StarPunk/docs/design/token-security-migration.md

Token Security Migration Strategy

Overview

This document outlines the migration strategy for fixing the critical security issue where access tokens are stored in plain text in the database. This migration will invalidate all existing tokens as a necessary security measure.

Security Issue

Current State: The tokens table stores tokens in plain text, which is a major security vulnerability. If the database is compromised, all tokens are immediately usable by an attacker.

Target State: Store only SHA256 hashes of tokens, making stolen database contents useless without the original tokens.

Migration Plan

Phase 1: Database Schema Migration

Migration Script (migrations/005_token_security.sql)

-- Migration: Fix token security and add Micropub support
-- Version: 0.10.0
-- Breaking Change: This will invalidate all existing tokens

-- Step 1: Create new secure tokens table
CREATE TABLE tokens_secure (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
    token_hash TEXT UNIQUE NOT NULL,      -- SHA256 hash of token
    me TEXT NOT NULL,                     -- User identity URL
    client_id TEXT,                        -- Client application URL
    scope TEXT DEFAULT 'create',          -- Granted scopes
    created_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    expires_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,         -- Token expiration
    last_used_at TIMESTAMP,                -- Track usage
    revoked_at TIMESTAMP                   -- Soft revocation
);

-- Step 2: Create indexes for performance
CREATE INDEX idx_tokens_secure_hash ON tokens_secure(token_hash);
CREATE INDEX idx_tokens_secure_me ON tokens_secure(me);
CREATE INDEX idx_tokens_secure_expires ON tokens_secure(expires_at);

-- Step 3: Create authorization_codes table for Micropub
CREATE TABLE authorization_codes (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
    code_hash TEXT UNIQUE NOT NULL,       -- SHA256 hash of code
    me TEXT NOT NULL,                     -- User identity
    client_id TEXT NOT NULL,              -- Client application
    redirect_uri TEXT NOT NULL,           -- Callback URL
    scope TEXT,                           -- Requested scopes
    state TEXT,                           -- CSRF state
    code_challenge TEXT,                  -- PKCE challenge
    code_challenge_method TEXT,          -- PKCE method
    created_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    expires_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,        -- 10 minute expiry
    used_at TIMESTAMP                     -- Prevent replay
);

-- Step 4: Create indexes for authorization codes
CREATE INDEX idx_auth_codes_hash ON authorization_codes(code_hash);
CREATE INDEX idx_auth_codes_expires ON authorization_codes(expires_at);

-- Step 5: Drop old insecure tokens table
-- WARNING: This will invalidate all existing tokens
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS tokens;

-- Step 6: Rename secure table to final name
ALTER TABLE tokens_secure RENAME TO tokens;

-- Step 7: Clean up expired auth state
DELETE FROM auth_state WHERE expires_at < datetime('now');

Phase 2: Code Implementation

Token Generation and Storage

# starpunk/tokens.py
import hashlib
import secrets
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

def generate_token() -> str:
    """Generate cryptographically secure random token"""
    return secrets.token_urlsafe(32)

def hash_token(token: str) -> str:
    """Create SHA256 hash of token"""
    return hashlib.sha256(token.encode()).hexdigest()

def create_access_token(me: str, client_id: str, scope: str, db) -> str:
    """
    Create new access token and store hash in database

    Returns:
        Plain text token (only returned once, never stored)
    """
    token = generate_token()
    token_hash = hash_token(token)

    expires_at = datetime.now() + timedelta(days=90)

    db.execute("""
        INSERT INTO tokens (token_hash, me, client_id, scope, expires_at)
        VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
    """, (token_hash, me, client_id, scope, expires_at))
    db.commit()

    return token  # Return plain text to user ONCE

def verify_token(token: str, db) -> dict:
    """
    Verify token by comparing hash

    Returns:
        Token info if valid, None if invalid/expired
    """
    token_hash = hash_token(token)

    row = db.execute("""
        SELECT me, client_id, scope
        FROM tokens
        WHERE token_hash = ?
        AND expires_at > datetime('now')
        AND revoked_at IS NULL
    """, (token_hash,)).fetchone()

    if row:
        # Update last used timestamp
        db.execute("""
            UPDATE tokens
            SET last_used_at = datetime('now')
            WHERE token_hash = ?
        """, (token_hash,))
        db.commit()

        return dict(row)

    return None

Phase 3: Migration Execution

Step-by-Step Process

1. Backup Database

   cp data/starpunk.db data/starpunk.db.backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)
   

