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| 1 <h1>Using eval in Chrome Extensions. Safely.</h1> | 1 <h1>Using eval in Chrome Extensions. Safely.</h1> |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 <p> | 4 <p> |
| 5 Chrome's extension system enforces a fairly strict default | 5 Chrome's extension system enforces a fairly strict default |
| 6 <a href='contentSecurityPolicy.html'> | 6 <a href='contentSecurityPolicy.html'> |
| 7 <strong>Content Security Policy (CSP)</strong> | 7 <strong>Content Security Policy (CSP)</strong> |
| 8 </a>. The policy restrictions are straightforward: script must be moved | 8 </a>. The policy restrictions are straightforward: script must be moved |
| 9 out-of-line into separate JavaScript files, inline event handlers must be | 9 out-of-line into separate JavaScript files, inline event handlers must be |
| 10 converted to use <code>addEventListener</code>, and <code>eval()</code> is | 10 converted to use <code>addEventListener</code>, and <code>eval()</code> is |
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| 26 problematic than expected</a> for developers. | 26 problematic than expected</a> for developers. |
| 27 </p> | 27 </p> |
| 28 | 28 |
| 29 <p> | 29 <p> |
| 30 This document introduces sandboxing as a safe mechanism to include these | 30 This document introduces sandboxing as a safe mechanism to include these |
| 31 libraries in your projects without compromising on security. For brevity, | 31 libraries in your projects without compromising on security. For brevity, |
| 32 we'll be using the term <em>extensions</em> throughout, but the concept | 32 we'll be using the term <em>extensions</em> throughout, but the concept |
| 33 applies equally to applications. | 33 applies equally to applications. |
| 34 </p> | 34 </p> |
| 35 | 35 |
| 36 <h2>Why sandbox?</h2> | 36 <h2 id="why_sandbox">Why sandbox?</h2> |
| 37 | 37 |
| 38 <p> | 38 <p> |
| 39 <code>eval</code> is dangerous inside an extension because the code it | 39 <code>eval</code> is dangerous inside an extension because the code it |
| 40 executes has access to everything in the extension's high-permission | 40 executes has access to everything in the extension's high-permission |
| 41 environment. A slew of powerful <code>chrome.*</code> APIs are available that | 41 environment. A slew of powerful <code>chrome.*</code> APIs are available that |
| 42 could severely impact a user's security and privacy; simple data exfiltration | 42 could severely impact a user's security and privacy; simple data exfiltration |
| 43 is the least of our worries. The solution on offer is a sandbox in which | 43 is the least of our worries. The solution on offer is a sandbox in which |
| 44 <code>eval</code> can execute code without access either to the extension's | 44 <code>eval</code> can execute code without access either to the extension's |
| 45 data or the extension's high-value APIs. No data, no APIs, no problem. | 45 data or the extension's high-value APIs. No data, no APIs, no problem. |
| 46 </p> | 46 </p> |
| 47 | 47 |
| 48 <p> | 48 <p> |
| 49 We accomplish this by listing specific HTML files inside the extension package | 49 We accomplish this by listing specific HTML files inside the extension package |
| 50 as being sandboxed. Whenever a sandboxed page is loaded, it will be moved to a | 50 as being sandboxed. Whenever a sandboxed page is loaded, it will be moved to a |
| 51 <a href='http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/origin-0.
html#sandboxed-origin-browsing-context-flag'>unique origin</a>, | 51 <a href='http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/origin-0.
