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TWikiAccessControl 29 - 15 Aug 2004 - Main.PeterThoeny
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  • The default setting is not to have superusers.
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-- PeterThoeny? - 04 May 2002
-- MikeMannix? - 12 May 2002
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-- TWiki:Main.PeterThoeny - 04 May 2002
-- TWiki:Main.MikeMannix - 12 May 2002
 
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TWikiAccessControl 28 - 14 Apr 2003 - Main.PeterThoeny
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  • Create broad-based Groups (for more and varied input), and...
  • Avoid creating view-only Users (if you can read it, you should be able to contribute to it).
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Authentication vs. Access Control

Authentication: Identifies who a user is based on a login procedure. See TWikiUserAuthentication.

Access control: Restrict access to content based on users and groups once a user is identified.

 

Users and Groups

Access control is based on the familiar concept of Users and Groups. Users are defined by their WikiNames. They can then be organized in unlimited combinations by inclusion in one or more user Groups. For convenience, Groups can also be included in other Groups.


TWikiAccessControl 27 - 29 Dec 2002 - Main.PeterThoeny
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Managing Users

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A user is created with the TWikiRegistration form. The process generates a topic in the Main web in the new user's WikiName. The default visitor name is TWikiGuest.
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A user can create an account in TWikiRegistration. The following actions are performed:
 
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  • Users can be authenticated using Basic Authentication (htaccess) or SSL (secure server). In either case, TWikiUserAuthentication is required in order to track user identities, and use User and Group access control.
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  • WikiName and encrypted password are recorded in .htpasswd if authentication is enabled.
  • A confirmation e-mail is sent to the user.
  • A user home page with the WikiName of the user is created in the Main web.
  • The user is added to the TWikiUsers topic.

Users can be authenticated using Basic Authentication (htaccess) or SSL (secure server). In either case, TWikiUserAuthentication is required in order to track user identities, and use User and Group access control.

The default visitor name is TWikiGuest. This is the non-authenticated user.

 

Managing Groups


TWikiAccessControl 26 - 29 May 2002 - Main.PeterThoeny
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  1. Restrict view access to selected Users and Groups. Set one or both of these variables in its WebPreferences topic:
    • Set DENYWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
    • Set ALLOWWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
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    • Note: DENYWEBVIEW is evaluated before ALLOWWEBVIEW. Access is denied if the authenticated person is in the DENYWEBVIEW list, or not in the ALLOWWEBVIEW list. Access is granted in case DENYWEBVIEW and ALLOWWEBVIEW is not defined.
 
  1. Hide the web from an "all webs" search. Enable this restriction with the NOSEARCHALL variable in its WebPreferences topic:
    • Set NOSEARCHALL = on
  2. Add view to the list of authenticated scripts in the .htaccess file.
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  1. Restrict view access to selected Users and Groups. Set one or both of these variables in its WebPreferences topic:
    • Set DENYWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
    • Set ALLOWWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
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    • Note: DENYWEBVIEW is evaluated before ALLOWWEBVIEW. Access is denied if the authenticated person is in the DENYWEBVIEW list, or not in the ALLOWWEBVIEW list. Access is granted in case DENYWEBVIEW and ALLOWWEBVIEW is not defined.
 
  1. Hide the web from an "all webs" search. Enable this restriction with the NOSEARCHALL variable in its WebPreferences topic:
    • Set NOSEARCHALL = on
  2. Enable the $doRememberRemoteUser flag in lib/TWiki.cfg as described in TWikiUserAuthentication. TWiki will now remember the IP address of an authenticated user.
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Hiding Control Settings

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  • TIP To hide access control settings from normal browser viewing, place them in comment markers.
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  • Set DENYTOPICCHANGE = Main.SomeGroup
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TIP To hide access control settings from normal browser viewing, place them in comment markers.

<style="background-color:#f5f5f5"> <!--
   * Set DENYTOPICCHANGE = Main.SomeGroup
-->

 

The SuperAdminGroup


TWikiAccessControl 25 - 29 May 2002 - Main.PeterThoeny
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  • DENYTOPICRENAME (in topic) overrides DENYWEBRENAME (in WebPreferences)
  • ALLOWTOPICRENAME (in topic) overrides ALLOWWEBRENAME (in WebPreferences)
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Restricting Web Access

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Restricting Read Access

 
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You can prevent selected Users and Groups from accessing certain webs, by hiding them using restricting read access, or by requiring login. There are two basic methods, one simple, using standard preferences variables to hide a web, but offering low security, and a secure log-in approach that is currently a workaround, involving some minor script and filesystem modification.
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You can define who is allowed to see a web.
 
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Create Hidden Webs

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Deny Viewing by Topic

 
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You can prevent selected Users and Groups from viewing certain TWiki webs by setting one or both of these variables in each web's WebPreferences topic:
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ALERT! Technically it is possible to restrict read access to an individual topic based on DENYTOPICVIEW / ALLOWTOPICVIEW preferences variables, provided that the view script is authenticated. However this setup is not recommended since all content is searchable within a web - a search will turn up view restricted topics.

