Added a boot link for development builds

.gitignore

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 # Ignore any startup.env file:
 startup.env
 
+# Ignore the boot link of development builds:
+dev-boot-link.txt
+
 # Ignore pdfium library:
 libpdfium.dylib
 libpdfium.so

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/Security/AppAccessMiddleware.cs

@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ namespace AIStudio.Tools.Security;
 /// </summary>
 /// <remarks>
 /// The middleware runs before every other one, so it covers pages, static files, the Blazor hub
-/// with all of its transports, and every endpoint alike. There are no exceptions: a request without
-/// the session cookie gets refused, whatever it asks for.
+/// with all of its transports, and every endpoint alike. A release build makes no exception: a
+/// request without the session cookie gets refused, whatever it asks for. Only a development build
+/// also takes its boot link, with which another browser gets the cookie.
 ///
 /// A request which carries an Origin header must, in addition, come from a page of the app.
 /// Browsers send that header with requests made by a script, the WebSocket of the Blazor hub
@@ -45,6 +46,14 @@ public sealed class AppAccessMiddleware(RequestDelegate next, AppAccessPolicy po
             return;
         }
 
+#if DEBUG
+        if (HttpMethods.IsGet(context.Request.Method) && context.Request.Path.Equals(DEV_BOOT_PATH, StringComparison.Ordinal))
+        {
+            await this.BootAsync(context);
+            return;
+        }
+#endif
+
         if (!policy.HasSessionCookie(context.Request))
         {
             await this.RefuseAsync(context, "a client without the session cookie");
@@ -54,6 +63,38 @@ public sealed class AppAccessMiddleware(RequestDelegate next, AppAccessPolicy po
         await next(context);
     }
 
+#if DEBUG
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The path of the boot link which development builds write for other browsers, such as the
+    /// one of an agent. A release build knows neither the link nor this path.
+    /// </summary>
+    private const string DEV_BOOT_PATH = "/dev/boot";
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Trades the token of a boot link for the session cookie and sends the browser on to the app.
+    /// The browser opens the link by itself, so it sends the cookie along after the redirect.
+    /// </summary>
+    private async Task BootAsync(HttpContext context)
+    {
+        var token = context.Request.Query["token"].ToString();
+        if (!policy.IsUIToken(token))
+        {
+            await this.RefuseAsync(context, "a boot link with a wrong token");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        context.Response.Cookies.Append(AppAccessPolicy.SESSION_COOKIE_NAME, token, new CookieOptions
+        {
+            HttpOnly = true,
+            SameSite = SameSiteMode.Strict,
+            Path = "/",
+            IsEssential = true
+        });
+
+        context.Response.Redirect("/");
+    }
+#endif
+
     private async Task RefuseAsync(HttpContext context, string reason)
     {
         this.LogRefusal(context, reason);

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/Security/AppAccessPolicy.cs

@@ -64,11 +64,13 @@ public sealed class AppAccessPolicy(int appPort, string uiToken)
     /// </remarks>
     /// <param name="request">The request.</param>
     /// <returns>True when the request comes from the app window.</returns>
-    public bool HasSessionCookie(HttpRequest request)
-    {
-        if (!request.Cookies.TryGetValue(SESSION_COOKIE_NAME, out var value) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(value))
-            return false;
+    public bool HasSessionCookie(HttpRequest request) => request.Cookies.TryGetValue(SESSION_COOKIE_NAME, out var value) && this.IsUIToken(value);
 
-        return CryptographicOperations.FixedTimeEquals(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(value), this.uiTokenBytes);
-    }
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Checks whether the given value is the token of this start, in a time which does not depend
+    /// on where a wrong value differs.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="value">The value to check.</param>
+    /// <returns>True when the value is the token.</returns>
+    public bool IsUIToken(string? value) => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(value) && CryptographicOperations.FixedTimeEquals(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(value), this.uiTokenBytes);
 }