html#sandboxed-origin-browsing-context-flag'>unique origin</a>, |
| 52 and will be denied access to <code>chrome.*</code> APIs. If we load this | 52 and will be denied access to <code>chrome.*</code> APIs. If we load this |
| 53 sandboxed page into our extension via an <code>iframe</code>, we can pass it | 53 sandboxed page into our extension via an <code>iframe</code>, we can pass it |
| 54 messages, let it act upon those messages in some way, and wait for it to pass | 54 messages, let it act upon those messages in some way, and wait for it to pass |
| 55 us back a result. This simple messaging mechanism gives us everything we need | 55 us back a result. This simple messaging mechanism gives us everything we need |
| 56 to safely include <code>eval</code>-driven code in our extension's workflow. | 56 to safely include <code>eval</code>-driven code in our extension's workflow. |
| 57 </p> | 57 </p> |
| 58 | 58 |
| 59 <h2>Creating and using a sandbox.</h2> | 59 <h2 id="creating_and_using">Creating and using a sandbox.</h2> |
| 60 | 60 |
| 61 <p> | 61 <p> |
| 62 If you'd like to dive straight into code, please grab the | 62 If you'd like to dive straight into code, please grab the |
| 63 <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/samples.html#3c6dfba67f6a748
0d931b5a4a646c151ad1a049b'>sandboxing | 63 <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/samples.html#3c6dfba67f6a748
0d931b5a4a646c151ad1a049b'>sandboxing |
| 64 sample extension and take off</a>. It's a working example of a tiny messaging | 64 sample extension and take off</a>. It's a working example of a tiny messaging |
| 65 API built on top of the <a href='http://handlebarsjs.com'>Handlebars</a> | 65 API built on top of the <a href='http://handlebarsjs.com'>Handlebars</a> |
| 66 templating library, and it should give you everything you need to get going. | 66 templating library, and it should give you everything you need to get going. |
| 67 For those of you who'd like a little more explanation, let's walk through that | 67 For those of you who'd like a little more explanation, let's walk through that |
| 68 sample together here. | 68 sample together here. |
| 69 </p> | 69 </p> |
| 70 | 70 |
| 71 <h3>List files in manifest</h3> | 71 <h3 id="list_files">List files in manifest</h3> |
| 72 | 72 |
| 73 <p> | 73 <p> |
| 74 Each file that ought to be run inside a sandbox must be listed in the | 74 Each file that ought to be run inside a sandbox must be listed in the |
| 75 extension manifest by adding a <code>sandbox</code> property. This is a | 75 extension manifest by adding a <code>sandbox</code> property. This is a |
| 76 critical step, and it's easy to forget, so please double check that your | 76 critical step, and it's easy to forget, so please double check that your |
| 77 sandboxed file is listed in the manifest. In this sample, we're sandboxing the | 77 sandboxed file is listed in the manifest. In this sample, we're sandboxing the |
| 78 file cleverly named "sandbox.html". The manifest entry looks like this: | 78 file cleverly named "sandbox.html". The manifest entry looks like this: |
| 79 </p> | 79 </p> |
| 80 | 80 |
| 81 <pre>{ | 81 <pre>{ |
| 82 ..., | 82 ..., |
| 83 "sandbox": { | 83 "sandbox": { |
| 84 "pages": ["sandbox.html"] | 84 "pages": ["sandbox.html"] |
| 85 }, | 85 }, |
| 86 ... | 86 ... |
| 87 }</pre> | 87 }</pre> |
| 88 | 88 |
| 89 <h3>Load the sandboxed file</h3> | 89 <h3 id="load_file">Load the sandboxed file</h3> |
| 90 | 90 |
| 91 <p> | 91 <p> |
| 92 In order to do something interesting with the sandboxed file, we need to load | 92 In order to do something interesting with the sandboxed file, we need to load |
| 93 it in a context where it can be addressed by the extension's code. Here, | 93 it in a context where it can be addressed by the extension's code. Here, |
| 94 <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/examples/howto/sandbox/sandb
ox.html'>sandbox.html</a> | 94 <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/examples/howto/sandbox/sandb
ox.html'>sandbox.html</a> |
| 95 has been loaded into the extension's <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/ex
tensions/dev/event_pages.html'>Event | 95 has been loaded into the extension's <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/ex
tensions/dev/event_pages.html'>Event |
| 96 Page</a> (<a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/examples/howto/san
dbox/eventpage.html'>eventpage.html</a>) | 96 Page</a> (<a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/examples/howto/san
dbox/eventpage.html'>eventpage.html</a>) |
| 97 via an <code>iframe</code>. <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/
examples/howto/sandbox/eventpage.js'>eventpage.js</a> | 97 via an <code>iframe</code>. <a href='http://code.google.com/chrome/extensions/
examples/howto/sandbox/eventpage.js'>eventpage.js</a> |
| 98 contains code that sends a message into the sandbox whenever the browser | 98 contains code that sends a message into the sandbox whenever the browser |
| 99 action is clicked by finding the <code>iframe</code> on the page, and | 99 action is clicked by finding the <code>iframe</code> on the page, and |
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| 114 | 114 |
| 115 <p class="note"> | 115 <p class="note"> |
| 116 For general information about the <code>postMessage</code> API, take a look at | 116 For general information about the <code>postMessage</code> API, take a look at |