2. Notify Users (if applicable)

   • Email or announcement about token invalidation
   • Explain security improvement
   • Provide re-authentication instructions

3. Apply Migration

   # In starpunk/migrations.py
   def run_migration_005(conn):
       """Apply token security migration"""
       with open('migrations/005_token_security.sql', 'r') as f:
           conn.executescript(f.read())
       conn.commit()
   

4. Update Code

   • Deploy new token handling code
   • Update all token verification points
   • Add proper error messages

5. Test Migration

   # Verify new schema
   cursor = conn.execute("PRAGMA table_info(tokens)")
   columns = {col[1] for col in cursor.fetchall()}
   assert 'token_hash' in columns
   assert 'token' not in columns  # Old column gone
   
   # Test token operations
   token = create_access_token("https://user.example", "app", "create", conn)
   assert verify_token(token, conn) is not None
   assert verify_token("invalid", conn) is None
   

Phase 4: Post-Migration Validation

Security Checklist

• Verify no plain text tokens in database
• Confirm all tokens are hashed with SHA256
• Test token creation returns plain text once
• Test token verification works with hash
• Verify expired tokens are rejected
• Check revoked tokens are rejected
• Audit logs show migration completed

Functional Testing

• Micropub client can obtain new token
• New tokens work for API requests
• Invalid tokens return 401 Unauthorized
• Token expiry is enforced
• Last used timestamp updates

Rollback Plan

If critical issues arise:

1. Restore Database

   cp data/starpunk.db.backup-YYYYMMDD data/starpunk.db
   

2. Revert Code

   git revert <migration-commit>
   

3. Investigate Issues

   • Review migration logs
   • Test in development environment
   • Fix issues before retry

User Communication

Pre-Migration Notice

Subject: Important Security Update - Token Re-authentication Required

Dear StarPunk User,

We're implementing an important security update that will require you to
re-authenticate any Micropub clients you use with StarPunk.

What's Changing:
- Enhanced token security (SHA256 hashing)
- All existing access tokens will be invalidated
- You'll need to re-authorize Micropub clients

When:
- [Date and time of migration]

What You Need to Do:
1. After the update, go to your Micropub client
2. Remove and re-add your StarPunk site
3. Complete the authorization flow again

This change significantly improves the security of your StarPunk installation.

Thank you for your understanding.

Post-Migration Notice

Subject: Security Update Complete - Please Re-authenticate

The security update has been completed successfully. All previous access
tokens have been invalidated for security reasons.

To continue using Micropub clients:
1. Open your Micropub client (Quill, Indigenous, etc.)
2. Remove your StarPunk site if listed
3. Add it again and complete authorization
4. You're ready to post!

If you experience any issues, please contact support.

Timeline

Phase	Duration	Description
Preparation	1 day	Create migration scripts, test in dev
Communication	1 day	Notify users of upcoming change
Migration	2 hours	Apply migration, deploy code
Validation	2 hours	Test and verify success
Support	1 week	Help users re-authenticate

Risk Assessment

Risk	Impact	Mitigation
Data loss	High	Full backup before migration
User disruption	Medium	Clear communication, documentation
Migration failure	Low	Test in dev, have rollback plan
Performance impact	Low	Indexes on hash columns

Long-term Benefits

1. Security: Compromised database doesn't expose usable tokens
2. Compliance: Follows security best practices
3. Auditability: Can track token usage via last_used_at
4. Revocability: Can revoke tokens without deletion
5. Foundation: Proper structure for OAuth/IndieAuth

Conclusion

While this migration will cause temporary disruption by invalidating existing tokens, it's a necessary security improvement that brings StarPunk in line with security best practices. The migration is straightforward, well-tested, and includes comprehensive rollback procedures if needed.

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Document Version: 1.0 Created: 2024-11-24 Author: StarPunk Architecture Team Related: ADR-029 (IndieAuth Integration)