Uniformize spam-checker API, part 2: check_event_for_spam (#12808)

Signed-off-by: David Teller <davidt@element.io>

changelog.d/12808.feature

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Update to `check_event_for_spam`. Deprecate the current callback signature, replace it with a new signature that is both less ambiguous (replacing booleans with explicit allow/block) and more powerful (ability to return explicit error codes).

docs/modules/spam_checker_callbacks.md

@@ -11,22 +11,29 @@ The available spam checker callbacks are:
 ### `check_event_for_spam`
 
 _First introduced in Synapse v1.37.0_
+_Signature extended to support Allow and Code in Synapse v1.60.0_
+_Boolean and string return value types deprecated in Synapse v1.60.0_
 
 ```python
-async def check_event_for_spam(event: "synapse.events.EventBase") -> Union[bool, str]
+async def check_event_for_spam(event: "synapse.module_api.EventBase") -> Union["synapse.module_api.ALLOW", "synapse.module_api.error.Codes", str, bool]
 ```
 
-Called when receiving an event from a client or via federation. The callback must return
+Called when receiving an event from a client or via federation. The callback must return either:
-either:
+  - `synapse.module_api.ALLOW`, to allow the operation. Other callbacks
-- an error message string, to indicate the event must be rejected because of spam and 
+    may still decide to reject it.
-  give a rejection reason to forward to clients;
+  - `synapse.api.Codes` to reject the operation with an error code. In case
-- the boolean `True`, to indicate that the event is spammy, but not provide further details; or
+    of doubt, `synapse.api.error.Codes.FORBIDDEN` is a good error code.
-- the booelan `False`, to indicate that the event is not considered spammy.
+  - (deprecated) a `str` to reject the operation and specify an error message. Note that clients
+    typically will not localize the error message to the user's preferred locale.
+  - (deprecated) on `False`, behave as `ALLOW`. Deprecated as confusing, as some
+    callbacks in expect `True` to allow and others `True` to reject.
+  - (deprecated) on `True`, behave as `synapse.api.error.Codes.FORBIDDEN`. Deprecated as confusing, as
+    some callbacks in expect `True` to allow and others `True` to reject.
 
 If multiple modules implement this callback, they will be considered in order. If a
-callback returns `False`, Synapse falls through to the next one. The value of the first
+callback returns `synapse.module_api.ALLOW`, Synapse falls through to the next one. The value of the
-callback that does not return `False` will be used. If this happens, Synapse will not call
+first callback that does not return `synapse.module_api.ALLOW` will be used. If this happens, Synapse
-any of the subsequent implementations of this callback.
+will not call any of the subsequent implementations of this callback.
 
 ### `user_may_join_room`
 

docs/upgrade.md

@@ -177,7 +177,36 @@ has queries that can be used to check a database for this problem in advance.
 
 </details>
 
+## SpamChecker API's `check_event_for_spam` has a new signature.
 
+The previous signature has been deprecated.
+
+Whereas `check_event_for_spam` callbacks used to return `Union[str, bool]`, they should now return `Union["synapse.module_api.Allow", "synapse.module_api.errors.Codes"]`.
+
+This is part of an ongoing refactoring of the SpamChecker API to make it less ambiguous and more powerful.
+
+If your module implements `check_event_for_spam` as follows:
+
+```python
+async def check_event_for_spam(event):
+    if ...:
+        # Event is spam
+        return True
+    # Event is not spam
+    return False
+```
+
+you should rewrite it as follows:
+
+```python
+async def check_event_for_spam(event):
+    if ...:
+        # Event is spam, mark it as forbidden (you may use some more precise error
+        # code if it is useful).
+        return synapse.module_api.errors.Codes.FORBIDDEN
+    # Event is not spam, mark it as `ALLOW`.
+    return synapse.module_api.ALLOW
+```
 
 # Upgrading to v1.59.0
 

synapse/api/errors.py

@@ -270,9 +270,7 @@ class UnrecognizedRequestError(SynapseError):
     """An error indicating we don't understand the request you're trying to make"""
 
     def __init__(
-        self,
+        self, msg: str = "Unrecognized request", errcode: str = Codes.UNRECOGNIZED
-        msg: str = "Unrecognized request",
-        errcode: str = Codes.UNRECOGNIZED,
     ):
         super().__init__(400, msg, errcode)
 

synapse/events/spamcheck.py

@@ -27,9 +27,10 @@ from typing import (
     Union,
 )
 
+from synapse.api.errors import Codes
 from synapse.rest.media.v1._base import FileInfo
 from synapse.rest.media.v1.media_storage import ReadableFileWrapper
-from synapse.spam_checker_api import RegistrationBehaviour
+from synapse.spam_checker_api import Allow, Decision, RegistrationBehaviour
 from synapse.types import RoomAlias, UserProfile
 from synapse.util.async_helpers import delay_cancellation, maybe_awaitable
 from synapse.util.metrics import Measure
@@ -40,9 +41,19 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+
 CHECK_EVENT_FOR_SPAM_CALLBACK = Callable[
     ["synapse.events.EventBase"],
-    Awaitable[Union[bool, str]],
+    Awaitable[
+        Union[
+            Allow,
+            Codes,
+            # Deprecated
+            bool,
+            # Deprecated
+            str,
+        ]
+    ],
 ]
 SHOULD_DROP_FEDERATED_EVENT_CALLBACK = Callable[
     ["synapse.events.EventBase"],
@@ -259,7 +270,7 @@ class SpamChecker:
 
     async def check_event_for_spam(
         self, event: "synapse.events.EventBase"
-    ) -> Union[bool, str]:
+    ) -> Union[Decision, str]:
         """Checks if a given event is considered "spammy" by this server.
 