| 117 the <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/window.postMessage"> | 117 the <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/window.postMessage"> |
| 118 <code>postMessage</code> documentation on MDN | 118 <code>postMessage</code> documentation on MDN |
| 119 </a>. It's quite complete and worth reading. In particular, note that data can | 119 </a>. It's quite complete and worth reading. In particular, note that data can |
| 120 only be passed back and forth if it's serializable. Functions, for instance, | 120 only be passed back and forth if it's serializable. Functions, for instance, |
| 121 are not. | 121 are not. |
| 122 </p> | 122 </p> |
| 123 | 123 |
| 124 <h3>Do something dangerous</h3> | 124 <h3 id="do_something">Do something dangerous</h3> |
| 125 | 125 |
| 126 <p> | 126 <p> |
| 127 When <code>sandbox.html</code> is loaded, it loads the Handlebars library, and | 127 When <code>sandbox.html</code> is loaded, it loads the Handlebars library, and |
| 128 creates and compiles an inline template in the way Handlebars suggests: | 128 creates and compiles an inline template in the way Handlebars suggests: |
| 129 </p> | 129 </p> |
| 130 | 130 |
| 131 <pre><script src="handlebars-1.0.0.beta.6.js"></script> | 131 <pre><script src="handlebars-1.0.0.beta.6.js"></script> |
| 132 <script id="hello-world-template" type="text/x-handlebars-template"> | 132 <script id="hello-world-template" type="text/x-handlebars-template"> |
| 133 <div class="entry"> | 133 <div class="entry"> |
| 134 <h1>Hello, {{thing}}!</h1> | 134 <h1>Hello, {{thing}}!</h1> |
| 135 </div> | 135 </div> |
| 136 </script> | 136 </script> |
| 137 <script> | 137 <script> |
| 138 var templates = []; | 138 var templates = []; |
| 139 var source = document.getElementById('hello-world-template').innerHTML; | 139 var source = document.getElementById('hello-world-template').innerHTML; |
| 140 templates['hello'] = Handlebars.compile(source); | 140 templates['hello'] = Handlebars.compile(source); |
| 141 </script></pre> | 141 </script></pre> |
| 142 | 142 |
| 143 <p> | 143 <p> |
| 144 This doesn't fail! Even though <code>Handlebars.compile</code> ends up using | 144 This doesn't fail! Even though <code>Handlebars.compile</code> ends up using |
| 145 <code>new Function</code>, things work exactly as expected, and we end up with | 145 <code>new Function</code>, things work exactly as expected, and we end up with |
| 146 a compiled template in <code>templates[‘hello']</code>. | 146 a compiled template in <code>templates[‘hello']</code>. |
| 147 </p> | 147 </p> |
| 148 | 148 |
| 149 <h3>Pass the result back</h3> | 149 <h3 id="pass_result">Pass the result back</h3> |
| 150 | 150 |
| 151 <p> | 151 <p> |
| 152 We'll make this template available for use by setting up a message listener | 152 We'll make this template available for use by setting up a message listener |
| 153 that accepts commands from the Event Page. We'll use the <code>command</code> | 153 that accepts commands from the Event Page. We'll use the <code>command</code> |
| 154 passed in to determine what ought to be done (you could imagine doing more | 154 passed in to determine what ought to be done (you could imagine doing more |
| 155 than simply rendering; perhaps creating templates? Perhaps managing them in | 155 than simply rendering; perhaps creating templates? Perhaps managing them in |
| 156 some way?), and the <code>context</code> will be passed into the template | 156 some way?), and the <code>context</code> will be passed into the template |
| 157 directly for rendering. The rendered HTML will be passed back to the Event | 157 directly for rendering. The rendered HTML will be passed back to the Event |
| 158 Page so the extension can do something useful with it later on: | 158 Page so the extension can do something useful with it later on: |
| 159 </p> | 159 </p> |
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| 189 This mechanism makes templating straightforward, but it of course isn't | 189 This mechanism makes templating straightforward, but it of course isn't |
| 190 limited to templating. Any code that doesn't work out of the box under a | 190 limited to templating. Any code that doesn't work out of the box under a |
| 191 strict Content Security Policy can be sandboxed; in fact, it's often useful | 191 strict Content Security Policy can be sandboxed; in fact, it's often useful |
| 192 to sandbox components of your extensions that <em>would</em> run correctly in | 192 to sandbox components of your extensions that <em>would</em> run correctly in |
| 193 order to restrict each piece of your program to the smallest set of privileges | 193 order to restrict each piece of your program to the smallest set of privileges |
| 194 necessary for it to properly execute. The | 194 necessary for it to properly execute. The |
| 195 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBxv8SaX0gg">Writing Secure Web Apps | 195 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBxv8SaX0gg">Writing Secure Web Apps |
| 196 and Chrome Extensions</a> presentation from Google I/O 2012 gives some good | 196 and Chrome Extensions</a> presentation from Google I/O 2012 gives some good |
| 197 examples of these technique in action, and is worth 56 minutes of your time. | 197 examples of these technique in action, and is worth 56 minutes of your time. |
| 198 </p> | 198 </p> |
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