should use. The invitation format is described in [Connection link](connection-link-1-time-invitation-and-contact-address).
3. Alice sends the [connection link](connection-link-1-time-invitation-and-contact-address) to Bob via any secure channel (out-of-band message) - as a link or as a QR code. This link contains the flag that the queue can be secured by the sender.
4. Bob uses agent `joinConnection` api function with the connection link as a parameter to agent B to accept the connection.
5. Agent B secures Alice's queue with SMP command `SKEY` - this command can be proxied.
6. Agent B creates Bob's SMP reply queue with SMP server `NEW` command (with the flag allowing the sender to secure the queue).
7. Agent B confirms the connection: sends an "SMP confirmation" with SMP server `SEND` command to the SMP queue specified in the connection link - SMP confirmation is an unauthenticated message with an ephemeral key that will be used to authenticate Bob's commands to the queue, as described in SMP protocol, and Bob's info (profile, public key for E2E encryption, and the connection link to this 2nd queue to Agent A - this connection link SHOULD use "simplex" URI scheme). This message is encrypted using key passed in the connection link (or with the derived shared secret, in which case public key for key derivation should be sent in clear text).
8. Alice confirms the connection:
- Agent A receives the SMP confirmation containing Bob's key, reply queue and info as SMP server `MSG`.
- Agent A notifies Alice sending `CONF` notification with Bob's info (that indicates that Agent B already secured the queue).
- Alice allows connection to continue with agent `allowConnection` api function.
- Agent A secures Bob's queue with SMP command `SKEY`.
- Agent A sends SMP confirmation with ephemeral public encryption key and profile (but without reply queue, and without sender key).
9. Agent A notifies Alice with `CON` notification.
10. Agent B notifies Bob about connection success:
- receives confirmation message from Alice.
- sends the notification `INFO` with Alice's information to Bob.
- sends `CON` notification to Bob.
## Contact addresses
SMP agents support creating a special type of connection - a contact address - that allows to connect to multiple network users who can send connection requests by sending 1-time connection links to the message queue.
This connection address uses a messaging queue on SMP server to receive invitations to connect - see `agentInvitation` message below. Once connection request is accepted, a new connection is created and the address itself is no longer used to send the messages - deleting this address does not disrupt the connections that were created via it.
## Communication between SMP agents
To establish duplex connections and to send messages on behalf of their clients, SMP agents communicate via SMP servers.
Agents use SMP message client body (the part of the SMP message after header - see [SMP protocol](./simplex-messaging.md)) to transmit agent client messages and exchange messages between each other.
Each SMP message client body, once decrypted, contains 3 parts (one of them may include binary message body), as defined by `decryptedSmpMessageBody` syntax:
These messages are encrypted with per-queue shared secret using NaCL crypto_box and can be of 4 types, as defined by `decryptedSMPClientMessage`:
-`agentConfirmation` - used when confirming SMP queues, contains connection information encrypted with double ratchet. This envelope can only contain `agentConnInfo` or `agentConnInfoReply` encrypted with double ratchet.
-`agentMsgEnvelope` - contains different agent messages encrypted with double ratchet, as defined in `agentMessage`.
-`agentInvitation` - sent to SMP queue that is used as contact address, does not use double ratchet.
-`agentRatchetKey` - used to re-negotiate double ratchet encryption - can contain additional information in `agentRatchetKey`.
This syntax of decrypted SMP client message body is defined by `decryptedAgentMessage` below.
Decrypted SMP message client body can be one of 4 types:
-`agentConnInfo` - used by the initiating party when confirming reply queue - sent in `agentConfirmation` envelope.
-`agentConnInfoReply` - used by accepting party, includes reply queue(s) in the initial confirmation - sent in `agentConfirmation` envelope.
-`agentRatchetInfo` - used to pass additional information when renegotiating double ratchet encryption - sent in `agentRatchetKey` envelope.
-`agentMessage` - all other agent messages.
`agentMessage` contains these parts:
-`agentMsgHeader` - agent message header that contains sequential agent message ID for a particular SMP queue, agent timestamp (ISO8601) and the hash of the previous message.
-`agentMessage` - a command/message to the other SMP agent:
- to establish the connection with two SMP queues (`helloMsg`, `replyQueueMsg`)
- to send and to acknowledge user messages (`clientMsg`, `acknowledgeMsg`)
- to manage SMP queue rotation (`newQueueMessage`, `deleteQueueMsg`)
- to manage encryption key rotation (TODO)
-`aMessage` - a command/message to the other SMP agent:
- to confirm the connection (`HELLO`).
- to send and to confirm reception of user messages (`A_MSG`, `A_RCVD`).
- to confirm that the new double ratchet encryption is agreed (`EREADY`).
- to notify another party that it can continue sending messages after queue capacity was exceeded (`A_QCONT`).
- to manage SMP queue rotation (`QADD`, `QKEY`, `QUSE`, `QTEST`).
-`msgPadding` - an optional message padding to make all SMP messages have constant size, to prevent servers from observing the actual message size. The only case the message padding can be absent is when the message has exactly the maximum size, in all other cases the message MUST be padded to a fixed size.
### Messages between SMP agents
@@ -130,269 +196,160 @@ Each SMP message client body, once decrypted, contains 3 parts (one of them may
Message syntax below uses [ABNF][3] with [case-sensitive strings extension][4].
This is the first message that both agents send after the respective SMP queue is secured by the receiving agent (see diagram). It MAY contain the public key that the recipient would use to verify messages signed by the sender.
This is the first message that both agents send after the respective SMP queue is secured by the receiving agent (see diagram).
Sending agent might need to retry sending HELLO message, as it would not have any other confirmation that the queue is secured other than the success of sending this message with the signed SMP SEND command.
This message is not used with [fast duplex connection](#fast-duplex-connection-procedure).
#### REPLY message
#### A_MSG message
This is the message that is sent by the agent that received an out-of-band connection request to pass the connection request for the reply SMP queues to the agent that originated the connection (see diagram).
This is the agent envelope used to send client messages once the connection is established. This is different from the MSG sent by SMP server to the agent and MSG event from SMP agent to the client that are sent in different contexts.
#### MSG message
#### A_RCVD message
This is the agent envelope used to send client messages once the connection is established. Do not confuse it with the MSG response from SMP server to the agent and MSG response from SMP agent to the client that are sent in different contexts.
This message is sent to confirm the client message reception. It includes received message number and message hash.
#### INV message
#### EREADY message
This message is sent to the SMP queue(s) in `connReqContact`, to establish a new connection via existing unsecured queue, that acts as a permanent connection link of a user.
This message is sent after re-negotiating a new double ratchet encryption with `agentRatchetKey`.
#### ACK message
#### A_QCONT message
This message is sent to confirm the client message reception. It includes received message number, message hash and the reception status.
This message is sent to notify the sender client that it can continue sending the messages after queue capacity was exhausted.
#### NEW message
### Rotating messaging queue
This message is sent to add an additional SMP queue to the connection. Unlike REPLY message it can be sent at any time.
SMP agents SHOULD support 4 messages to rotate message reception to another messaging server:
`QADD`: add the new queue address(es) to the connection - sent by the client that initiates rotation.
`QKEY`: pass sender's key via existing connection (SMP confirmation message will not be used, to avoid the same "race" of the initial key exchange that would create the risk of intercepting the queue for the attacker) - sent by the client accepting the rotation
`QUSE`: instruct the sender to use the new queue with sender's queue ID as parameter. From this point some messages can be sent to both the new queue and the old queue.
`QTEST`: send test message to the new connection. Any other message can be sent if available to continue rotation, the absence of this message is not an error. Once this message is successfully sent the sender will stop using the old queue. Once this message (or any other message in the new queue) is received, the recipient will stop using the old queue and delete it.
#### DEL message
**Queue rotation procedure**
This message is sent to notify that the queue with passed URI will be deleted - having received this message, the receiving agent should no longer send messages to this queue. In case it was the last remaining send queue in the duplex connection, the agent MAY also delete the reply queue(s) in the connection.
`SKEY` command added in v9 of SMP protocol allows for faster queue rotation procedure.
This part describes the transmissions between users and client-side SMP agents: commands that the users send to create and operate duplex connections and SMP agent responses and messages they deliver.
**Fast queue rotation procedure**
Commands syntax below is provided using [ABNF][3] with [case-sensitive strings extension][4].
| confirmation, in reply to: <br>no-pq inv <br>pq inv | <br>+<br>+ | <br>+<br>- | <br>-<br>+ |
| 1st msg, in reply to: <br>no-pq conf <br>pq/pq+ct conf | <br>+<br>+ | <br>+<br>- | <br>-<br>+ |
| Nth msg, in reply to: <br>no-pq msg <br>pq/pq+ct msg | <br>+<br>+ | <br>+<br>- | <br>-<br>+ |
invitation=%s"INV"SPconnectionRequest; `connectionRequest` is defined below
These scenarios can be reduced to:
1. initial invitation optionally has PQ key, but must not have ciphertext.
2. all subsequent messages should be allowed without PQ key/ciphertext, but:
- if the previous message had PQ key or PQ key with ciphertext, they must either have no PQ key, or have PQ key with ciphertext (PQ key without ciphertext is an error).
- if the previous message had no PQ key, they must either have no PQ key, or have PQ key without ciphertext (PQ key with ciphertext is an error).
confMsg=%s"CONF"SPconfirmationIdSPmsgBody
; msgBody here is any binary information identifying connection request
The rules for calculating the shared secret for received/sent messages are (assuming received message is valid according to the above rules):
letCmd=%s"LET"SPconfirmationIdSPmsgBody
; msgBody here is any binary information identifying connecting party
| sent msg > <br>V received msg | no-pq | pq | pq+ct |
| pq (sent msg was NOT pq) | DH / DH | err | DH / DH+KEM |
| pq+ct (sent msg was NOT no-pq) | DH+KEM / DH | err | DH+KEM / DH+KEM |
confirmationId=1*DIGIT
To summarize, the upgrade to DH+KEM secret happens in a sent message that has PQ key with ciphertext sent in reply to message with PQ key only (without ciphertext), and the downgrade to DH secret happens in the message that has no PQ key.
connReqMsg=%s"REQ"SPinvitationIdSPmsgBody
; msgBody here is any binary information identifying connection request
## Connection link: 1-time invitation and contact address
acceptCmd=%s"ACPT"SPinvitationIdSPmsgBody
; msgBody here is any binary information identifying connecting party
Connection links are generated by SMP agent in response to `createConnection` api call, used by another party user with `joinConnection` api, and then another connection link is sent by the agent in `agentConnInfoReply` and used by the first party agent to connect to the reply queue (the second part of the process is invisible to the users).
invitationId=1*DIGIT
connInfo=%s"INFO"SPmsgBody
; msgBody here is any binary information identifying connecting party
connected=%s"CON"
subscribeCmd=%s"SUB"; response is `ok` or `error`
unsubscribed=%s"END"
; when another agent (or another client of the same agent)
; subscribes to the same SMP queue on the server
connDown=%s"DOWN"
; lost connection (e.g. because of Internet connectivity or server is down)
badMsgIdErr=%s"ID"SPpreviousMsgId; ID is lower than the previous
badHashErr=%s"HASH"
missingFromMsgId=agentMsgId
missingToMsgId=agentMsgId
previousMsgId=agentMsgId
acknowledgeCmd=%s"ACK"SPagentMsgId; ID assigned by receiving agent (in MSG "R")
received=%s"RCVD"SPagentMsgIdSPmsgIntegrity
; ID assigned by sending agent (in SENT response)
; currently not implemented
msgStatus=ok | error
ok=%s"OK"
error=%s"ERR"SP <errorType>
```
### Client commands and server responses
#### NEW command and INV response
`NEW` command is used to create a connection and a connection request to be sent out-of-band to another protocol user (the joining party). It should be used by the client of the agent that initiates creating a duplex connection (the initiating party).
