gh-97514: Authenticate the forkserver control socket. (GH-99309)

This adds authentication to the forkserver control socket. In the past only filesystem permissions protected this socket from code injection into the forkserver process by limiting access to the same UID, which didn't exist when Linux abstract namespace sockets were used (see issue) meaning that any process in the same system network namespace could inject code. We've since stopped using abstract namespace sockets by default, but protecting our control sockets regardless of type is a good idea.

This reuses the HMAC based shared key auth already used by `multiprocessing.connection` sockets for other purposes.

Doing this is useful so that filesystem permissions are not relied upon and trust isn't implied by default between all processes running as the same UID with access to the unix socket.

### pyperformance benchmarks

No significant changes. Including `concurrent_imap` which exercises `multiprocessing.Pool.imap` in that suite.

### Microbenchmarks

This does _slightly_ slow down forkserver use. How much so appears to depend on the platform. Modern platforms and simple platforms are less impacted. This PR adds additional IPC round trips to the control socket to tell forkserver to spawn a new process. Systems with potentially high latency IPC are naturally impacted more.

Typically a 1-4% slowdown on a very targeted process creation microbenchmark, with a worst case overloaded system slowdown of 20%.  No evidence that these slowdowns appear in practical sense.  See the PR for details.

Doc/whatsnew/3.14.rst

@@ -421,6 +421,11 @@ multiprocessing
   :func:`multiprocessing.get_context` (preferred) or change the default via
   :func:`multiprocessing.set_start_method`.
   (Contributed by Gregory P. Smith in :gh:`84559`.)
+* :mod:`multiprocessing`'s ``"forkserver"`` start method now authenticates
+  its control socket to avoid solely relying on filesystem permissions
+  to restrict what other processes could cause the forkserver to spawn workers
+  and run code.
+  (Contributed by Gregory P. Smith for :gh:`97514`.)
 * The :ref:`multiprocessing proxy objects <multiprocessing-proxy_objects>`
   for *list* and *dict* types gain previously overlooked missing methods:
 

Lib/multiprocessing/connection.py

@@ -181,6 +181,10 @@ class _ConnectionBase:
             finally:
                 self._handle = None
 
+    def _detach(self):
+        """Stop managing the underlying file descriptor or handle."""
+        self._handle = None
+
     def send_bytes(self, buf, offset=0, size=None):
         """Send the bytes data from a bytes-like object"""
         self._check_closed()

Lib/multiprocessing/forkserver.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import sys
 import threading
 import warnings
 
+from . import AuthenticationError
 from . import connection
 from . import process
 from .context import reduction
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ __all__ = ['ensure_running', 'get_inherited_fds', 'connect_to_new_process',
 
 MAXFDS_TO_SEND = 256
 SIGNED_STRUCT = struct.Struct('q')     # large enough for pid_t
+_AUTHKEY_LEN = 32  # <= PIPEBUF so it fits a single write to an empty pipe.
 
 #
 # Forkserver class
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ SIGNED_STRUCT = struct.Struct('q')     # large enough for pid_t
 class ForkServer(object):
 
     def __init__(self):
+        self._forkserver_authkey = None
         self._forkserver_address = None
         self._forkserver_alive_fd = None
         self._forkserver_pid = None
@@ -59,6 +62,7 @@ class ForkServer(object):
         if not util.is_abstract_socket_namespace(self._forkserver_address):
             os.unlink(self._forkserver_address)
         self._forkserver_address = None
+        self._forkserver_authkey = None
 
     def set_forkserver_preload(self, modules_names):
         '''Set list of module names to try to load in forkserver process.'''
@@ -83,6 +87,7 @@ class ForkServer(object):
         process data.
         '''
         self.ensure_running()
+        assert self._forkserver_authkey
         if len(fds) + 4 >= MAXFDS_TO_SEND:
             raise ValueError('too many fds')
         with socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX) as client:
@@ -93,6 +98,18 @@ class ForkServer(object):
                       resource_tracker.getfd()]
             allfds += fds
             try:
+                client.setblocking(True)
+                wrapped_client = connection.Connection(client.fileno())
+                # The other side of this exchange happens in the child as
+                # implemented in main().
+                try:
+                    connection.answer_challenge(
+                            wrapped_client, self._forkserver_authkey)
+                    connection.deliver_challenge(
+                            wrapped_client, self._forkserver_authkey)
+                finally:
+                    wrapped_client._detach()
+                    del wrapped_client
                 reduction.sendfds(client, allfds)
                 return parent_r, parent_w
             except:
@@ -120,6 +137,7 @@ class ForkServer(object):
                     return
                 # dead, launch it again
                 os.close(self._forkserver_alive_fd)
+                self._forkserver_authkey = None
                 self._forkserver_address = None
                 self._forkserver_alive_fd = None
                 self._forkserver_pid = None
@@ -130,9 +148,9 @@ class ForkServer(object):
             if self._preload_modules:
                 desired_keys = {'main_path', 'sys_path'}
                 data = spawn.get_preparation_data('ignore')
-                data = {x: y for x, y in data.items() if x in desired_keys}
+                main_kws = {x: y for x, y in data.items() if x in desired_keys}
             else:
-                data = {}
+                main_kws = {}
 
