Security/Safe Browsing/V4 Implementation

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Introduction

Safe Browsing v4 is designed to reduce network bandwidth and disk storage (mainly for mobile devices). The usage of partial URL hashes (aka prefixes) and complete hashes remains the same but the way we get those prefixes and complete hashes is changed. The update and hash completion API will be based on protobuf and content compression (in additional to HTTP compression) is introduced. For further information, see https://developers.google.com/safe-browsing/v4 (The public specification is not complete. For example, the protobuf is not mentioned.)

Design and Implementation

To have v2 and v4 run in parallel, we must carefully refactor some core components like ListManager and HashCompleter. Instead of having a master preference to switch between v2 and v4, we take the "table name driven" approach. The plan is to add a separate provider called google4, which owns v4 tables: goog-phish-proto, goog-unwanted-proto and goog-malware-proto. The suffix "-proto" indicates that the table should be updated and completed via protobuf. Besides, the new provider google4 has its own updateURL and gethashURL. You can consider google4 yet another provider like mozilla.

When ListManager and HashCompleter (and any other related components like ProtocolParser) sees table names suffixed by "-proto", they would behave differently. For example, in listmanager.js, while making update request for table goog-phish-proto, nsIUrlClassifier.makeUpdateRequestV4 will be called to build a v4 specific request. (See bug 1264885 and bug 1275507 for more information.)

Using custom API key

We are required to have a API key to access google services like geolocation and safe browsing. The nightly/beta/aurora/release Firefox builds will have a proper API key associated with mozilla. However, if you are using the Firefox built on your own, the API key will be substituted with "no-google-api-key", which is apparently not available. There are a couple of ways to use a working API key for Safe Browsing. The most recommended way is to prepare a key file and add the path to mozconfig:

1. Obtain a Safe Browsing google API key from https://console.developers.google.com
   • If you don't know how to get a API key, buy hchang@mozilla.com a beer and ask him :p
2. Create a key file which only contains the API key.
3. Add "ac_add_options --with-google-api-keyfile=/path/to/your/keyfile" to mozconfig
4. Rebuild and check if config.status has something like 'MOZ_GOOGLE_API_KEY': b'AIzaSooxxxxoxoxoxoxooxx'

Try it on!

V4 has been function ready (but pref'ed off) since Bug 1312339 was resolved. By changing preferences

1. urlclassifier.malwareTable to goog-phish-shavar,goog-phish-proto,test-phish-simple
2. urlclassifier.phishTable to goog-malware-shavar,goog-malware-proto,goog-unwanted-shavar,goog-unwanted-proto,test-malware-simple,test-unwanted-simple
3. browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.gethashURL to https://safebrowsing.googleapis.com/v4/fullHashes:find?$ct=application/x-protobuf&key=%GOOGLE_API_KEY%

you can turn on v4 feature (while v2 is still up and running).

Milestones

M0 (2016/7/31)

Deliverables

1. Send v4 update request on time
2. Parse v4 update response but not store to disk
3. Use v4 request backoff settings
4. v2 will still be up and running

Notes

1. v4 table download/update will be opt-in.
2. To test M0 features, modify the following preferences:
   • urlclassifier.malwareTable ==> Add goog-malware-proto and goog-unwanted-proto
   • urlclassifier.phishTable ==> Add goog-phish-proto

Bugs

Dashboard for M0 bugs

M1 (2016/9/30)

Deliverables

1. Store v4 tables to disk (including fixed and variable length prefixes)
2. Store table states
3. Split v4 tables to different directory per provider

Bugs

Dashboard for M1 bugs

Workweek in Vancouver

1. Etherpad: https://public.etherpad-mozilla.org/p/sbv4yvr

M2 (TBC, maybe 10/15)

The intention of M2 is to push the date where we "enable v4 list update on nightly by default" to two weeks later because we have identified some issues and lacks in M0 and M1 in Vancouver SBv4 work week. The target date is the end of second week in October.

Deliverables

1. bug 1305486 to enable v4 table update on nightly by default (The most important!)
2. bug 1305567 so that we won't get 400 error while doing list update. (landed)
3. bug 1305581 to examine checksum against the updated lists.
4. bug 1285848 to support compressed list update. (under review)
5. bug 1305801 to store v4 list to disk. (landed)
6. bug 1305484 to store v4 list states to disk rather than preference.

Bugs

Dashboard for M2 bugs

M3 (Right before Hawaii Workweek)

Deliverables

1. Check v4 prefixes (in addition to v4) but ignore the result
2. v2/v4 prefix matching consistency telemetry (e.g. v2/v4 should both 'have' or 'not have' certain URL hash)
   1. Be careful of the variable length prefixes: it's possible to get a 32-bit prefix match for foo.com in V2 and no match on V4 because that entry uses a 48-bit prefix instead

Bugs

Dashboard for M3 bugs

M4 (2017/1/23)

Deliverables

1. Enable update by default
2. Fix crashes and regressions

Bugs

Dashboard for M4 bugs

M55 (2017/3/6)

Deliverables

1. Enable v4 completion on nightly but ignore the result
2. Add V4 table for Download protection.
3. v2/v4 URL hash matching consistency telemetry

Bugs

Dashboard for M55 bugs

M56 (2017/4/17)

Deliverables

1. Caching
2. Enable V4 and only use V4 on Nightly 56 !!!

Bugs

Dashboard for M56 bugs

M57 (2017/6/12)

Deliverables

1. V4 enabled on Nightly 57
2. V4 not active on Aurora 56

Bugs

Dashboard for M57 bugs

M58 (2017/8/7)

Deliverables

1. V4 enabled on Aurora 57(also in Nightly 58)

Bugs

Dashboard for M58 bugs

M59 (2017/10/2)

Deliverables

1. V4 enabled on Beta 57(Aurora 58, Nightly 59)

Bugs

Dashboard for M59 bugs

M60 (2017/11/27)

Deliverables

1. V4 enabled on Release 57 ｡:.ﾟヽ(*´∀`)ﾉﾟ.:｡

Bugs

Dashboard for M60 bugs