`INV` response is sent by the agent to the client of the initiating party.
`NEW` command has `connectionMode` parameter to define the connection mode - to be used to communicate with a single contact (invitation mode, `connectionMode` is `INV`) or to accept connection requests from anybody (contact mode, `connectionMode` is `CON`). The type of connection request is determined by `connectionMode` parameter.
#### JOIN command
It is used to create a connection and accept the connection request received out-of-band. It should be used by the client of the agent that accepts the connection (the joining party).
#### CONF notification and LET command
When the joining party uses `JOIN` command to accept connection invitation created with `NEW INV` command, the initiating party will receive `CONF` notification with some numeric identifier and an additional binary information, that can be used to identify the joining party or for any other purpose.
To continue with the connection the initiating party should use `LET` command.
#### REQ notification and ACPT command
When the joining party uses `JOIN` command to connect to the contact created with `NEW CON` command, the initiating party will receive `REQ` notification with some numeric identifier and an additional binary information, that can be used to identify the joining party or for any other purpose.
To continue with the connection the party that created the contact should use `ACPT` command.
#### INFO and CON notifications
After the initiating party proceeds with the connection using `ACPT` command, the joining party will receive `INFO` notification that can be used to identify the initiating party or for any other purpose.
Once the connection is established and ready to accept client messages, both agents will send `CON` notification to their clients.
#### SUB command
This command can be used by the client to resume receiving messages from the connection that was created in another TCP/client session. Agent response to this command can be `OK` or `ERR` in case connection does not exist (or can only be used to send connections - e.g. when the reply queue was not created).
#### SEND command and MID, SENT, RCVD and MERR responses
`SEND` command is used by the client to send messages.
`MID` response with the message ID (the sequential message number that includes both sent and received messages in the connection) is sent to the client to confirm that the message is accepted by the agent, before it is sent to the SMP server.
`SENT` notification is sent by the agent to confirm that the message was delivered to at least one of SMP servers. This notification contains the same message ID as `MID` notification. `SENT` notification, depending on network availability, can be sent at any time later, potentially in the next client session.
`RCVD` notification is sent by the agent when it receives `ACK` message from the receiving agent. This notification contains reception status, only one successful notification will be sent, and multiple error notifications will be sent in case `ACK` had error status.
In case of the failure to send the message for any other reason than network connection or message queue quota - e.g. authentication error (`ERR AUTH`) or syntax error (`ERR CMD error`), the agent will send to the client `MERR` notification with the message ID, and this message delivery will no longer be attempted to this SMP queue.
#### MSG notification
It is sent by the agent to the client when agent receives the message from the SMP server. It has message ID and timestamp from both the receiving and sending agents and from SMP server:
- recipient agent ID is intended to be used to refer to the message in the future.
- sender agent ID is intended to be used to identify any missed / skipped message(s)
- broker ID should be used to detect duplicate deliveries (it would happen if TCP connection is lost before the message is acknowledged by the agent - see [SMP protocol](./simplex-messaging.md))
#### END notification
It is sent by the agent to the client when agent receives SMP protocol `END` notification from SMP server. It indicates that another agent has subscribed to the same SMP queue on the server and the server terminated the subscription of the current agent.
#### DOWN and UP notifications
These notifications are sent when server or network connection is, respectively, `DOWN` or back `UP`.
All the subscriptions made in the current client session will be automatically resumed when `UP` notification is received.
#### OFF command
It is used to suspend the receiving SMP queue - sender will no longer be able to send the messages to the connection, but the recipient can retrieve the remaining messages. Agent response to this command can be `OK` or `ERR`. This command is irreversible.
#### DEL command
It is used to delete the connection and all messages in it, as well as the receiving SMP queue and all messages in it that were remaining on the server. Agent response to this command can be `OK` or `ERR`. This command is irreversible.
## Connection request
Connection request `connectionRequest` is generated by SMP agent in response to `newCmd` command (`"NEW"`), used by another party user with `joinCmd` command (`"JOIN"`), and then another connection request is sent by the agent in `replyQueueMsg` and used by the first party agent to connect to the reply queue (the second part of the process is invisible to the users).
@@ -407,12 +364,112 @@ smpQueue = <URL-encoded queueURI defined in SMP protocol>
All parameters are passed via URI hash to avoid sending them to the server (in case "https" scheme is used) - they can be used by the client-side code and processed by the client application. Parameters `smp` and `e2e` can be present in any order, any unknown additional parameters SHOULD be ignored.
`clientAppServer` is not an SMP server - it is a server that shows the instruction on how to download the client app that will connect using this connection request. This server can also host a mobile or desktop app manifest so that this link is opened directly in the app if it is installed on the device.
`clientAppServer` is not an SMP server - it is a server that shows the instruction on how to download the client app that will connect using this connection link. This server can also host a mobile or desktop app manifest so that this link is opened directly in the app if it is installed on the device.
"simplex" URI scheme in `connectionProtocol` can be used instead of client app server, to connect without creating any web traffic. Client apps MUST support this URI scheme.
See SMP protocol [out-of-band messages](./simplex-messaging.md#out-of-band-messages) for syntax of `queueURI`.
## Appendix A: SMP agent API
The exact specification of agent library API and of the events that the agent sends to the client application is out of scope of the protocol specification.
The list of some of the API functions and events below is supported by the reference implementation, and they are likely to be required by the client applications.
### API functions
The list of APIs below is not exhaustive and provided for information only. Please consult the source code for more information.
#### Create conection
`createConnection` api is used to create a connection - it returns the connection link that should be sent out-of-band to another protocol user (the joining party). It should be used by the client of the agent that initiates creating a duplex connection (the initiating party).
This api is also used to create a contact address - a special connection that can be used by multiple people to connect to the user.
Some communication scenarios may require fault-tolerant mechanism of creating connections that retries on network failures and continue retrying after the client is restarted. Such asynchronous API would return its result via `INV` event once it succeeds.
#### Join connection
`joinConnection` is used to create a connection record and accept the connection invitation received out-of-band. It should be used by the client of the agent that accepts the connection (the joining party).
This api can also be required as asynchronous, in which case `OK` event will be dispatched to the client to indicate the success or `ERR` in case it permanently failed (e.g., in case connection was deleted by another party).
#### Allow connection
Once the client receives `CONF` event, it should use synchronous `allowConnection` api to proceed with the connection (both for the [standard](#duplex-connection-procedure) and for the [fast duplex procedure](#fast-duplex-connection-procedure)).
In case this API is used as asynchronous it will return its result via `OK` or `ERR` event.
#### Accept and reject connection requests
Connection requests are delivered to the client application via `REQ` event.
Client can `acceptContact` and `rejectContact`, with `OK` and `ERR` events in case of asynchronous calls.
#### Send message
`sendMessage` api is always asynchronous. The api call returns message ID, `SENT` event once the message is sent to the server, `MWARN` event in case of temporary delivery failure that can be resolved by the user (e.g., by connecting via Tor or by upgrading the client) and `MERR` in case of permanent delivery failure.
#### Acknowledge received message
Messages are delivered to the client application via `MSG` event.
Client application must always `ackMessage` to receive the next one - failure to call it in reference implementation will prevent the delivery of subsequent messages until the client reconnects to the server.
This api is also used to acknowledge message delivery to the sending party - that party client application will receive `RCVD` event.
#### Subscribe connection
`subscribeConnection` api is used by the client to resume receiving messages from the connection that was created in another TCP/client session.
#### Get notification message
`getNotificationMessage` is used by push notification subsystem of the client application to receive the message from a specific messaging queue mentioned in the notification. The client application would receive `MSG` and any other events from the agent, and then `MSGNTF` event once the message related to this notification is received.
#### Rotate message queue to another server
`switchConnection` api is used to rotate connection queues to another messaging server.
#### Renegotiate e2e encryption
`synchronizeRatchet` api is used to re-negotiate double ratchet encryption for the connection.
#### Delete connection
`deleteConnection` api is used to delete connection. In case of asynchronous call, the connection deletion will be confirmed with `DEL_RCVQ` and `DEL_CONN` events.
#### Suspend connection
`suspendConnection` api is used to prevent any further messages delivered to the connection without deleting it.
### API events
Agent API uses these events dispatch to notify client application about events related to the connections:
-`INV` - connection invitation or connection address URI after connection is created.
-`CONF` - confirmation that connection is accepted by another party. When the accepting party uses `joinConnection` api to accept connection invitation, the initiating party will receive `CONF` notification with some identifier and additional information from the accepting party (e.g., profile). To continue the connection the initiating party client should use `allowConnection` api.
-`REQ` - connection request is sent when another party uses `joinConnection` api with contact address. The client application can use `acceptContact` or `rejectContact` api.
-`INFO` - information from the party that initiated the connection with `createConnection` sent to the party accepting the connection with `joinConnection`.
-`CON` - notification that connection is established sent to both parties of the connection.
-`END` - notification that connection subscription is terminated when another client subscribed to the same messaging queue.
-`DOWN` - notification that connection server is temporarily unavailable.
-`UP` - notification that the subscriptions made in the current client session are resumed after the server became available.
-`SWITCH` - notification about queue rotation process.
-`RSYNC` - notification about e2e encryption re-negotiation process.
-`SENT` - notification to confirm that the message was delivered to at least one of SMP servers. This notification contains the same message ID as returned to `sendMessage` api. `SENT` notification, depending on network availability, can be sent at any time later, potentially in the next client session.
-`MWARN` - temporary delivery failure that can be resolved by the user (e.g., by connecting via Tor or by upgrading the client).
-`MERR` - notification about permanent message delivery failure.
-`MERRS` - notification about permanent message delivery failure for multiple messages (e.g., when multiple messages expire).
-`MSG` - sent when agent receives the message from the SMP server.
-`MSGNTF` - sent after agent received and processed the message referenced in the push notification.
-`RCVD` - notification confirming message receipt by another party.
-`QCONT` - notification that the agent continued sending messages after queue capacity was exceeded and recipient received all messages.
-`DEL_RCVQ` - confirmation that message queue was deleted.
-`DEL_CONN` - confirmation that connection was deleted.
-`OK` - confirmation that asynchronous api call was successful.
-`ERR` - error of asynchronous api call or some other error event.
