Merge pull request #2366 from uhoreg/key_verification_accept

MSC2366: Key verification flow additions: m.key.verification.ready and m.key.verification.done

Author: turt2live

proposals/2366-key-verification-accept.md

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# Key verification flow additions: `m.key.verification.ready` and `m.key.verification.done`
+
+The current key verification framework is asymmetrical in that the user who
+requests the verification is unable to select the key verification method.
+This makes it harder for more experienced users who wish to guide less
+experienced users through the verification process, especially if they are not
+verifying in-person, but are using a trusted but remote channel of verification
+(such as telephone or video conference).
+
+As an example, let us say that Alice is an experienced Matrix user and is
+introducing Bob to the wonders of federated communications.  Alice wants to
+verify keys with Bob, so she clicks on the "Verify" button in her client on
+Bob's profile (which sends a `m.key.verification.request` message to Bob).
+Bob's device receives the verification request and prompts Bob to accept the
+verification request.  At this point, under the current framework, Bob is
+responsible for choosing the verification method to use.  However, with this
+proposal, Bob would be able to just accept the verification request without
+choosing a method, and allow Alice to choose the verification method.
+
+In addition, the current key verification framework does not have a method for
+clients to signal to the other side that a key verification was successful.
+Some clients may wish to wait until the other side has either confirmed a
+successful verification or indicated an error before displaying the result of
+the verification, in order to give the two users a consistent view of the
+verification as a whole.
+
+## Proposal
+
+Two new event types are added to the [key verification
+framework](https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/r0.6.1#key-verification-framework)
+when verifying in to-device messages.  The new event
+types are already described in [MSC2241 (Key verification in
+DMs)](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/2241).  This proposal adds
+them to verifications in to-device messages.
+
+The first event type is `m.key.verification.ready`, which must be sent by the
+target of the `m.key.verification.request` message, upon receipt of the
+`m.key.verification.request` event.  It has the fields:
+
+- `from_device`: the ID of the device that sent the `m.key.verification.ready`
+  message
+- `methods`: an array of verification methods that the device supports
+
+It also has the usual `transaction_id` or `m.relates_to` fields for key
+verification events, depending on whether it is sent as a to-device event
+or an in-room event.
+
+After the `m.key.verification.ready` event is sent, either party can send an
+`m.key.verification.start` event to begin the verification.  If both parties
+send an `m.key.verification.start` event, and they both specify the same
+verification method, then the event sent by the user whose user ID is the
+lexicographically smallest is used, and the other `m.key.verification.start` event is ignored.
+In the case of a single user verifying two of their devices, the device ID is
+compared instead.  If both parties send an `m.key.verification.start` event,
+but they specify different verification methods, the verification should be
+cancelled with a `code` of `m.unexpected_message`.
+
+With to-device messages, previously the sender of the
+`m.key.verification.request` message would send an `m.key.verification.cancel`
+message to the recipient's other devices when it received an
+`m.key.verification.start` event. With this new event, the sender of the
+`m.key.verification.request` message should send an `m.key.verification.cancel`
+message when it receives an `m.key.verification.ready` or
+`m.key.verification.start` message, whichever comes first.
+
+The `m.key.verification.ready` event is required for verifications in both DMs
+and in to-device messages to accept verifications requested using an
+`m.key.verification.request` event.
+
+The second event type is `m.key.verification.done`, which has no fields other
+than the usual `transaction_id` or `m.relates_to` field.  This indicates that
+the device has successfully completed its side of the verification.
+
+## Potential issues
+
+Clients that follow the Client-Server 0.6.0 spec may not expect an
+`m.key.verification.ready` message in response to `m.key.verification.request`.
+However to our knowledge, no clients implement `m.key.verification.request` in
+this way yet -- to our knowledge, all clients that implement verification
+implement this proposal.