WhatsApp allowlist and self-chat authorization controls

Fixes on record

Merged to main. A stamp counts the issues a fix is linked to.

• #21291 fix(whatsapp): reject strangers by default, never respond in self-chat (#8389)

  merged to main

  files: scripts/whatsapp-bridge/allowlist.js, scripts/whatsapp-bridge/allowlist.test.mjs, scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js

  Show the diff

  • scripts/whatsapp-bridge/allowlist.js

    @@ -64,8 +64,12 @@ export function expandWhatsAppIdentifiers(identifier, sessionDir) {
     }
     
     export function matchesAllowedUser(senderId, allowedUsers, sessionDir) {
    +  // Empty allowlist = NO ONE allowed (secure default, #8389).  Operators
    +  // who want an open bot must set ``WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_USERS=*`` explicitly.
    +  // Previous behaviour (empty → return true) let any stranger DM the
    +  // bridge and trigger a Python-side pairing-code reply.
       if (!allowedUsers || allowedUsers.size === 0) {
    -    return true;
    +    return false;
       }
     
       // "*" means allow everyone (consistent with SIGNAL_GROUP_ALLOWED_USERS)

  • scripts/whatsapp-bridge/allowlist.test.mjs

    @@ -57,3 +57,24 @@ test('matchesAllowedUser treats * as allow-all wildcard', () => {
         rmSync(sessionDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
       }
     });
    +
    +test('matchesAllowedUser rejects everyone when allowlist is empty (#8389)', () => {
    +  // Regression guard: empty allowlist used to return true (allow-everyone),
    +  // which let any stranger DM the bridge and trigger a Python-side
    +  // pairing-code reply. Secure default is now "reject unless explicitly
    +  // configured"; operators who want an open bot must set `*`.
    +  const sessionDir = mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'hermes-wa-allowlist-'));
    +
    +  try {
    +    const empty = parseAllowedUsers('');
    +    assert.equal(empty.size, 0);
    +    assert.equal(matchesAllowedUser('[redacted:email]', empty, sessionDir), false);
    +    assert.equal(matchesAllowedUser('267383306489914@lid', empty, sessionDir), false);
    +
    +    // Null/undefined allowlist (defensive) also rejects.
    +    assert.equal(matchesAllowedUser('[redacted:email]', null, sessionDir), false);
    +    assert.equal(matchesAllowedUser('[redacted:email]', undefined, sessionDir), false);
    +  } finally {
    +    rmSync(sessionDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
    +  }
    +});

  • scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js

    @@ -229,17 +229,34 @@ async function startSocket() {
             if (!isSelfChat) continue;
           }
     
    -      // Check allowlist for messages from others (resolve LID ↔ phone aliases)
    -      if (!msg.key.fromMe && !matchesAllowedUser(senderId, ALLOWED_USERS, SESSION_DIR)) {
    -        try {
    -          console.log(JSON.stringify({
    -            event: 'ignored',
    -            reason: 'allowlist_mismatch',
    -            chatId,
    -            senderId,
    -          }));
    -        } catch {}
    -        continue;
    +      // Handle !fromMe messages (from other people) based on mode.
    +      // Self-chat mode only responds to the user's own messages to
    +      // themselves — stranger DMs / group pings must never reach the
    +      // Python gateway, otherwise a pairing-code reply fires in response
    +      // to arbitrary incoming messages (#8389).
    +      if (!msg.key.fromMe) {
    +        if (WHATSAPP_MODE === 'self-chat') {
    +          try {
    +            console.log(JSON.stringify({
    +              event: 'ignored',
    +              reason: 'self_chat_mode_rejects_non_self',
    +              chatId,
    +              senderId,
    +            }));
    +          } catch {}
    +          continue;
    +        }
    +        if (!matchesAllowedUser(senderId, ALLOWED_USERS, SESSION_DIR)) {
    +          try {
    +            console.log(JSON.stringify({
    +              event: 'ignored',
    +              reason: 'allowlist_mismatch',
    +              chatId,
    +              senderId,
    +            }));
    +          } catch {}
    +          continue;
    +        }
           }
     
           const messageContent = getMessageContent(msg);
    @@ -625,8 +642,12 @@ if (PAIR_ONLY) {
         console.log(`📁 Session stored in: ${SESSION_DIR}`);
         if (ALLOWED_USERS.size > 0) {
           console.log(`🔒 Allowed users: ${Array.from(ALLOWED_USERS).join(', ')}`);
    +    } else if (WHATSAPP_MODE === 'self-chat') {
    +      console.log(`🔒 Self-chat mode — only your own messages to yourself are processed.`);
         } else {
    -      console.log(`⚠️  No WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_USERS set — all messages will be processed`);
    +      console.log(`🔒 No WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_USERS set — incoming messages are rejected.`);
    +      console.log(`   Set WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_USERS=<phone> to authorize specific users,`);
    +      console.log(`   or WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_USERS=* for an explicit open bot.`);
         }
         console.log();
         startSocket();