This list of events is not exhaustive and provided for information only. Please consult the source code for more information.
note over B: having received file description<br>from sender
loop for each chunk
B ->> S: 1a. download chunk ("FGET")
S ->> B: send chunk body ("FILE")
opt
B ->> S: 1b. acknowledge chunk reception ("FACK")
note over S: delete recipient ID
S ->> B: respond with ok ("OK")
end
end
note over B: 2. combine chunks into a file<br>3. decrypt file using key from file description<br>4. extract file name and unpad the file<br>5. validate file digest with the file description
SimpleX as a whole is a platform upon which applications can be built. [SimpleX Chat](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat) is one such application that also serves as an example and reference application.
- [SimpleX Messaging Protocol](https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplexmq/blob/master/protocol/simplex-messaging.md) (SMP) is a protocol to send messages in one direction to a recipient, relying on a server in-between. The messages are delivered via uni-directional queues created by recipients.
- [SimpleX Messaging Protocol](./simplex-messaging.md) (SMP) is a protocol to send messages in one direction to a recipient, relying on a server in-between. The messages are delivered via uni-directional queues created by recipients.
- SMP protocol allows to send message via a SMP server playing proxy role using 2-hop onion routing (referred to as "private routing" in messaging clients) to protect transport information of the sender (IP address and session) from the server chosen (and possibly controlled) by the recipient.
- SMP runs over a transport protocol (shown below as TLS) that provides integrity, server authentication, confidentiality, and transport channel binding.
@@ -35,7 +39,9 @@ SimpleX as a whole is a platform upon which applications can be built. [SimpleX
- SimpleX Client libraries speak SMP to SimpleX Servers and provide a low-level API not generally intended to be used by applications.
- SimpleX Agents interface with SimpleX Clients to provide a more high-level API intended to be used by applications. Typically they are embedded as libraries, but are designed so they can also be abstracted into local services.
- SimpleX Agents interface with SimpleX Clients to provide a more high-level API intended to be used by applications. Typically they are embedded as libraries, but can also be abstracted into local services.
- SimpleX Agents communicate with other agents inside e2e encrypted envelopes provided by SMP protocol - the syntax and semantics of the messages exchanged by the agent are defined by [SMP agent protocol](./agent-protocol.md)
*Diagram showing the SimpleX Chat app, with logical layers of the chat application interfacing with a SimpleX Agent library, which in turn interfaces with a SimpleX Client library. The Client library in turn speaks the Messaging Protocol to a SimpleX Server.*
@@ -72,10 +78,11 @@ SimpleX as a whole is a platform upon which applications can be built. [SimpleX
- Low latency: the delay introduced by the network should not be higher than 100ms-1s in addition to the underlying TCP network latency.
2. Provide better communication security and privacy than the alternative instant messaging solutions. In particular SimpleX provides better privacy of metadata (who talks to whom and when) and better security against active network attackers and malicious servers.
2. Provide better communication security and privacy than the alternative instant messaging solutions. In particular SimpleX provides better privacy of metadata (who talks to whom and when) and better security against active network attackers and malicious servers.
3. Balance user experience with privacy requirements, prioritizing experience of mobile device users.
#### In Comparison
SimpleX network has a design similar to P2P networks, but unlike most P2P networks it consists of clients and servers without depending on any centralized component.
@@ -91,53 +98,73 @@ In comparison to more traditional messaging applications (e.g. WhatsApp, Signal,
- users can change servers with minimal disruption - even after an in-use server disappears, simply by changing the configuration on which servers the new queues are created.
## Technical Details
#### Trust in Servers
Clients communicate directly with servers (but not with other clients) using SimpleX Messaging Protocol (SMP) running over some transport protocol that provides integrity, server authentication, confidentiality, and transport channel binding. By default, we assume this transport protocol is TLS.
Users use multiple servers, and choose where to receive their messages. Accordingly, they send messages to their communication partners' chosen servers.
Users use multiple servers, and choose where to receive their messages. Accordingly, they send messages to their communication partners' chosen servers either directly, if this is a known/trusted server, or via another SMP server providing proxy functionality to protect IP address and session of the sender.
Although end-to-end encryption is always present, users place a degree of trust in servers. This trust decision is very similar to a user's choice of email provider; however the trust placed in a SimpleX server is significantly less. Notably, there is no re-used identifier or credential between queues on the same (or different) servers. While a user *may* re-use a connection to fetch from multiple queues, or connect to a server from the same IP address, both are choices a user may opt into to break the promise of un-correlatable queues.
Although end-to-end encryption is always present, users place a degree of trust in servers they connect to. This trust decision is very similar to a user's choice of email provider; however the trust placed in a SimpleX server is significantly less. Notably, there is no re-used identifier or credential between queues on the same (or different) servers. While a user *may* re-use a transport connection to fetch messages from multiple queues, or connect to a server from the same IP address, both are choices a user may opt into to break the promise of un-correlatable queues.
Users may trust a server because:
- They deploy and control the servers themselves from the available open-source code. This has the trade-offs of strong trust in the server but limited metadata obfuscation to a passive network observer. Techniques such as noise traffic, traffic mixing (incurring latency), and using an onion routing transport protocol can mitigate that latter.
- They deploy and control the servers themselves from the available open-source code. This has the trade-offs of strong trust in the server but limited metadata obfuscation to a passive network observer. Techniques such as noise traffic, traffic mixing (incurring latency), and using an onion routing transport protocol can mitigate that.
- They use servers from a trusted commercial provider. The more clients the provider has, the less metadata about the communication times is leaked to the network observers.
- Users trust their contacts and the servers they chose.
By default, servers do not retain access logs, and permanently delete messages and queues when requested. Messages persist only in memory until they cross a threshold of time, typically on the order of days.[0] There is still a risk that a server maliciously records all queues and messages (even though encrypted) sent via the same transport connection to gain a partial knowledge of the user’s communications graph and other meta-data.
By default, servers do not retain access logs, and permanently delete messages and queues when requested. Messages persist only in memory until they cross a threshold of time, typically on the order of days.[0] There is still a risk that a server maliciously records all queues and messages (even though encrypted) sent via the same transport connection to gain a partial knowledge of the user’s communications graph and other meta-data.
SimpleX supports measures (managed transparently to the user at the agent level) to mitigate the trust placed in servers. These include rotating the queues in use between users, noise traffic, supporting overlay networks such as Tor, and isolating traffic to different queues to different transport connections (and Tor circuits, if Tor is used).
SimpleX supports measures (managed transparently to the user at the agent level) to mitigate the trust placed in servers. These include rotating the queues in use between users, noise traffic, and supporting overlay networks such as Tor.
[0] While configurable by servers, a minimum value is enforced by the default software. SimpleX Agents provide redundant routing over queues to mitigate against message loss.
[0] While configurable by servers, a minimum value is enforced by the default software. SimpleX Agents can provide redundant routing over queues to mitigate against message loss.
#### Client -> Server Communication
Utilizing TLS grants the SimpleX Messaging Protocol (SMP) server authentication and metadata protection to a passive network observer. But SMP does not rely on the transport protocol for message confidentiality or client authentication. The SMP protocol itself provides end-to-end confidentiality, authentication, and integrity of messages between communicating parties.
Servers have long-lived, self-signed, offline certificates whose hash is pre-shared with clients over secure channels - either provided with the client library or provided in the secure introduction between clients. The offline certificate signs an online certificate used in the transport protocol handshake. [0]
Servers have long-lived, self-signed, offline certificates whose hash is pre-shared with clients over secure channels - either provided with the client library or provided in the secure introduction between clients, as part of the server address. The offline certificate signs an online certificate used in the transport protocol handshake. [0]
If the transport protocol's confidentiality is broken, incoming and outgoing messages to the server cannot be correlated by message contents. Additionally, because of encryption at the SMP layer, impersonating the server is not sufficient to pass (and therefore correlate) a message from a sender to recipient - the only attack possible is to drop the messages. Only by additionally *compromising* the server can one pass and correlate messages.
It's important to note that the SMP protocol does not do server authentication. Instead we rely upon the fact that an attacker who tricks the transport protocol into authenticating the server incorrectly cannot do anything with the SMP messages except drop them.
After the connection is established, the client sends blocks of a fixed size 16Kb, and the server replies with the blocks of the same size to reduce metadata observable to a network adversary. The protocol has been designed to make traffic correlation attacks difficult, adapting ideas from Tor, remailers, and more general onion and mix networks. It does not try to replace Tor though - SimpleX servers can be deployed as onion services and SimpleX clients can communicate with servers over Tor to further improve participants privacy.
After the connection is established, the client sends blocks of a fixed size 16KB, and the server replies with the blocks of the same size to reduce metadata observable to a network adversary. The protocol has been designed to make traffic correlation attacks difficult, adapting ideas from Tor, remailers, and more general onion and mix networks. It does not try to replace Tor though - SimpleX servers can be deployed as onion services and SimpleX clients can communicate with servers over Tor to further improve participants privacy.
By using fixed-size blocks, oversized for the expected content, the vast majority of traffic is uniform in nature. When enough traffic is transiting a server simultaneously, the server acts as a (very) low-latency mix node. We can't rely on this behavior to make a security claim, but we have engineered to take advantage of it when we can. As mentioned, this holds true even if the transport connection is compromised.
By using fixed-size blocks, oversized for the expected content, the vast majority of traffic is uniform in nature. When enough traffic is transiting a server simultaneously, the server acts as a low-latency mix node. We can't rely on this behavior to make a security claim, but we have engineered to take advantage of it when we can. As mentioned, this holds true even if the transport connection is compromised.
The protocol does not protect against attacks targeted at particular users with known identities - e.g., if the attacker wants to prove that two known users are communicating, they can achieve it. At the same time, it substantially complicates large-scale traffic correlation, making determining the real user identities much less effective.
The protocol does not protect against attacks targeted at particular users with known identities - e.g., if the attacker wants to prove that two known users are communicating, they can achieve it by observing their local traffic. At the same time, it substantially complicates large-scale traffic correlation, making determining the real user identities much less effective.
[0] Future versions of SMP may add support for revocation lists of certificates, presently this risk is mitigated by the SMP protocol itself.
#### 2-hop Onion Message Routing
As SimpleX Messaging Protocol servers providing messaging queues are chosen by the recipients, in case senders connect to these servers directly the server owners (who potentially can be the recipients themselves) can learn senders' IP addresses (if Tor is not used) and which other queues on the same server are accessed by the user in the same transport connection (even if Tor is used).
While the clients support isolating the messages sent to different queues into different transport connections (and Tor circuits), this is not practical, as it consumes additional traffic and system resources.
To mitigate this problem SimpleX Messaging Protocol servers support 2-hop onion message routing when the SMP server chosen by the sender forwards the messages to the servers chosen by the recipients, thus protecting both the senders IP addresses and sessions, even if connection isolation and Tor are not used.
The design of 2-hop onion message routing prevents these potential attacks:
- MITM by proxy (SMP server that forwards the messages).
- Identification by the proxy which and how many queues the sender sends messages to (as messages are additionally e2e encrypted between the sender and the destination SMP server).
- Correlation of messages sent to different queues via the same user session (as random correlation IDs and keys are used for each message).
