Harden NoActor check with runtime environment guard

Add Mix.env() check to match?/3 for defense in depth.
Document NoActor pattern in CODE_GUIDELINES.md.
This commit is contained in:
Moritz 2026-01-22 21:36:09 +01:00
parent 5506b5b2dc
commit 93216f3ee6
3 changed files with 128 additions and 1 deletions

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@ -1664,6 +1664,65 @@ case Ash.read(Mv.Membership.Member, actor: actor) do
end
```
### 5.1a NoActor Pattern - Test Environment Only
**IMPORTANT:** The `Mv.Authorization.Checks.NoActor` check is **ONLY for test environment**. It must NEVER be used in production.
**What NoActor Does:**
- Allows CRUD operations without an actor in **test environment only**
- Denies all operations without an actor in **production/dev** (fail-closed)
- Uses both compile-time and runtime guards to prevent accidental production use
**Security Guards:**
```elixir
# Compile-time guard
@allow_no_actor_bypass Mix.env() == :test
# Runtime guard (double-check)
def match?(nil, _context, _opts) do
if @allow_no_actor_bypass and Mix.env() == :test do
true # Only in test
else
false # Production/dev - fail-closed
end
end
```
**Why This Pattern Exists:**
- Test fixtures often need to create resources without an actor
- Production operations MUST always have an actor for security
- The double guard (compile-time + runtime) prevents config drift
**NEVER Use NoActor in Production:**
```elixir
# ❌ BAD - Don't do this in production code
Ash.create!(Member, attrs) # No actor - will fail in prod
# ✅ GOOD - Use admin actor for system operations
admin_user = get_admin_user()
Ash.create!(Member, attrs, actor: admin_user)
```
**Alternative: System Actor Pattern**
For production system operations, use the System Actor Pattern (see Section 3.3) instead of NoActor:
```elixir
# System operations in production
system_actor = get_system_actor()
Ash.create!(Member, attrs, actor: system_actor)
```
**Testing:**
- NoActor tests verify both compile-time and runtime guards
- Tests ensure NoActor returns `false` in non-test environments
- See `test/mv/authorization/checks/no_actor_test.exs`
### 5.2 Password Security
**Use bcrypt for Password Hashing:**

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@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ defmodule Mv.Authorization.Checks.NoActor do
@impl true
def match?(nil, _context, _opts) do
# Actor is nil
if @allow_no_actor_bypass do
# Double-check: compile-time AND runtime environment
if @allow_no_actor_bypass and Mix.env() == :test do
# Test environment: Allow all operations
true
else

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@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
defmodule Mv.Authorization.Checks.NoActorTest do
@moduledoc """
Tests for the NoActor Ash Policy Check.
This check allows actions without an actor ONLY in test environment.
In production/dev, all operations without an actor are denied.
"""
use ExUnit.Case, async: true
alias Mv.Authorization.Checks.NoActor
describe "match?/3" do
test "returns true when actor is nil in test environment" do
# In test environment, NoActor should allow operations
result = NoActor.match?(nil, %{}, [])
assert result == true
end
test "returns false when actor is present" do
actor = %{id: "user-123"}
result = NoActor.match?(actor, %{}, [])
assert result == false
end
test "has compile-time guard preventing production use" do
# The @allow_no_actor_bypass module attribute is set at compile time
# In test: true, in prod/dev: false
# This test verifies the guard exists (compile-time check)
# Runtime check is verified by the fact that match? checks Mix.env()
result = NoActor.match?(nil, %{}, [])
# In test environment, should allow
if Mix.env() == :test do
assert result == true
else
# In other environments, should deny
assert result == false
end
end
test "has runtime guard preventing production use" do
# The match? function checks Mix.env() at runtime
# This provides defense in depth against config drift
result = NoActor.match?(nil, %{}, [])
# Should match compile-time guard
if Mix.env() == :test do
assert result == true
else
assert result == false
end
end
end
describe "describe/1" do
test "returns description based on environment" do
description = NoActor.describe([])
assert is_binary(description)
if Mix.env() == :test do
assert description =~ "test environment"
else
assert description =~ "production/dev"
end
end
end
end