Docs: add explicit warnings for some variables likely tainted

[exim.git] / doc / doc-docbook / spec.xfpt

diff --git a/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt b/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
index 4d02bdc32e8c339ae29431a5fabfd913fa8a34ac..241540cfd69246e66e10e269ff9753de6fb787f1 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
+++ b/doc/doc-docbook/spec.xfpt
@@ -6362,7 +6362,7 @@ All other options are defaulted.
 .code
 local_delivery:
   driver = appendfile
-  file = /var/mail/$local_part
+  file = /var/mail/$home
   delivery_date_add
   envelope_to_add
   return_path_add
@@ -9815,6 +9815,12 @@ newline at the very end. For the &%header%& and &%bheader%& expansion, for
 those headers that contain lists of addresses, a comma is also inserted at the
 junctions between headers. This does not happen for the &%rheader%& expansion.
 
+.new
+.cindex "tainted data"
+When the headers are from an incoming message,
+the result of expanding any of these variables is tainted.
+.wen
+
 
 .vitem &*${hmac{*&<&'hashname'&>&*}{*&<&'secret'&>&*}{*&<&'string'&>&*}}*&
 .cindex "expansion" "hmac hashing"
@@ -12192,6 +12198,12 @@ When the &%smtp_etrn_command%& option is being expanded, &$domain$& contains
 the complete argument of the ETRN command (see section &<<SECTETRN>>&).
 .endlist
 
+.new
+.cindex "tainted data"
+If the origin of the data is an incoming message,
+the result of expanding this variable is tainted.
+.wen
+
 
 .vitem &$domain_data$&
 .vindex "&$domain_data$&"
@@ -12385,6 +12397,22 @@ Global address rewriting happens when a message is received, so the value of
 because a message may have many recipients and the system filter is called just
 once.
 
+.new
+.cindex "tainted data"
+If the origin of the data is an incoming message,
+the result of expanding this variable is tainted.
+
+&*Warning*&: the content of this variable is usually provided by a potential attacker.
+Consider carefully the implications of using it unvalidated as a name
+for file access.
+This presents issues for users' &_.forward_& and filter files.
+For traditional full user accounts, use &%check_local_users%& and the &$home$&
+variable rather than this one.
+For virtual users, store a suitable pathname component in the database
+which is used for account name validation, and use that retrieved value
+rather than this variable.
+.wen
+
 .vindex "&$local_part_prefix$&"
 .vindex "&$local_part_suffix$&"
 .cindex affix variables
@@ -20528,6 +20556,15 @@ is not the case when the file contains syntactically valid items that happen to
 yield empty addresses, for example, items containing only RFC 2822 address
 comments.
 
+.new
+&*Warning*&: It is unwise to use &$local_part$& or &$domain$&
+directly for redirection,
+as they are provided by a potential attacker.
+In the examples above, &$local_part$& is used for looking up data held locally
+on the system, and not used directly (the second example derives &$home$& via
+the passsword file or database, using &$local_part$&).
+.wen
+
 
 
 .section "Forward files and address verification" "SECID125"