See more details about 2-hop onion message routing design in [SimpleX Messaging Protocol](./simplex-messaging.md#proxying-sender-commands)
Also see [Threat model](#threat-model)
#### SimpleX Messaging Protocol
SMP is initialized with an in-person or out-of-band introduction message, where Alice provides Bob with details of a server (including IP, port, and hash of the long-lived offline certificate), a queue ID, and Alice's public key for her receiving queue. These introductions are similar to the PANDA key-exchange, in that if observed, the adversary can race to establish the communication channel instead of the intended participant. [0]
SMP is initialized with an in-person or out-of-band introduction message, where Alice provides Bob with details of a server (including IP address or host name, port, and hash of the long-lived offline certificate), a queue ID, and Alice's public keys to agree e2e encryption. These introductions are similar to the PANDA key-exchange, in that if observed, the adversary can race to establish the communication channel instead of the intended participant. [0]
Because queues are uni-directional, Bob provides an identically-formatted introduction message to Alice over Alice's now-established receiving queue.
@@ -145,6 +172,7 @@ When setting up a queue, the server will create separate sender and recipient qu
[0] Users can additionally create public 'contact queues' that are only used to receive connection requests.
#### SimpleX Agents
SimpleX agents provide higher-level operations compared to SimpleX Clients, who are primarily concerned with creating queues and communicating with servers using SMP. Agent operations include:
@@ -157,9 +185,10 @@ SimpleX agents provide higher-level operations compared to SimpleX Clients, who
- Noise traffic
#### Encryption Primitives Used
- Ed448 to sign/verify commands to SMP servers (Ed25519 is also supported via client/server configuration).
- Ed25519 or Curve25519 to authorize/verify commands to SMP servers (authorization algorithm is set via client/server configuration).
- Curve25519 for DH exchange to agree:
- the shared secret between server and recipient (to encrypt message bodies - it avoids shared cipher-text in sender and recipient traffic)
- the shared secret between sender and recipient (to encrypt messages end-to-end in each queue - it avoids shared cipher-text in redundant queues).
@@ -170,42 +199,44 @@ SimpleX agents provide higher-level operations compared to SimpleX Clients, who
- AES-GCM AEAD cipher,
- SHA512-based HKDF for key derivation.
## Threat Model
#### Global Assumptions
- A user protects their local database and key material
- The user's application is authentic, and no local malware is running
- The cryptographic primitives in use are not broken
- A user protects their local database and key material.
- The user's application is authentic, and no local malware is running.
- The cryptographic primitives in use are not broken.
- A user's choice of servers is not directly tied to their identity or otherwise represents distinguishing information about the user.
- The user's client uses 2-hop onion message routing.
#### A passive adversary able to monitor the traffic of one user
*can:*
- identify that and when a user is using SimpleX
- identify that and when a user is using SimpleX.
- block SimpleX traffic
- determine which servers the user communicates with
- determine which servers the user receives the messages from.
- observe how much traffic is being sent, and make guesses as to its purpose.
*cannot:*
- see who sends messages to the user and who the user sends the messages to
- see who sends messages to the user and who the user sends the messages to.
- determine the servers used by users' contacts.
#### A passive adversary able to monitor a set of senders and recipients
*can:*
- identify who and when is using SimpleX
- identify who and when is using SimpleX.
- learn which SimpleX Messaging Protocol servers are used as receive queues for which users
- learn which SimpleX Messaging Protocol servers are used as receive queues for which users.
- learn when messages are sent and received
- learn when messages are sent and received.
- perform traffic correlation attacks against senders and recipients and correlate senders and recipients within the monitored set, frustrated by the number of users on the servers
- perform traffic correlation attacks against senders and recipients and correlate senders and recipients within the monitored set, frustrated by the number of users on the servers.
- observe how much traffic is being sent, and make guesses as to its purpose
@@ -217,43 +248,83 @@ SimpleX agents provide higher-level operations compared to SimpleX Clients, who
*can:*
- learn when a queue recipient or sender is online
- learn when a queue recipient is online
- know how many messages are sent via the queue (although some may be noise)
- know how many messages are sent via the queue (although some may be noise or not content messages).
- perform queue correlation (matching multiple queues to a single user) via either a re-used transport connection, user's IP Address, or connection timing regularities
- learn which messages would trigger notifications even if a user does not use [push notifications](./push-notifications.md).
- learn a user's IP address, track them through other IP addresses they use to access the same queue, and infer information (e.g. employer) based on the IP addresses, as long as Tor is not used.
- perform the correlation of the queue used to receive messages (matching multiple queues to a single user) via either a re-used transport connection, user's IP Address, or connection timing regularities.
- drop all future messages inserted into a queue, detectable only over other, redundant queues
- learn a recipient's IP address, track them through other IP addresses they use to access the same queue, and infer information (e.g. employer) based on the IP addresses, as long as Tor is not used.
- drop all future messages inserted into a queue, detectable only over other, redundant queues.
- lie about the state of a queue to the recipient and/or to the sender (e.g. suspended or deleted when it is not).
- spam a user with invalid messages
- spam a user with invalid messages.
*cannot:*
- undetectably add, duplicate, or corrupt individual messages
- undetectably add, duplicate, or corrupt individual messages.
- undetectably drop individual messages, so long as a subsequent message is delivered
- undetectably drop individual messages, so long as a subsequent message is delivered.
- learn the contents of messages
- learn the contents or type of messages.
- distinguish noise messages from regular messages except via timing regularities
- distinguish noise messages from regular messages except via timing regularities.
- compromise the user's end-to-end encryption with an active attack
- compromise the users' end-to-end encryption with an active attack.
- learn a sender's IP address, track them through other IP addresses they use to access the same queue, and infer information (e.g. employer) based on the IP addresses, even if Tor is not used (provided messages are sent via proxy SMP server).
- perform senders' queue correlation (matching multiple queues to a single sender) via either a re-used transport connection, user's IP Address, or connection timing regularities, unless it has additional information from the proxy SMP server (provided messages are sent via proxy SMP server).
#### SimpleX Messaging Protocol server that proxies the messages to another SMP server
*can:*
- learn a sender's IP address, as long as Tor is not used.
- learn when a sender with a given IP address is online.
- know how many messages are sent from a given IP address and to a given destination SMP server.
- drop all messages from a given IP address or to a given destination server.
- unless destination SMP server detects repeated public DH keys of senders, replay messages to a destination server within a single session, causing either duplicate message delivery (which will be detected and ignored by the receiving clients), or, when receiving client is not connected to SMP server, exhausting capacity of destination queues used within the session.
*cannot:*
- perform queue correlation (matching multiple queues to a single user), unless it has additional information from the destination SMP server.
- undetectably add, duplicate, or corrupt individual messages.
- undetectably drop individual messages, so long as a subsequent message is delivered.
- learn the contents or type of messages.
- learn which messages would trigger notifications.
- learn the destination queues of messages.
- distinguish noise messages from regular messages except via timing regularities.
- compromise the user's end-to-end encryption with another user via an active attack.
- compromise the user's end-to-end encryption with the destination SMP servers via an active attack.
#### An attacker who obtained Alice's (decrypted) chat database
*can:*
- see the history of all messages exchanged by Alice with her communication partners
- see the history of all messages exchanged by Alice with her communication partners.
- see shared profiles of contacts and groups
- see shared profiles of contacts and groups.
- surreptitiously receive new messages sent to Alice via existing queues; until communication queues are rotated or the Double-Ratchet advances forward
- surreptitiously receive new messages sent to Alice via existing queues; until communication queues are rotated or the Double-Ratchet advances forward.
- prevent Alice from receiving all new messages sent to her - either surreptitiously by emptying the queues regularly or overtly by deleting them
- prevent Alice from receiving all new messages sent to her - either surreptitiously by emptying the queues regularly or overtly by deleting them.
- send messages from the user to their contacts; recipients will detect it as soon as the user sends the next message, because the previous message hash won’t match (and potentially won’t be able to decrypt them in case they don’t keep the previous ratchet keys).
@@ -269,41 +340,41 @@ SimpleX agents provide higher-level operations compared to SimpleX Clients, who
*can:*
- spam the user with messages
- spam the user with messages.
- forever retain messages from the user
- forever retain messages from the user.
*cannot:*
- cryptographically prove to a third-party that a message came from a user (assuming the user’s device is not seized)
- cryptographically prove to a third-party that a message came from a user (assuming the user’s device is not seized).
- prove that two contacts they have is the same user
- prove that two contacts they have is the same user.
- cannot collaborate with another of the user's contacts to confirm they are communicating with the same user
- cannot collaborate with another of the user's contacts to confirm they are communicating with the same user.
#### An attacker who observes Alice showing an introduction message to Bob
*can:*
- Impersonate Bob to Alice
- Impersonate Bob to Alice.
*cannot:*
- Impersonate Alice to Bob
- Impersonate Alice to Bob.
#### An attacker with Internet access
*can:*
- Denial of Service SimpleX messaging servers
- Denial of Service SimpleX messaging servers.
- spam a user's public “contact queue” with connection requests
- spam a user's public “contact queue” with connection requests.
*cannot:*
- send messages to a user who they are not connected with
- send messages to a user who they are not connected with.
It is a reasonable assumption that "record-now-decrypt-later" attacks are ongoing, so the users want to use cryptographic schemes for end-to-end encryption that are augmented with some post-quantum algorithm that is believed to be resistant to quantum computers.
SimpleX Chat uses [double-ratchet with header encryption](https://signal.org/docs/specifications/doubleratchet/#double-ratchet-with-header-encryption) to provide end-to-end encryption to messages and files. This document describes augmented algorithm with post-quantum key encapsulation mechanism (KEM) making it resistant to quantum computers.
Double-ratchet algorithm is a state of the art solution for end to end encryption offering a set of qualities that is not present in any other algorithm:
- perfect forward secrecy, i.e. compromise of session or long term keys does not lead to the ability to decrypt any of the past messages.
- deniability (also known as repudiation), i.e. the fact that the recipient of the message while having the proof of message authenticity, cannot prove to a third party that the sender actually sent this message.
- break-in recovery (also know as post-compromise security or future secrecy), i.e. the ability of the end-to-end encryption security to recover from the compromise of the long term keys. This is achieved by generating a new random key pair whenever a new DH key is received (DH ratchet step).
It is desirable to preserve all these qualities when augmenting the algorithm with a post-quantum algorithm, and having these qualities resistant to both conventional and quantum computers.
## Comparison with the other approaches
### PQXDH for post-quantum key agreement
[The solution](https://signal.org/docs/specifications/pqxdh/) recently [introduced by Signal](https://signal.org/blog/pqxdh/) augments the initial key agreement ([X3DH](https://signal.org/docs/specifications/x3dh/)) that is made prior to double ratchet algorithm. This is believed to provide protection from "record-now-decrypt-later" attack, but if the attacker at any point obtains long term keys from any of the devices, the break-in recovery will not be post-quantum resistant, and the attacker with quantum computer will be able to decrypt all the subsequent messages.
### Hybrid Signal protocol for post-quantum encryption
[The solution](https://eprint.iacr.org/2021/875.pdf) [proposed by Tutanota](https://tutanota.com/blog/posts/pqmail-update/) aims to preserve the break-in recovery property of double ratchet, but in doing so it:
- replaces rather than augments DH key agreement with post-quantum KEM mechanism, making it potentially vulnerable to conventional computers.
