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Auto merge of #1575 - arcalinea:document-rpc-security, r=daira 

Document RPC security assumptions

Document RPC security assumptions in security-warnings.md #965
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zkbot 2016-10-20 19:50:47 -04:00
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@ -72,8 +72,16 @@ The REST interface is a feature inherited from upstream Bitcoin. By default,
it is disabled. We do not recommend you enable it until it has undergone a
security review.
RPC Interface
---------------
Users should choose a strong RPC password. If no RPC username and password are set, zcashd will not start and will print an error message with a suggestion for a strong random password. If the client knows the RPC password, they have at least full access to the node. In addition, certain RPC commands can be misused to overwrite files and/or take over the account that is running zcashd. (In the future we may restrict these commands, but full node access – including the ability to spend from and export keys held by the wallet – would still be possible unless wallet methods are disabled.)
Users should also refrain from changing the default setting that only allows RPC connections from localhost. Allowing connections from remote hosts would enable a MITM to execute arbitrary RPC commands, which could lead to compromise of the account running zcashd and loss of funds. For multi-user services that use one or more zcashd instances on the backend, the parameters passed in by users should be controlled to prevent confused-deputy attacks which could spend from any keys held by that zcashd.
Block Chain Reorganization: Major Differences
---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Users should be aware of new behavior in Zcash that differs significantly from Bitcoin: in the case of a block chain reorganization, Bitcoin's coinbase maturity rule helps to ensure that any reorganization shorter than the maturity interval will not invalidate any of the rolled-back transactions. Zcash keeps Bitcoin's 100-block maturity interval for generation transactions, but because JoinSplits must be anchored within a block, this provides more limited protection against transactions becoming invalidated. In the case of a block chain reorganization for Zcash, all JoinSplits which were anchored within the reorganization interval and any transactions that depend on them will become invalid, rolling back transactions and reverting funds to the original owner. The transaction rebroadcast mechanism inherited from Bitcoin will not successfully rebroadcast transactions depending on invalidated JoinSplits if the anchor needs to change. The creator of an invalidated JoinSplit, as well as the creators of all transactions dependent on it, must rebroadcast the transactions themselves.