             with socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX) as listener:
                 address = connection.arbitrary_address('AF_UNIX')
@@ -144,19 +162,31 @@ class ForkServer(object):
                 # all client processes own the write end of the "alive" pipe;
                 # when they all terminate the read end becomes ready.
                 alive_r, alive_w = os.pipe()
+                # A short lived pipe to initialize the forkserver authkey.
+                authkey_r, authkey_w = os.pipe()
                 try:
-                    fds_to_pass = [listener.fileno(), alive_r]
+                    fds_to_pass = [listener.fileno(), alive_r, authkey_r]
+                    main_kws['authkey_r'] = authkey_r
                     cmd %= (listener.fileno(), alive_r, self._preload_modules,
-                            data)
+                            main_kws)
                     exe = spawn.get_executable()
                     args = [exe] + util._args_from_interpreter_flags()
                     args += ['-c', cmd]
                     pid = util.spawnv_passfds(exe, args, fds_to_pass)
                 except:
                     os.close(alive_w)
+                    os.close(authkey_w)
                     raise
                 finally:
                     os.close(alive_r)
+                    os.close(authkey_r)
+                # Authenticate our control socket to prevent access from
+                # processes we have not shared this key with.
+                try:
+                    self._forkserver_authkey = os.urandom(_AUTHKEY_LEN)
+                    os.write(authkey_w, self._forkserver_authkey)
+                finally:
+                    os.close(authkey_w)
                 self._forkserver_address = address
                 self._forkserver_alive_fd = alive_w
                 self._forkserver_pid = pid
@@ -165,8 +195,18 @@ class ForkServer(object):
 #
 #
 
-def main(listener_fd, alive_r, preload, main_path=None, sys_path=None):
+def main(listener_fd, alive_r, preload, main_path=None, sys_path=None,
-    '''Run forkserver.'''
+         *, authkey_r=None):
+    """Run forkserver."""
+    if authkey_r is not None:
+        try:
+            authkey = os.read(authkey_r, _AUTHKEY_LEN)
+            assert len(authkey) == _AUTHKEY_LEN, f'{len(authkey)} < {_AUTHKEY_LEN}'
+        finally:
+            os.close(authkey_r)
+    else:
+        authkey = b''
+
     if preload:
         if sys_path is not None:
             sys.path[:] = sys_path
@@ -257,8 +297,24 @@ def main(listener_fd, alive_r, preload, main_path=None, sys_path=None):
                 if listener in rfds:
                     # Incoming fork request
                     with listener.accept()[0] as s:
-                        # Receive fds from client
+                        try:
-                        fds = reduction.recvfds(s, MAXFDS_TO_SEND + 1)
+                            if authkey:
+                                wrapped_s = connection.Connection(s.fileno())
+                                # The other side of this exchange happens in
+                                # in connect_to_new_process().
+                                try:
+                                    connection.deliver_challenge(
+                                            wrapped_s, authkey)
+                                    connection.answer_challenge(
+                                            wrapped_s, authkey)
+                                finally:
+                                    wrapped_s._detach()
+                                    del wrapped_s
+                            # Receive fds from client
+                            fds = reduction.recvfds(s, MAXFDS_TO_SEND + 1)
+                        except (EOFError, BrokenPipeError, AuthenticationError):
+                            s.close()
+                            continue
                         if len(fds) > MAXFDS_TO_SEND:
                             raise RuntimeError(
                                 "Too many ({0:n}) fds to send".format(

Lib/multiprocessing/reduction.py

@@ -139,15 +139,12 @@ else:
     __all__ += ['DupFd', 'sendfds', 'recvfds']
     import array
 