- adds signature to the DH ratchet step, to compensate for not keeping DH key agreement, but losing the deniability property for some of the messages.
## Augmented double ratchet algorithm
The double ratchet algorithm is augmented with post-quantum KEM mechanism, preserving all properties of the double ratchet algorithm.
It is possible, because although double ratchet uses DH (which is a non-interactive key exchanges), it uses it "interactively", when the new DH keys are generated by both parties in turns. Parties of double-ratchet encrypted communication can run two post-quantum key encapsulation mechanisms in parallel with both DH and KEM key agreements in each DH ratchet step, making break-in recovery of double ratchet algorithm post-quantum resistant, without losing deniability or resistance to conventional computers.
Specifically, [double ratchet with encrypted headers](https://signal.org/docs/specifications/doubleratchet/#double-ratchet-with-header-encryption) is augmented with some post-quantum key encapsulation mechanism (KEM) as described below. A possible algorithm for PQ KEM is [NTRU-prime](https://ntruprime.cr.yp.to), that is currently adopted in SSH and has available implementations. It is important though that the proposed scheme can be used with any PQ KEM algorithm.
The downside of the scheme is its substantial size overhead, as the encapsulation key and encapsulated shared secret are added to the header of each message. For the algorithm described below NTRU-prime adds ~2-4kb to each message (depending on the key size and the chosen variant). See [this table](https://ntruprime.cr.yp.to/security.html) for key and ciphertext sizes and the assessment of the security level for various key sizes.
It is possible to reduce size overhead by using only one KEM agreement and making only one of two ratchet steps providing post-quantum resistant break-in recovery.
## Double ratchet with encrypted headers augmented with double PQ KEM
Algorithm below assumes that in addition to shared secret from the initial key agreement, there will be an encapsulation key available from the party that published its keys (Bob).
### Initialization
The double ratchet initialization is defined in pseudo-code. This pseudo-code is identical to Signal algorithm specification except for that parts that add post-quantum key agreement.
```
// Alice obtained Bob's keys and initializes ratchet first
Other than commented lines, the above adds parameters `bob_pq_kem_encapsulation_key` and `bob_pq_kem_key_pair` to the ratchet initialization. Otherwise it is identical to the original double ratchet initialization.
### Encrypting messages
```
def RatchetEncryptPQ2HE(state, plaintext, AD):
state.CKs, mk = KDF_CK(state.CKs)
// encapsulation key from PQRs and encapsulated shared secret is added to header
Other than adding encapsulation key and encapsulated shared secret into the header, the above is identical to the original double ratchet message encryption step.
`DHRatchetPQ2HE` augments both DH agreements with decapsulated shared secret from the received header and with the new shared secret, respectively. The new shared secret together with the new encapsulation key are saved in the state and will be added to the header in the next sent message.
Other than augmenting DH key agreements with the shared secrets from KEM, the above is identical to the original double ratchet DH ratchet step.
It is worth noting that while DH agreements work as ping-pong, when the new received DH key is used for both DH agreements (and only the sent DH key is updated for the second DH key agreement), PQ KEM agreements in the proposed scheme work as a "parallel ping-pong", with two balls in play all the time (two KEM agreements run in parallel).
## Implementation considerations for SimpleX Messaging Protocol
As SimpleX Messaging Protocol pads messages to a fixed size, using 16kb transport blocks, the size increase introduced by this scheme can be compensated for by using ZSTD encryption of JSON bodies and image previews encoded as base64. While there may be some rare cases of random texts that would fail to compress, in all real scenarios it would not cause the message size reduction.
Sharing the initial keys in case of SimpleX Chat it is equivalent to sharing the invitation link. As encapsulation key is large, it may be inconvenient to share it in the link in some contexts, e.g. when QR codes are used.
It is possible to postpone sharing the encapsulation key until the first message from Alice (confirmation message in SMP protocol), the party sending connection request. The upside here is that the invitation link size would not increase. The downside is that the user profile shared in this confirmation will not be encrypted with PQ-resistant algorithm.
Another consideration is pairwise ratchets in groups. Key generation in sntrup761 is quite slow - on slow devices it can be as slow as 10-20 keys per second, so using this primitive in groups larger than 10-20 members would result in slow performance.
For backward compatibility the implementation must support adding PQ-resistant key agreement to the existing connections.
It is also beneficial to support removing PQ-resistant key agreement from the connections that have them, e.g. as the group size grows.
### Chosen KEM algorithm
The implementation uses Streamlined NTRU-Prime 761 (sntrup761) that was also used for OpenSSH for a long time.
It was chosen over ML-KEM (Kyber) standardized by NIST for several reasons:
- sntrup761 was used in OpenSSH for a long period of time.
- ML-KEM standardization process raised [concerns](https://groups.google.com/a/list.nist.gov/g/pqc-forum/c/WFRDl8DqYQ4) [amongst](https://blog.cr.yp.to/20231003-countcorrectly.html) the experts.
- ML-KEM (if modified) is likely to have conflicts with the existing patents, unlike sntrup761.
It was chosen over non-interactive CTIDH due to its slower implementation, and lack of optimized code for aarch64 CPUs used in mobile devices.
## Summary
If chosen PQ KEM proves secure against quantum computer attacks, then the proposed augmented double ratchet will also be secure against quantum computer attack, including break-in recovery property, while keeping deniability and forward secrecy, because the [same proof](https://eprint.iacr.org/2016/1013.pdf) as for double ratchet algorithm would hold here, provided chosen KEM is secure.
SimpleX Messaging servers already operate as push servers and deliver the messages to subscribed clients as soon as they are sent to the servers.
The reason for push notifications is to support instant message notifications on iOS that does not allow background services.
## Participating servers
The diagram below shows which servers participate in message notification delivery.
While push provider (e.g., APN) can learn how many notifications are delivered to the user, it cannot access message content, even encrypted, or any message metadata - the notifications are e2e encrypted between SimpleX Notification Server and the user's device.
This diagram shows the process of subscription to notifications, notification delivery and device token update.

## SimpleX Notification Server protocol
To manage notification subscriptions to SMP servers, SimpleX Notification Server provides an RPC protocol with a similar design to SimpleX Messaging Protocol server.
This protocol sends requests and responses in a fixed size blocks of 512 bytes over TLS, uses the same [syntax of protocol transmissions](./simplex-messaging.md#smp-transmission-and-transport-block-structure) as SMP protocol, and has the same transport [handshake syntax](./simplex-messaging.md#transport-handshake) (except the server certificate is not included in the handshake).
This command should be used when push provider issues a new notification token.
It happens when:
- the app data is migrated to another device.
- the app is re-installed on the same device.
- can happen periodically, at push provider discretion.
This command allows to replace the token without re-registering and re-subscribing all notification subscriptions.
Using this command triggers the same verification flow as registering a new token.
The command syntax:
```abnf
replaceTokenCmd = %s"TRPL" SP deviceToken
```
The response to this command is `okResp` or `errorResp`.
### Delete notification token
The command syntax:
```abnf
deleteTokenCmd = %s"TDEL"
```
The response to this command is `okResp` or `errorResp`.
After this command all message notification subscriptions will be removed and no more notifications will be sent.
### Subscribe to periodic notifications
This command enables or disables periodic notifications sent to the client device irrespective of message notifications.
This is useful for two reasons:
- it provides better privacy from notification server, as while the server learns the device token, it doesn't learn anything else about user communications.
- it allows to receive messages when notifications were dropped by push provider, e.g. while the device was offline, or lost by notification server, e.g. while it was restarting.
The command syntax:
```abnf
cronCmd = %s"TCRN" SP interval
interval = 2*2 OCTET ; Word16, minutes
```
The interval for periodic notifications is set in minutes, with the minimum of 20 minutes. The client should pass `0` to disable periodic notifications.
### Create SMP message notification subscription
This command makes notification server subscribe to message notifications from SMP server and to deliver them to push provider:
tokenId = shortString ; returned in response to `TNEW` command
smpServer = smpServer = hosts port fingerprint
hosts = length 1*host
host = shortString
port = shortString
fingerprint = shortString
notifierId = shortString ; returned by SMP server in response to `NKEY` SMP command
notifierKey = length x509encoded ; private key used to authorize requests to subscribe to message notifications
```
The response syntax:
```abnf
subIdResp = %s"IDSUB" SP entityId
```
### Check notification subscription status
This command syntax:
```abnf
checkSubCmd = %s"SCHK"
```
The response:
```abnf
subStatusResp = %s"SUB" SP subStatus
subStatus = %s"NEW" / %s"PENDING" / ; e.g., after SMP server disconnect/timeout while ntf server is retrying to connect
%s"ACTIVE" / %s"INACTIVE" / %s"END" / ; if another server subscribed to notifications
%s"AUTH" / subErrStatus
subErrStatus = %s"ERR" SP shortString
```
### Delete notification subscription
The command syntax:
```abnf
deleteSubCmd = %s"SDEL"
```
The response to this command is `okResp` or `errorResp`.
After this command no more message notifications will be sent from this queue.
### Error responses
All commands can return error response:
```abnf
errorResp = %s"ERR" SP errorType
```
Where `errorType` has the same syntax as in [SimpleX Messaging Protocol](./simplex-messaging.md#error-responses)
## Threat Model
This threat model compliments SimpleX Messaging Protocol [threat model](./overview-tjr.md#threat-model)
#### A passive adversary able to monitor the traffic of one user
*can:*
- identify that and a user is using SimpleX push notifications.
*cannot:*
- determine which servers a user subscribed to the notifications from.
#### A passive adversary able to monitor a set of senders and recipients
*can:*
- perform more efficient traffic correlation attacks against senders and recipients and correlate senders and recipients within the monitored set, frustrated by the number of users on the servers.
#### SimpleX Messaging Protocol server
*can:*
- learn which messages trigger push notifications.
- learn IP address of SimpleX notification servers used by the user.
- drop message notifications.
- spam a user with invalid notifications.
*cannot:*
- learn user device token for push notifications.
- learn which queues belong to the same users with any additional efficiency compared with not using push notifications.
#### SimpleX Notification Server subscribed to message notifications
*can:*
- learn a user device token.
- learn how many messaging queues and servers a user receives messages from.
- learn how many message notifications are delivered to the user from each queue.
- undetectably drop notifications.
- spam a user with background notifications.
*cannot:*
- learn queue addresses for receiving or sending messages.
- learn the contents or type of messages (not even encrypted).
- learn anything about messages sent without notification flag.
- spam a user with visible notifications (provided the client app can filter push notifications).
- add, duplicate, or corrupt individual messages that will be shown to the user.
#### SimpleX Notification Server subscribed ONLY to periodic notifications
*can:*
- learn a user device token.
- drop periodic notifications.
- spam a user with background notifications.
*cannot:*
- learn how many messaging queues and servers a user receives messages from.
- learn how many message notifications are delivered to the user from each queue.
- learn queue addresses for receiving or sending messages.
- learn the contents or type of messages (not even encrypted).
- learn anything about messages sent without notification flag.
