[TUF] 5.5. Update the snapshot role - How would you recall a target file

dbrassard

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Oct 11, 2023, 10:18:10 AM10/11/23

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Hi,

the Update Snapshot Role process mention:

"Furthermore, any targets metadata filename that was listed in the trusted snapshot metadata file, if any, MUST continue to be listed in the new snapshot metadata file."

What would be the process if we want to recall a file?

From my understanding we cannot remove the file from the snapshot metadata file otherwise the client will discard the new snapshot metadata file.

Those files need to stay in the repository and would have to filter them in our implementation.

Thanks,

Denis

Jussi Kukkonen

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Oct 12, 2023, 11:46:24 AM10/12/23

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Hi Denis,

There's some details to notice here:

1. You do not need to remove the targets metadata filename from snapshot to make that targets metadata 100% inoperative: Once you remove the _delegation_ to that role, clients will never end up loading that metadata.
2. If the issue is content in the targets metadata file (let's imagine the targetpaths leaked some information that should not have been leaked), you can of course remove the actual metadata file after doing step 1 above (this is fine since clients will never try to download it since it's no longer part of the delegation tree)

Finally, for completeness: you can remove targets metadata filenames from snapshot if you also replace snapshot keys (this is a side effect of the fast-forward recovery in 5.3.11). I would not recommend doing this unless snapshot has somehow grown far too large.

HTH, Jussi

Denis Brassard

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Oct 12, 2023, 2:39:36 PM10/12/23

to Jussi Kukkonen, The Update Framework (TUF)

Thank you both for the clarification.

Denis

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Justin Cappos

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Oct 12, 2023, 3:55:38 PM10/12/23

to Jussi Kukkonen, The Update Framework (TUF)

One other situation to be aware of here is that if you bump the targets file to a higher version, the old one also is inaccessible / can be removed.

Thanks,

Justin

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Denis Brassard

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Oct 12, 2023, 4:36:43 PM10/12/23

to Justin Cappos, Jussi Kukkonen, The Update Framework (TUF)

Right, I was confused with the target metadata and the actual target file.
It makes more sense to me now.

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Trishank Kuppusamy

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Oct 12, 2023, 4:55:38 PM10/12/23

to Denis Brassard, Justin Cappos, Jussi Kukkonen, The Update Framework (TUF)

On Thu, 12 Oct 2023 at 16:36, Denis Brassard <denisb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Right, I was confused with the target metadata and the actual target file.
It makes more sense to me now.

(Incidentally, we should rename "targets" to "artifacts", the same way we renamed "release" to "snapshot".)

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