-    # On MacOSX we should acknowledge receipt of fds -- see Issue14669
-    ACKNOWLEDGE = sys.platform == 'darwin'
-
     def sendfds(sock, fds):
         '''Send an array of fds over an AF_UNIX socket.'''
         fds = array.array('i', fds)
         msg = bytes([len(fds) % 256])
         sock.sendmsg([msg], [(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SCM_RIGHTS, fds)])
-        if ACKNOWLEDGE and sock.recv(1) != b'A':
+        if sock.recv(1) != b'A':
             raise RuntimeError('did not receive acknowledgement of fd')
 
     def recvfds(sock, size):
@@ -158,8 +155,11 @@ else:
         if not msg and not ancdata:
             raise EOFError
         try:
-            if ACKNOWLEDGE:
+            # We send/recv an Ack byte after the fds to work around an old
-                sock.send(b'A')
+            # macOS bug; it isn't clear if this is still required but it
+            # makes unit testing fd sending easier.
+            # See: https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/58874
+            sock.send(b'A')  # Acknowledge
             if len(ancdata) != 1:
                 raise RuntimeError('received %d items of ancdata' %
                                    len(ancdata))

Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py

@@ -846,8 +846,8 @@ class _TestProcess(BaseTestCase):
                 finally:
                     setattr(sys, stream_name, old_stream)
 
-    @classmethod
+    @staticmethod
-    def _sleep_and_set_event(self, evt, delay=0.0):
+    def _sleep_and_set_event(evt, delay=0.0):
         time.sleep(delay)
         evt.set()
 
@@ -898,6 +898,56 @@ class _TestProcess(BaseTestCase):
         if os.name != 'nt':
             self.check_forkserver_death(signal.SIGKILL)
 
+    def test_forkserver_auth_is_enabled(self):
+        if self.TYPE == "threads":
+            self.skipTest(f"test not appropriate for {self.TYPE}")
+        if multiprocessing.get_start_method() != "forkserver":
+            self.skipTest("forkserver start method specific")
+
+        forkserver = multiprocessing.forkserver._forkserver
+        forkserver.ensure_running()
+        self.assertTrue(forkserver._forkserver_pid)
+        authkey = forkserver._forkserver_authkey
+        self.assertTrue(authkey)
+        self.assertGreater(len(authkey), 15)
+        addr = forkserver._forkserver_address
+        self.assertTrue(addr)
+
+        # Demonstrate that a raw auth handshake, as Client performs, does not
+        # raise an error.
+        client = multiprocessing.connection.Client(addr, authkey=authkey)
+        client.close()
+
+        # That worked, now launch a quick process.
+        proc = self.Process(target=sys.exit)
+        proc.start()
+        proc.join()
+        self.assertEqual(proc.exitcode, 0)
+
+    def test_forkserver_without_auth_fails(self):
+        if self.TYPE == "threads":
+            self.skipTest(f"test not appropriate for {self.TYPE}")
+        if multiprocessing.get_start_method() != "forkserver":
+            self.skipTest("forkserver start method specific")
+
+        forkserver = multiprocessing.forkserver._forkserver
+        forkserver.ensure_running()
+        self.assertTrue(forkserver._forkserver_pid)
+        authkey_len = len(forkserver._forkserver_authkey)
+        with unittest.mock.patch.object(
+                forkserver, '_forkserver_authkey', None):
+            # With an incorrect authkey we should get an auth rejection
+            # rather than the above protocol error.
+            forkserver._forkserver_authkey = b'T' * authkey_len
+            proc = self.Process(target=sys.exit)
+            with self.assertRaises(multiprocessing.AuthenticationError):
+                proc.start()
+            del proc
+
+        # authkey restored, launching processes should work again.
+        proc = self.Process(target=sys.exit)
+        proc.start()
+        proc.join()
 
 #
 #

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2022-11-10-17-16-45.gh-issue-97514.kzA0zl.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Authentication was added to the :mod:`multiprocessing` forkserver start
+method control socket so that only processes with the authentication key
+generated by the process that spawned the forkserver can control it.  This
+is an enhancement over the other :gh:`97514` fixes so that access is no
+longer limited only by filesystem permissions.
+
+The file descriptor exchange of control pipes with the forked worker process
+now requires an explicit acknowledgement byte to be sent over the socket after
+the exchange on all forkserver supporting platforms. That makes testing the
+above much easier.