- spam a user with visible notifications (provided the client app can filter push notifications).
- add, duplicate, or corrupt individual messages that will be shown to the user.
#### A user’s contact
*cannot:*
- determine if a user uses push notifications or not.
#### Push notification provider (e.g., APN)
*can:*
- learn that a user uses SimpleX app.
- learn how many notifications are delivered to user's device.
- drop notifications (in fact, APN coalesces notifications delivered while user's device is offline, delivering only the last one).
*cannot:*
- learn which SimpleX Messaging Protocol servers are used by a user (notifications are e2e encrypted).
- learn which or how many messaging queues a user receives notifications from.
- learn the contents or type of messages (not even encrypted, notifications only contain encrypted metadata).
#### An attacker with Internet access
*cannot:*
- register notification token not present on attacker's device.
- enumerate tokens or subscriptions on a SimpleX Notification Server.
SimpleX File Transfer Protocol is a client-server protocol for asynchronous unidirectional file transmission.
It's designed with the focus on communication security, integrity and meta-data privacy, under the assumption that any part of the message transmission network can be compromised.
It is designed as a application level protocol to solve the problem of secure and private file transmission, making [MITM attacks][1] very difficult at any part of the file transmission system, and preserving meta-data privacy of the sent files.
## Introduction
The objective of SimpleX File Transfer Protocol (XFTP) is to facilitate the secure and private unidirectional transfer of files from senders to recipients via persistent file chunks stored by the xftp server.
XFTP is implemented as an application level protocol on top of HTTP2 and TLS.
The protocol describes the set of commands that senders and recipients can send to XFTP servers to create, upload, download and delete file chunks of several pre-defined sizes. XFTP servers SHOULD support chunks of 4 sizes: 64KB, 256KB, 1MB and 4MB (1KB = 1024 bytes, 1MB = 1024KB).
The protocol is designed with the focus on meta-data privacy and security. While using TLS, the protocol does not rely on TLS security by using additional encryption to achieve that there are no identifiers or ciphertext in common in received and sent server traffic, frustrating traffic correlation even if TLS is compromised.
XFTP does not use any form of participants' identities. It relies on out-of-band passing of "file description" - a human-readable YAML document with the list of file chunk locations, hashes and necessary cryptographic keys.
## XFTP Model
The XFTP model has three communication participants: the recipient, the file server (XFTP server) that is chosen and, possibly, controlled by the sender, and the sender.
XFTP server allows uploading fixed size file chunks, with or without basic authentication. The same party that can be the sender of one file chunk can be the recipient of another, without exposing it to the server.
Each file chunk allows multiple recipients, each recipient can download the same chunk multiple times. It allows depending on the threat model use the same recipient credentials for multiple parties, thus reducing server ability to understand the number of intended recipients (but server can still track IP addresses to determine it), or use one unique set of credentials for each recipient, frustrating traffic correlation on the assumption of compromised TLS. In the latter case, senders can create a larger number of recipient credentials to hide the actual number of intended recipients from the servers (which is what SimpleX clients do).
chunk N --------------------------- +---------+ --------------------- chunk N
| | (store file chunks) | |
| | | |
| | | |
```
When sender client uploads a file chunk, it has to register it first with one sender ID and multiple recipient IDs, and one random unique key per ID to authenticate sender and recipients, and also provide its size and hash that will be validated when chunk is uploaded.
To send the actual file, the sender client MUST pad it and encrypt it with a random symmetric key and distribute chunks of fixed sized across multiple XFTP servers. Information about chunk locations, keys, hashes and required keys is passed to the recipients as "[file description](#file-description)" out-of-band.
Creating, uploading, downloading and deleting file chunks requires sending commands to the XFTP server - they are described in detail in [XFTP commands](#xftp-commands) section.
## Persistence model
Server stores file chunk records in memory, with optional adding to append-only log, to allow restoring them on server restart. File chunk bodies can be stored as files or as objects in any object store (e.g. S3).
## XFTP procedure
1. Sending the file.
To send the file, the sender will:
1) Prepare file
- compute its SHA512 digest.
- prepend header with the name and pad the file to match the whole number of chunks in size. It is RECOMMENDED to use 2 of 4 allowed chunk sizes, to balance upload size and metadata privacy.
- encrypt it with a randomly chosen symmetric key and IV (e.g., using NaCL secret_box).
- split into allowed size chunks.
- generate per-recipient keys. It is recommended that the sending client generates more per-recipient keys than the actual number of recipients, rounding up to a power of 2, to conceal the actual number of intended recipients.
2) Upload file chunks
- register each chunk record with randomly chosen one or more (for redundancy) XFTP server(s).
- optionally request additional recipient IDs, if required number of recipient keys didn't fit into register request.
- upload each chunk to chosen server(s).
3) Prepare file descriptions, one per recipient.
The sending client combines addresses of all chunks and other information into "file description", different for each file recipient, that will include:
- an encryption key used to encrypt/decrypt the full file (the same for all recipients).
- file SHA512 digest to validate download.
- list of chunk descriptions; information for each chunk:
- private Ed25519 key to sign commands for file transfer server.
- chunk address (server host and chunk ID).
- chunk sha512 digest.
To reduce the size of file description, chunks are grouped by the server host.
4) Send file description(s) to the recipient(s) out-of-band, via pre-existing secure and authenticated channel. E.g., SimpleX clients send it as messages via SMP protocol, but it can be done via any other channel.
- `key` - symmetric encryption key to decrypt the file, base64url encoded string.
- `nonce` - nonce to decrypt the file, base64url encoded string.
- `chunkSize` - default chunk size, see `fileSize` syntax below.
- `replicas` - the array of file chunk replicas descriptions.
- `redirect` - optional property for redirect information indicating that the file is itself a description to another file, allowing to use file description as a short URI.
Each replica description is an object with 2 fields:
- `chunks` - and array of chunk replica descriptions stored on one server.
- `server` - [server address](#xftp-server-uri) where the chunks can be downloaded from.
Each server replica description is a string with this syntax:
- `size` - the size of the original encrypted file to which file description downloaded via the current file description will lead to, see `fileSize` syntax below.
- `digest` - SHA512 hash of the original file, base64url encoded string.
## URIs syntax
### XFTP server URI
The XFTP server address is a URI with the following syntax:
This file description URI can be generated by the client application to share a small file description as a QR code or as a link. Practically, to be able to scan a QR code it should be under 1000 characters, so only file descriptions with 1-2 chunks can be used in this case. This is supported with `redirect` property when file description leads to a file which in itself is a larger file description to another file - akin to URL shortener.
clientAppServer is not a server the client connects to - it is a server that shows the instruction on how to download the client app that will connect using this connection request. This server can also host a mobile or desktop app manifest so that this link is opened directly in the app if it is installed on the device.
"simplex" URI scheme in serviceScheme can be used instead of client app server. Client apps MUST support this URI scheme.
## XFTP qualities and features
XFTP stands for SimpleX File Transfer Protocol. Its design is based on the same ideas and has some of the qualities of SimpleX Messaging Protocol:
- recipient cannot see sender's IP address, as the file fragments (chunks) are temporarily stored on multiple XFTP relays.
- file can be sent asynchronously, without requiring the sender to be online for file to be received.
- there is no network of peers that can observe this transfer - sender chooses which XFTP relays to use, and can self-host their own.
- XFTP relays do not have any file metadata - they only see individual chunks, with access to each chunk authorized with anonymous credentials (using Edwards curve cryptographic signature) that are random per chunk.
- chunks have one of the sizes allowed by the servers - 64KB, 256KB, 1MB and 4MB chunks, so sending a large file looks indistinguishable from sending many small files to XFTP server. If the same transport connection is reused, server would only know that chunks are sent by the same user.
- each chunk can be downloaded by multiple recipients, but each recipient uses their own key and chunk ID to authorize access, and the chunk is encrypted by a different key agreed via ephemeral DH keys (NaCl crypto_box (SalsaX20Poly1305 authenticated encryption scheme ) with shared secret derived from Curve25519 key exchange) on the way from the server to each recipient. XFTP protocol as a result has the same quality as SMP protocol - there are no identifiers and ciphertext in common between sent and received traffic inside TLS connection, so even if TLS is compromised, it complicates traffic correlation attacks.
- XFTP protocol supports redundancy - each file chunk can be sent via multiple relays, and the recipient can choose the one that is available. Current implementation of XFTP protocol in SimpleX Chat does not support redundancy though.
- the file as a whole is encrypted with a random symmetric key using NaCl secret_box.
## Cryptographic algorithms
Clients must cryptographically authorize XFTP commands, see [Command authentication](#command-authentication).
To authorize/verify transmissions clients and servers MUST use either signature algorithm Ed25519 algorithm defined in RFC8709 or using deniable authentication scheme based on NaCL crypto_box (see Simplex Messaging Protocol).
To encrypt/decrypt file chunk bodies delivered to the recipients, servers/clients MUST use NaCL crypto_box.
Clients MUST encrypt file chunk bodies sent via XFTP servers using use NaCL crypto_box.
## File chunk IDs
XFTP servers MUST generate a separate new set of IDs for each new chunk - for the sender (that uploads the chunk) and for each intended recipient. It is REQUIRED that:
- These IDs are different and unique within the server.
- Based on random bytes generated with cryptographically strong pseudo-random number generator.
## Server security requirements
XFTP server implementations MUST NOT create, store or send to any other servers:
- Logs of the client commands and transport connections in the production environment.
- History of retrieved files.
- Snapshots of the database they use to store file chunks (instead clients can manage redundancy by creating chunk replicas using more than one XFTP server). In-memory persistence is recommended for file chunks records.
- Any other information that may compromise privacy or [forward secrecy][4] of communication between clients using XFTP servers.
## Transport protocol
- binary-encoded commands sent as fixed-size padded block in the body of HTTP2 POST request, similar to SMP and notifications server protocol transmission encodings.
- HTTP2 POST with a fixed size padded block body for file upload and download.
Block size - 4096 bytes (it would fit ~120 Ed25519 recipient keys).
The reasons to use HTTP2:
- avoid the need to have two hostnames (or two different ports) for commands and file uploads.
- compatibility with the existing HTTP2 client libraries.
The reason not to use JSON bodies:
- bigger request size, so fewer recipient keys would fit in a single request
- signature over command has to be outside of JSON anyway.
The reason not to use URI segments / HTTP verbs / REST semantics is to have consistent request size.
### ALPN to agree handshake version
Client and server use [ALPN extension][18] of TLS to agree handshake version.
Server SHOULD send `xftp/1` protocol name and the client should confirm this name in order to use the current protocol version. This is added to allow support of older clients without breaking backward compatibility and to extend or modify handshake syntax.
If the client does not confirm this protocol name, the server would fall back to v1 of XFTP protocol.
### Transport handshake
When a client and a server agree on handshake version using ALPN extension, they should proceed with XFTP handshake.
As with SMP, a client doesn't reveal its version range to avoid version fingerprinting. Unlike SMP, XFTP runs a HTTP2 protocol over TLS and the server can't just send its handshake right away. So a session handshake is driven by client-sent requests:
1. To pass initiative to the server, the client sends a request with empty body.
2. Server responds with its `paddedServerHello` block.
3. Clients sends a request containing `paddedClientHello` block,
4. Server sends an empty response, finalizing the handshake.
Once TLS handshake is complete, client and server will exchange blocks of fixed size (16384 bytes).