Deny Viewing by Web

You can define restrictions of who is allowed to view a TWiki web. You can restrict access to certain webs to selected Users and Groups, by:

  • obfuscating webs: Insecure but handy method to hide new webs until content is ready for deployment.
  • authenticating all webs and restricting selected webs: Topic access in all webs is authenticated, and selected webs have restricted access.
  • authenticating and restricting selected webs only: Provide unrestricted viewing access to open webs, with authentication and restriction only on selected webs.

Obfuscate Webs

The idea is to keep a web hidden by not publishing its URL and by preventing the all webs search option from accessing obfuscated webs. Do so by enabling the NOSEARCHALL variable in WebPreferences:

  • Set NOSEARCHALL = on

This setup can be useful to hide a new web until content its ready for deployment.

ALERT! Obfuscating webs is insecure, as anyone who knows the URL can access the web.

Authenticate all Webs and Restrict Selected Webs

Use the following setup to authenticate users for topic viewing in all webs and to restrict access to selected webs:

  1. Restrict view access to selected Users and Groups. Set one or both of these variables in its WebPreferences topic:
 
  • Set DENYWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
  • Set ALLOWWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
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TIP If keeping a hidden web out of general use is a consideration, you can prevent the all webs search option from accessing hidden webs, by enabling the NOSEARCHALL variable in WebPreferences:
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  1. Hide the web from an "all webs" search. Enable this restriction with the NOSEARCHALL variable in its WebPreferences topic:
 
  • Set NOSEARCHALL = on
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    • It is not recommended to restrict view access to individual topics since all content is searchable within a web.
    • HELPThis method only works if the view script is authenticated, which means that all Users have to login, even for read-only access. (An open guest account, like TWikiGuest, can get around this, allowing anyone to login to a common account with, for example, view-only access for public webs.) TWikiInstallationGuide has more on Basic Authentication, using the .htaccess file.
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  1. Add view to the list of authenticated scripts in the .htaccess file.
 
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ALERT! Hiding webs is not very secure, as there is a way to circumvent the read access restriction. It can be useful in certain situations - for example, to simplify site organization and clutter, by hiding low traffic webs - but is not recommended for securing sensitive content. (See the next section for a more secure approach.)
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HELP This method only works if the view script is authenticated, which means that all Users have to login, even for read-only access. (An open guest account, like TWikiGuest, can get around this, allowing anyone to login to a common account with, for example, view-only access for public webs.) TWikiInstallationGuide has more on Basic Authentication, using the .htaccess file.
 
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Create Authenticated Access By Web

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Authenticate and Restricting Selected Webs Only

 Use the following setup to provide unrestricted viewing access to open webs, with authentication only on selected webs:
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  1. Omit the view script from the .htaccess file.
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  1. Restrict view access to selected Users and Groups. Set one or both of these variables in its WebPreferences topic:
    • Set DENYWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
    • Set ALLOWWEBVIEW = < list of Users and Groups >
  2. Hide the web from an "all webs" search. Enable this restriction with the NOSEARCHALL variable in its WebPreferences topic:
    • Set NOSEARCHALL = on
 
  1. Enable the $doRememberRemoteUser flag in lib/TWiki.cfg as described in TWikiUserAuthentication. TWiki will now remember the IP address of an authenticated user.
  2. Copy the view script to viewauth (or better, create a symbolic link)
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  1. Add viewauth to the list of authenticated scripts in the .htaccess file.
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  1. Add viewauth to the list of authenticated scripts in the .htaccess file. The view script should not be listed in the .htaccess file.

When a user accesses a web where you enabled view restriction, TWiki will redirect from the view script to the viewauth script once (this happens only if the user has never edited a topic). Doing so will ask for authentication. The viewauth script shows the requested topic if the user could log on and if the user is authorized to see that web.

ALERT! Authenticating webs is not very secure, as there is a way to circumvent the read access restriction. It can be useful in certain situations - for example, to simplify site organization and clutter, by hiding low traffic webs - but is not recommended for securing sensitive content.

 
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  • When a user accesses a web where you enabled view restriction, TWiki will redirect from the view script to the viewauth script once (this happens only if the user has never edited a topic). Doing so will ask for authentication. The viewauth script shows the requested topic if the user could log on and if the user is authorized to see that web.
  • If you enable view restriction for a web, it is recommended to restrict search "all webs" from searching this web. Enable this restriction with the NOSEARCHALL variable in its WebPreferences, like:
    • Set NOSEARCHALL = on
  • It is not recommended to restrict view access to individual topics since all content is searchable within a web - a search will turn up the "hidden" topic.
 

Hiding Control Settings


Revision 29r29 - 15 Aug 2004 - 08:47:11 - PeterThoeny?
Revision 28r28 - 14 Apr 2003 - 07:19:22 - PeterThoeny?
Revision 27r27 - 29 Dec 2002 - 02:18:11 - PeterThoeny?
Revision 26r26 - 29 May 2002 - 15:36:00 - PeterThoeny?
Revision 25r25 - 29 May 2002 - 07:48:15 - PeterThoeny?
Revision 24r24 - 12 May 2002 - 11:34:00 - MikeMannix?
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