app/Tests/Tools/AppAccess/AppAccessMiddlewareTests.cs

@@ -116,4 +116,61 @@ public sealed class AppAccessMiddlewareTests
     {
         Assert.That(await SendAsync("/_blazor/negotiate", UI_TOKEN, "http://127.0.0.1:61153", "http://rebind.example:61153"), Is.EqualTo(StatusCodes.Status403Forbidden));
     }
+
+#if DEBUG
+    private static async Task<HttpResponse> BootAsync(string method, string? token)
+    {
+        var middleware = new AppAccessMiddleware(Pass, new AppAccessPolicy(APP_PORT, UI_TOKEN), NullLogger<AppAccessMiddleware>.Instance);
+        var context = new DefaultHttpContext { Request = { Method = method, Path = "/dev/boot" } };
+        if (token is not null)
+            context.Request.QueryString = QueryString.Create("token", token);
+
+        await middleware.InvokeAsync(context);
+        return context.Response;
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task TheBootLinkOfADevelopmentBuildHandsOutTheSessionCookie()
+    {
+        var response = await BootAsync(HttpMethods.Get, UI_TOKEN);
+        var cookie = response.Headers.SetCookie.ToString().ToLowerInvariant();
+
+        Assert.Multiple(() =>
+        {
+            Assert.That(response.StatusCode, Is.EqualTo(StatusCodes.Status302Found));
+            Assert.That(response.Headers.Location.ToString(), Is.EqualTo("/"));
+            Assert.That(cookie, Does.StartWith($"{AppAccessPolicy.SESSION_COOKIE_NAME}={UI_TOKEN}"));
+            Assert.That(cookie, Does.Contain("httponly"));
+            Assert.That(cookie, Does.Contain("samesite=strict"));
+            Assert.That(cookie, Does.Contain("path=/"));
+            Assert.That(cookie, Does.Not.Contain("expires"));
+        });
+    }
+
+    [TestCase("0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdee")]
+    [TestCase("")]
+    [TestCase(null)]
+    public async Task TheBootLinkWithAWrongTokenIsRefused(string? token)
+    {
+        var response = await BootAsync(HttpMethods.Get, token);
+
+        Assert.Multiple(() =>
+        {
+            Assert.That(response.StatusCode, Is.EqualTo(StatusCodes.Status403Forbidden));
+            Assert.That(response.Headers.SetCookie.ToString(), Is.Empty);
+        });
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task TheBootLinkAnswersOnlyAGet()
+    {
+        var response = await BootAsync(HttpMethods.Post, UI_TOKEN);
+
+        Assert.Multiple(() =>
+        {
+            Assert.That(response.StatusCode, Is.EqualTo(StatusCodes.Status403Forbidden));
+            Assert.That(response.Headers.SetCookie.ToString(), Is.Empty);
+        });
+    }
+#endif
 }

runtime/src/app_access.rs

@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ pub const DOTNET_ENV_UI_TOKEN: &str = "AI_STUDIO_UI_TOKEN";
 /// belongs to it.
 pub const APP_HOST: &str = "127.0.0.1";
 
+/// The file in the root of the repository which holds the boot link of a development build.
+#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+const DEV_BOOT_LINK_FILE: &str = "dev-boot-link.txt";
+
 /// Builds the session cookie of the app window.
 ///
 /// The cookie is for the app host alone and lives as long as the window: it has no expiry date,
@@ -61,6 +65,28 @@ pub fn hand_over_session_cookie(window: &WebviewWindow, app_url: &Url) {
     }
 }
 
+/// Returns the link with which another browser gets the session cookie of a development build,
+/// such as the browser of an agent which checks a change in the running app.
+#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+fn dev_boot_link(port: u16) -> String {
+    format!("http://{APP_HOST}:{port}/dev/boot?token={}", UI_ACCESS_TOKEN.to_hex_text())
+}
+
+/// Writes the boot link of a development build into a file of its own in the root of the
+/// repository. It never goes into the startup env file: that file holds the secrets of the IPC,
+/// which a browser needs none of.
+///
+/// Only development builds contain this function. A release has no boot link, and its .NET
+/// server knows no route which would take one. The log names the file, never the link.
+#[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+pub fn write_dev_boot_link(port: u16) {
+    let path = std::path::PathBuf::from("..").join(DEV_BOOT_LINK_FILE);
+    match std::fs::write(&path, dev_boot_link(port)) {
+        Ok(_) => info!(Source = "App access"; "Wrote the boot link of this development build to '{}'.", path.display()),
+        Err(error) => error!(Source = "App access"; "Failed to write the boot link of this development build to '{}': {error}", path.display()),
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -97,6 +123,19 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(cookie.max_age().is_none());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+    fn the_dev_boot_link_leads_to_the_boot_route_of_the_app_host() {
+        let link = Url::parse(dev_boot_link(61153).as_str()).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(link.host_str(), Some(APP_HOST));
+        assert_eq!(link.port(), Some(61153));
+        assert_eq!(link.path(), "/dev/boot");
+
+        let token = link.query_pairs().find(|(key, _)| key == "token").map(|(_, value)| value.into_owned());
+        assert_eq!(token.as_deref(), Some(UI_ACCESS_TOKEN.to_hex_text()));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn the_ui_token_differs_from_the_api_token() {
         assert!(!UI_ACCESS_TOKEN.validate(&APIToken::from_hex_text(crate::runtime_api_token::API_TOKEN.to_hex_text())));

runtime/src/dotnet.rs

@@ -301,6 +301,11 @@ pub async fn dotnet_ready() {
     }
 
     let dotnet_server_port = *DOTNET_SERVER_PORT;
+
+    // A development build lets other browsers in, too, such as the one of an agent:
+    #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+    tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || crate::app_access::write_dev_boot_link(dotnet_server_port));
+
     let url = match Url::parse(app_address(dotnet_server_port).as_str())
     {
         Ok(url) => url,