; unique session identifier derived from transport connection handshake
serverCert = originalLength <x509encoded>
signedServerKey = originalLength <x509encoded> ; signed by server certificate
paddedClientHello = <padded(clientHello, 16384)>
clientHello = xftpVersion keyHash ignoredPart
; chosen XFTP protocol version - must be the maximum supported version
; within the range offered by the server
xftpVersion = 2*2OCTET ; Word16 version number
keyHash = shortString
shortString = length length*OCTET
length = 1*1OCTET
originalLength = 2*2OCTET
ignoredPart = *OCTET
```
In XFTP v2 the handshake is only used for version negotiation, but `serverCert` and `signedServerKey` must be validated by the client.
`keyHash` is the CA fingerprint used by client to validate TLS certificate chain and is checked by a server against its own key.
`ignoredPart` in handshake allows to add additional parameters in handshake without changing protocol version - the client and servers must ignore any extra bytes within the original block length.
For TLS transport client should assert that `sessionIdentifier` is equal to `tls-unique` channel binding defined in [RFC 5929][14] (TLS Finished message struct); we pass it in `serverHello` block to allow communication over some other transport protocol (possibly, with another channel binding).
### Requests and responses
- File sender:
- create file chunk record.
- Parameters:
- Ed25519 key for subsequent sender commands and Ed25519 keys for commands of each recipient.
- chunk size.
- Response:
- chunk ID for the sender and different IDs for all recipients.
- add recipients to file chunk
- Parameters:
- sender's chunk ID
- Ed25519 keys for commands of each recipient.
- Response:
- chunk IDs for new recipients.
- upload file chunk.
- delete file chunk (invalidates all recipient IDs).
- File recipient:
- download file chunk:
- chunk ID
- DH key for additional encryption of the chunk.
- command should be signed with the key passed by the sender when creating chunk record.
- delete file chunk ID (only for one recipient): signed with the same key.
## XFTP commands
Commands syntax below is provided using ABNF with case-sensitive strings extension.
The syntax of specific commands and responses is defined below.
### Correlating responses with commands
Commands are made via HTTP2 requests, responses to commands are correlated as HTTP2 responses.
### Command authentication
XFTP servers must authenticate all transmissions (excluding `ping`) by verifying the client signatures. Command signature should be generated by applying the algorithm specified for the file to the `signed` block of the transmission, using the key associated with the file chunk ID (recipient's or sender's depending on which file chunk ID is used).
### Keep-alive command
To keep the transport connection alive and to generate noise traffic the clients should use `ping` command to which the server responds with `pong` response. This command should be sent unsigned and without file chunk ID.
```abnf
ping = %s"PING"
```
This command is always sent unsigned.
data FileResponse = ... | FRPong | ...
```abnf
pong = %s"PONG"
```
### File sender commands
Sending any of the commands in this section (other than `register`, that is sent without file chunk ID) is only allowed with sender's ID.
#### Register new file chunk
This command is sent by the sender to the XFTP server to register a new file chunk.
Servers SHOULD support basic auth with this command, to allow only server owners and trusted users to create file chunks on the servers.
If the file chunk is registered successfully, the server must send `sndIds` response with the sender's and recipients' file chunk IDs:
```abnf
sndIds = %s"SIDS " senderId recipientIds
senderId = length *OCTET
recipientIds = length 1*recipientId
recipientId = length *OCTET
```
#### Add file chunk recipients
This command is sent by the sender to the XFTP server to add additional recipient keys to the file chunk record, in case number of keys requested by client didn't fit into `register` command. The syntax is:
```abnf
add = %s"FADD " rcvPublicAuthKeys
rcvPublicAuthKeys = length 1*rcvPublicAuthKey
rcvPublicAuthKey = length x509encoded
```
If additional keys were added successfully, the server must send `rcvIds` response with the added recipients' file chunk IDs:
```abnf
rcvIds = %s"RIDS " recipientIds
recipientIds = length 1*recipientId
recipientId = length *OCTET
```
#### Upload file chunk
This command is sent by the sender to the XFTP server to upload file chunk body to server. The syntax is:
```abnf
put = %s"FPUT"
```
Chunk body is streamed via HTTP2 request.
If file chunk body was successfully received, the server must send `ok` response.
```abnf
ok = %s"OK"
```
#### Delete file chunk
This command is sent by the sender to the XFTP server to delete file chunk from the server. The syntax is:
```abnf
delete = %s"FDEL"
```
Server should delete file chunk record, invalidating all recipient IDs, and delete file body from file storage. If file chunk was successfully deleted, the server must send `ok` response.
### File recipient commands
Sending any of the commands in this section is only allowed with recipient's ID.
#### Download file chunk
This command is sent by the recipient to the XFTP server to download file chunk body from the server. The syntax is:
```abnf
get = %s"FGET " rDhKey
rDhKey = length x509encoded
```
If requested file is successfully located, the server must send `file` response. File chunk body is sent as HTTP2 response body.
```abnf
file = %s"FILE " sDhKey cbNonce
sDhKey = length x509encoded
cbNonce = <nonce used in NaCl crypto_box encryption scheme>
```
Chunk is additionally encrypted on the way from the server to the recipient using a key agreed via ephemeral DH keys `rDhKey` and `sDhKey`, so there is no ciphertext in common between sent and received traffic inside TLS connection, in order to complicate traffic correlation attacks, if TLS is compromised.
#### Acknowledge file chunk download
This command is sent by the recipient to the XFTP server to acknowledge file reception, deleting file ID from server for this recipient. The syntax is:
```abnf
ack = %s"FACK"
```
If file recipient ID is successfully deleted, the server must send `ok` response.
In current implementation of XFTP protocol in SimpleX Chat clients don't use FACK command. Files are automatically expired on servers after configured time interval.
## Threat model
#### Global Assumptions
- A user protects their local database and key material.
- The user's application is authentic, and no local malware is running.
- The cryptographic primitives in use are not broken.
- A user's choice of servers is not directly tied to their identity or otherwise represents distinguishing information about the user.
#### A passive adversary able to monitor the traffic of one user
*can:*
- identify that and when a user is sending files over XFTP protocol.
- determine which servers the user sends/receives files to/from.
- observe how much traffic is being sent, and make guesses as to its purpose.
*cannot:*
- see who sends files to the user and who the user sends the files to.
#### A passive adversary able to monitor a set of file senders and recipients
*can:*
- learn which XFTP servers are used to send and receive files for which users.
- learn when files are sent and received.
- perform traffic correlation attacks against senders and recipients and correlate senders and recipients within the monitored set, frustrated by the number of users on the servers.
- observe how much traffic is being sent, and make guesses as to its purpose.
- in case of a compromised transport protocol, correlate file senders and receivers.
*cannot, in case of a non-compromised transport protocol:*
- perform traffic correlation attacks.
#### XFTP server
*can:*
- learn when file senders and recipients are online.
- know how many file chunks and chunk sizes are sent via the server.
- perform the correlation of the file chunks as belonging to one file via either a re-used transport connection, user's IP address, or connection timing regularities.
- learn file senders' and recipients' IP addresses, and infer information (e.g. employer) based on the IP addresses, as long as Tor is not used.
- delete file chunks, preventing file delivery, as long as redundant delivery is not used.
- lie about the state of a file chunk to the recipient and/or to the sender (e.g. deleted when it is not).
- refuse deleting the file when instructed by the sender.
*cannot:*
- undetectably corrupt file chunks.
- learn the contents, name or the exact size of sent files.
- learn approximate size of sent files, as long as more than one server is used to send file chunks.
- compromise the users' end-to-end encryption of files with an active attack.
#### An attacker who obtained Alice's (decrypted) chat database
*can:*
- see the history of all files exchanged by Alice with her communication partners, as long as files were not deleted from the database.
- receive all files sent and received by Alice that did not expire yet, as long as information about these files was not removed from the database.
- prevent Alice's contacts from receiving the files she sent by deleting all or some of the file chunks from XFTP servers.
#### A user's contact
*can:*
- spam the user with files.
- forever retain files from the user.
*cannot:*
- cryptographically prove to a third-party that a file came from a user (assuming the user's device is not seized).
- prove that two contacts they have is the same user.
- cannot collaborate with another of the user's contacts to confirm they are communicating with the same user, even if they receive the same file.
#### An attacker with Internet access
*can:*
- Denial of Service XFTP servers.
*cannot:*
- send files to a user who they are not connected with.
- [Key agreement for announcement packet and for session](#key-agreement-for-announcement-packet-and-for-session)
- [Threat model](#threat-model)
## Abstract
The SimpleX Remote Control Protocol is a client-server protocol designed to transform application UIs into thin clients, enabling remote control from another device. This approach allows users to remotely access and utilize chat profiles without the complexities of master-master replication for end-to-end encryption states.
Like SMP and XFTP, XRCP leverages out-of-band invitations to mitigate MITM attacks and employs multiple cryptographic layers to safeguard application data.
## XRCP model
XRCP assumes two application roles: host (that contain the application data) and controller that gains limited access to host data.
Applications are also split into two components: UI and core.
When an XRCP session is established a host UI is locked out and a controller UI uses its core to proxy commands to the host core, getting back responses and events.
The invitation to the first session between host and controller pair MUST be shared out-of-band, to establish a long term identity keys/certificates of the controller to host device.
The subsequent sessions can be announced via an application-defined site-local multicast group, e.g. `224.0.0.251` (also used in mDNS/bonjour) and an application-defined port (SimpleX Chat uses 5227).
The session invitation contains this data:
- supported version range for remote control protocol.
- application-specific information, e.g. device name, application name and supported version range, settings, etc.
- session start time in seconds since epoch.
- if multicast is used, counter of announce packets sent by controller.
- network address (ipv4 address and port) of the controller.
- CA TLS certificate fingerprint of the controller - this is part of long term identity of the controller established during the first session, and repeated in the subsequent session announcements.
- Session Ed25519 public key used to verify the announcement and commands - this mitigates the compromise of the long term signature key, as the controller will have to sign each command with this key first.
- Long-term Ed25519 public key used to verify the announcement and commands - this is part of the long term controller identity.
- Session X25519 DH key to agree session encryption (both for multicast announcement and for commands and responses in TLS), as described in https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-josefsson-ntruprime-hybrid/. The new keys are used for each session, and if client key is already available (from the previous session), the computed shared secret will be used to encrypt the announcement multicast packet. The out-of-band invitation is unencrypted. DH public key and KEM encapsulation key are sent unencrypted. NaCL crypto_box is used for encryption.
Host application decrypts (except the first session) and validates the invitation:
- Session signature is valid.
- Timestamp is within some window from the current time.
- Long-term key signature is valid.
- Long-term CA and signature key are the same as in the first session.
- Some version in the offered range is supported.