         If the server considers an event spammy, then it will be rejected if
@@ -270,18 +281,36 @@ class SpamChecker:
             event: the event to be checked
 
         Returns:
-            True or a string if the event is spammy. If a string is returned it
+            - on `ALLOW`, the event is considered good (non-spammy) and should
-            will be used as the error message returned to the user.
+                be let through. Other spamcheck filters may still reject it.
+            - on `Code`, the event is considered spammy and is rejected with a specific
+                error message/code.
+            - on `str`, the event is considered spammy and the string is used as error
+                message. This usage is generally discouraged as it doesn't support
+                internationalization.
         """
         for callback in self._check_event_for_spam_callbacks:
             with Measure(
                 self.clock, "{}.{}".format(callback.__module__, callback.__qualname__)
             ):
-                res: Union[bool, str] = await delay_cancellation(callback(event))
+                res: Union[Decision, str, bool] = await delay_cancellation(
-            if res:
+                    callback(event)
-                return res
+                )
+                if res is False or res is Allow.ALLOW:
+                    # This spam-checker accepts the event.
+                    # Other spam-checkers may reject it, though.
+                    continue
+                elif res is True:
+                    # This spam-checker rejects the event with deprecated
+                    # return value `True`
+                    return Codes.FORBIDDEN
+                else:
+                    # This spam-checker rejects the event either with a `str`
+                    # or with a `Codes`. In either case, we stop here.
+                    return res
 
-        return False
+        # No spam-checker has rejected the event, let it pass.
+        return Allow.ALLOW
 
     async def should_drop_federated_event(
         self, event: "synapse.events.EventBase"

synapse/federation/federation_base.py

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import logging
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
+import synapse
 from synapse.api.constants import MAX_DEPTH, EventContentFields, EventTypes, Membership
 from synapse.api.errors import Codes, SynapseError
 from synapse.api.room_versions import EventFormatVersions, RoomVersion
@@ -98,9 +99,9 @@ class FederationBase:
                 )
             return redacted_event
 
-        result = await self.spam_checker.check_event_for_spam(pdu)
+        spam_check = await self.spam_checker.check_event_for_spam(pdu)
 
-        if result:
+        if spam_check is not synapse.spam_checker_api.Allow.ALLOW:
             logger.warning("Event contains spam, soft-failing %s", pdu.event_id)
             # we redact (to save disk space) as well as soft-failing (to stop
             # using the event in prev_events).

synapse/handlers/message.py

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from canonicaljson import encode_canonical_json
 
 from twisted.internet.interfaces import IDelayedCall
 
+import synapse
 from synapse import event_auth
 from synapse.api.constants import (
     EventContentFields,
@@ -885,11 +886,11 @@ class EventCreationHandler:
                 event.sender,
             )
 
-            spam_error = await self.spam_checker.check_event_for_spam(event)
+            spam_check = await self.spam_checker.check_event_for_spam(event)
-            if spam_error:
+            if spam_check is not synapse.spam_checker_api.Allow.ALLOW:
-                if not isinstance(spam_error, str):
+                raise SynapseError(
-                    spam_error = "Spam is not permitted here"
+                    403, "This message had been rejected as probable spam", spam_check
-                raise SynapseError(403, spam_error, Codes.FORBIDDEN)
+                )
 
             ev = await self.handle_new_client_event(
                 requester=requester,

synapse/module_api/__init__.py

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ from typing_extensions import ParamSpec
 from twisted.internet import defer
 from twisted.web.resource import Resource
 
+from synapse import spam_checker_api
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError
 from synapse.events import EventBase
 from synapse.events.presence_router import (
@@ -140,6 +141,9 @@ are loaded into Synapse.
 
 PRESENCE_ALL_USERS = PresenceRouter.ALL_USERS
 
+ALLOW = spam_checker_api.Allow.ALLOW
+# Singleton value used to mark a message as permitted.
+
 __all__ = [
     "errors",
     "make_deferred_yieldable",
@@ -147,6 +151,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "respond_with_html",
     "run_in_background",
     "cached",
+    "Allow",
     "UserID",
     "DatabasePool",
     "LoggingTransaction",

synapse/module_api/errors.py

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 """Exception types which are exposed as part of the stable module API"""
 
 from synapse.api.errors import (
+    Codes,
     InvalidClientCredentialsError,
     RedirectException,
     SynapseError,
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ from synapse.handlers.push_rules import InvalidRuleException
 from synapse.storage.push_rule import RuleNotFoundException
 
 __all__ = [
+    "Codes",
     "InvalidClientCredentialsError",
     "RedirectException",
     "SynapseError",

synapse/spam_checker_api/__init__.py

@@ -12,13 +12,38 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 from enum import Enum
+from typing import Union
+
+from synapse.api.errors import Codes
 
 
 class RegistrationBehaviour(Enum):
     """
-    Enum to define whether a registration request should allowed, denied, or shadow-banned.
+    Enum to define whether a registration request should be allowed, denied, or shadow-banned.
     """
 
     ALLOW = "allow"
     SHADOW_BAN = "shadow_ban"
     DENY = "deny"
+
+
+# We define the following singleton enum rather than a string to be able to
+# write `Union[Allow, ..., str]` in some of the callbacks for the spam-checker
+# API, where the `str` is required to maintain backwards compatibility with
+# previous versions of the API.
+class Allow(Enum):
+    """
+    Singleton to allow events to pass through in SpamChecker APIs.
+    """
+
+    ALLOW = "allow"
+
+
+Decision = Union[Allow, Codes]
+"""
+Union to define whether a request should be allowed or rejected.
+
+To accept a request, return `ALLOW`.
+
+To reject a request without any specific information, use `Codes.FORBIDDEN`.
+"""