OOB session invitation is a URI with this syntax:
```abnf
sessionAddressUri = "xrcp:/" encodedCAFingerprint "@" host ":" port "#/?" qsParams
encodedCAFingerprint = base64url
host = <ipv4 or ipv6 address> ; in textual form, RFC4001
sessionAddress = largeLength sessionAddressUri ; as above
length = 1*1 OCTET ; for binary data up to 255 bytes
largeLength = 2*2 OCTET ; for binary data up to 65535 bytes
packetPad = <pad packet size to 1450 bytes> ; possibly, we may need to move KEM agreement one step later,
; with encapsulation key in HELLO block and KEM ciphertext in reply to HELLO.
```
### Establishing TLS connection
Both controller and host use 2-element certificate chains with unique self-signed CA root representing long-term identities. Leaf certificates aren't stored and instead generated on each session start.
A controller runs a TCP server to avoid opening listening socket on a host, which might create an attack vector. A controller keeps no sensitive data to be exposed this way.
During TLS handshake, parties validate certificate chains against previously known (from invitation or storage) CA fingerprints. The fingerprints MUST be the same as in the invitation and in the subsequent connections.
### Session verification and protocol negotiation
Once TLS session is established, both the host and controller devices present a "session security code" to the user who must match them (e.g., visually or via QR code scan) and confirm on the host device. The session security code must be a digest of tlsunique channel binding. As it is computed as a digest of the TLS handshake for both the controller and the host, it will validate that the same TLS certificates are used on both sides, and that the same TLS session is established, mitigating the possibility of MITM attack in the connection.
Once the session is confirmed by the user, the host sends HELLO block to the controller.
XRCP blocks inside TLS are padded to 16384 bytes.
Host HELLO block must contain:
- new session DH key - used to compute new shared secret with the controller keys from the announcement.
- encrypted part of HELLO block (JSON object), containing:
- chosen protocol version.
- host CA TLS certificate fingerprint - part of host long term identity - must match the one presented in TLS handshake and the previous sessions, otherwise the connection is terminated.
- KEM encapsulation key - used to compute new shared secret for the session.
- additional application specific parameters, e.g host device name, application version, host settings or JSON encoding format.
Host HELLO block syntax:
```abnf
hostHello = %s"HELLO " dhPubKey nonce encrypted(unpaddedSize hostHelloJSON helloPad) pad
unpaddedSize = largeLength
dhPubKey = length x509encoded
pad = <pad block size to 16384 bytes>
helloPad = <pad hello size to 12888 bytes>
largeLength = 2*2 OCTET
```
The controller decrypts (including the first session) and validates the received HELLO block:
- Chosen versions are supported (must be within offered ranges).
- CA fingerprint matches the one presented in TLS handshake and the previous sessions - in subsequent sessions TLS connection should be rejected if the fingerprint is different.
[JTD schema](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8927) for the encrypted part of host HELLO block `hostHelloJSON`:
JTD schema for the encrypted part of controller HELLO block `ctrlHelloJSON`:
```json
{
"properties": {},
"additionalProperties": true
}
```
Controller `hello` block and all subsequent protocol messages are encrypted with the chain keys derived from the hybrid key (see key exchange below) - that is why conntroller hello block does not include nonce. That provides forward secrecy within the XRCP session. Receiving this `hello` block allows host to compute the same hybrid keys and to derive the same chain keys.
Once the controller replies HELLO to the valid host HELLO block, it should stop accepting new TCP connections.
### Controller/host session operation
The protocol for communication during the session is out of scope of this protocol.
SimpleX Chat uses HTTP2 encoding, where host device acts as a server and controller acts as a client (these roles are reversed compared with TLS connection, restoring client-server semantics in HTTP).
Payloads in the protocol must be encrypted using NaCL secret_box using the hybrid shared secret agreed during session establishment.
Commands of the controller must be signed after the encryption using the controller's session and long term Ed25519 keys.
tlsunique channel binding from TLS session MUST be included in commands (included in the signed body).
The syntax for encrypted command and response body encoding:
encLength32 = 4*4 OCTET ; uint32, includes authTag
```
If the command or response includes attachment, its hash must be included in command/response and validated.
## Key agreement for announcement packet and for session
Initial announcement is shared out-of-band (URI with xrcp scheme), and it is not encrypted.
This announcement contains only DH keys, as KEM key is too large to include in QR code, which are used to agree encryption key for host HELLO block. The host HELLO block will contain DH key in plaintext part and KEM encapsulation (public) key in encrypted part, that will be used to determine the shared secret (using SHA3-256 over concatenated DH shared secret and KEM encapsulated secret) to derive keys for controller HELLO response (that contains KEM ciphertext in plaintext part) and subsequent session commands and responses.
During the next session the announcement is sent via encrypted multicast block. The shared key for this announcement and for host HELLO block is determined using the KEM shared secret from the previous session and DH shared secret computed using the host DH key from the previous session and the new controller DH key from the announcement.
For the session, the shared secret is computed again using the KEM shared secret encapsulated by the controller using the new KEM key from the host HELLO block and DH shared secret computed using the host DH key from HELLO block and the new controller DH key from the announcement.
If controller fails to store the new host DH key after receiving HELLO block, the encryption will become out of sync and the host won't be able to decrypt the next announcement. To mitigate it, the host should keep the last session DH key and also previous session DH key to try to decrypt the next announcement computing shared secret using both keys (first the new one, and in case it fails - the previous).
To decrypt a multicast announcement, the host should try to decrypt it using the keys of all known (paired) remote controllers.
Once kemSecret is agreed for the session, it is used to derive two chain keys, to receive and to send messages:
The SEND commands and message queue IDs need to be encrypted so that sending proxy cannot see how many queues exist on each server.
Correlation IDs need to be random and can be re-used as nonces so that the destination relay cannot use the increasing correlation IDs that are sent in v6 of the protocol to track the sender.
### Protection of the traffic from the attacker who compromised TLS
Currently, even though different sending and receiving queue IDs are used, the attacker who compromised TLS could do statistical analysis and in this way correlate queue IDs of senders and recipients, and therefore correlate the senders and recipients.
## Possible solutions
1. Encrypt sent messages, other commands and their responses in the additional envelope, irrespective of whether proxy is used or not. In this case the requestion transmission could have this syntax:
The keys to encrypt and decrypt both the command and responses would be computed as curve25519 from the key sent together with command and server session key. For the requests, the nonce has to be random and sent outside of the encrypted envelopt, but for the response respNonce would be taken from inside of the encrypted envelope and it would also be used for correlating commands and responses. This way the attacker who could compromise TLS would not be able to correlate the commands and responses, and also observe entity IDs.
2. The remaining question is to how encrypt and decrypt messages delivered not in response to the commands.
The possible options are:
- restore client session key only for that purpose, but do not forward this key to the destination proxy for sent messages. Then the messages can be sent with a random replyNonce and the key would be computed from session keys. The advantage here is that we won't need to parameterize handles as both client and server would have session keys. The downside that we would have to either somehow differentiate messages and responses, either by some flag that would allow some correlation or just by the absense of replyNonce in the lookup map - that is if the client can find replyNonce, it would use the associated key to decrypt, and if not it would use session key.
- use the same key that was sent with SUB or ACK command. This is much more complex, and would only have some upside if we were to introduce receiving proxies (to conceal transport sessions from the receiving relays for the recipients).
# Relay metadata and SimpleX network decentralization
## Problem
Currently, the clients configure/choose which servers to use, but they cannot see who operates them, in which geography and hosting provider, what is the server source code (in case it was modified from the reference implementation we provide) and also any administrative and feedback contacts.
Further, we currently use simplex.chat domain to host group links, and as diversity of the groups grows it is beginning to require managing feedback from the users about groups. It is important that this feedback is directed to relay owners and not to us, in case they are not our relays, as we are simply providing software here.
We also need to make it much easier to access administrative actions - e.g., if the relay owner wants to block some address based on the feedback, they should be able to do so effectively. While freedom of speech of users is important the autonomy and sovereignty of relay operators allowing them to decide what they want or don't want to host, irrespective of the reasons, is as important - public relays constitute a public space rather than a service, and while there is no authentication or authorization required to use them, the relay owners should be able to decide their conditions and limitations of use, as is the case for any public space.
## Why it is important
1. We are building network and not a service, so contrary to the traditional approach when service collects users metadata and conceals its own, it appears important to do the opposite - expose all relay metadata that may have any effect on users privacy and security and provide access to this metadata with the minimal friction, via the app UI.
2. We need to remove the only remaining bit of centralization - using simplex.chat website to show the QR code and help new users onboarding - this role can be delegated to the relays.
3. We need to make it easy for the users to submit feedback and to the relay operators to manage that feedback. That includes ourselves, as relay operators, and also any other person or organization that operates public relays.
4. It is important to stress the requirement of AGPLv3 license to provide access to the source code to the relay users, as any code modifications might undermine user privacy and security and must be made transparent to the relay users.
While this document is not the end of the journey to decentralize the network, it's an important first step.
## Proposed solution
The proposed solution consists of two parts:
- communicate server metadata via protocol, so it can be observed by the clients.
- create home page for the relays, with all the same metadata.
- create invitation and address links in the same domain name as the relay.
The latter point is important so it is clear to the users who operates and owns the relay and where the access point to the content or group is hosted. Even though simplex.chat domain is never accessed by the app, and the meaningful part of the address is never sent to the page hosting server, it creates an impression of centralization, and some dependency on simplex.chat domain for anything other that showing the link QR code.
Moving invitation links to the domain of the relay (primary relay, in case the link has redundancy) will both clarify relay ownership, solve the incorrect mis-perception of centralization, remove the dependency on simplex-chat domain without any user effort, and provides the means to submit content complaints to the relay operators (should they wish to receive them, which seems reasonable for large public relays, but may be unnecessary for private relays where unidentified parties cannot create links).
## Solution details
Extend server INI file with information section:
```
[INFORMATION]
# Please note that under AGPLv3 license conditions you MUST make
# any source code modifications available to the end users of the server.
complaints_simplex: SimpleX address for feedback, comments and complaints
complaints_email: complaints@simplex.chat
complaints_pgp: PGP key
hosting: Linode / Akamai Inc.
hosting_country: US
```
Server home page would show whether queue creation is allowed and/or password protected, server retention policy (e.g., preserve messages on restart or not, and persist connections or not).
Server queue address/contact pages will optionally, provide the UI to submit feedback, comments and complaints directly from the web page (not an MVP, initially we would simply show addresses for feedback, and, probably, create link that opens in the app with pre-populated message, and we could also use this addresses defined in server meta-data to submit feedback from inside of the app - it's also out of MVP scope).
If server is available on .onion address, the web pages would show "open via .onion" in Tor browser.
Extend server handshake header with these information fields:
```haskell
data ServerHandshake = ServerHandshake
{ smpVersionRange :: VersionRangeSMP,
sessionId :: SessionId,
-- pub key to agree shared secrets for command authorization and entity ID encryption.
data Entity = Entity {name :: Text, country :: Maybe Text}
data ServerContactAddress = ServerContactAddress
{ simplex :: Maybe Text,
email :: Maybe Text, -- it is recommended that it matches DNS email address, if either is present
pgp :: Maybe Text
}
```
This extended server information will be stored in the chat database every time it changes and shown in the UI of the server configuration.
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