docs: TLS auto-cert and lenient client trust

This commit is contained in:
Joseph Doherty
2026-06-01 07:43:13 -04:00
parent ddd5721082
commit 2eb81379e4
14 changed files with 393 additions and 0 deletions
+19
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@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ public sealed class MxGatewayClientOptions
public required string ApiKey { get; init; }
public bool UseTls { get; init; }
public string? CaCertificatePath { get; init; }
public bool RequireCertificateValidation { get; init; }
public string? ServerNameOverride { get; init; }
public TimeSpan ConnectTimeout { get; init; } = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10);
public TimeSpan DefaultCallTimeout { get; init; } = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30);
@@ -124,6 +125,24 @@ or subscription changes because those calls can partially succeed in MXAccess.
API key may be loaded from `MXGATEWAY_API_KEY` by the CLI, not implicitly by the
library constructor unless a helper explicitly says it does that.
### TLS trust posture
The gateway can serve a self-signed certificate it generates itself (it has no
PKI). To make that usable, TLS is **lenient by default**: when `UseTls` is set
and `CaCertificatePath` is empty, `CreateHttpHandler` installs a
`RemoteCertificateValidationCallback` that returns `true`, so the gateway's
self-signed certificate is accepted without verification.
To verify the gateway instead:
- set `CaCertificatePath` to pin a CA — validated via a `CustomRootTrust`
`X509Chain` against that root, and the callback additionally rejects a
hostname/SAN mismatch (`RemoteCertificateNameMismatch`); or
- set `RequireCertificateValidation` to `true` to keep the default OS/system-trust
verification on a connection with no pinned CA.
Pinning a CA always wins over the lenient default.
## Auth Interceptor
Use a gRPC call credentials/interceptor layer to attach:
+11
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@@ -287,6 +287,17 @@ Use TLS options for a secured gateway:
dotnet run --project clients/dotnet/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client.Cli -- smoke --endpoint https://ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.example.local:5001 --tls --ca-file C:\certs\mxgateway-ca.pem --server-name ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.example.local --api-key-env MXGATEWAY_API_KEY --item Area001.Pump001.Speed --json
```
### TLS trust
The gateway can auto-generate its own self-signed certificate (it has no PKI), so
the client is **lenient by default**: a TLS connection (`UseTls` / `--tls`) with
no pinned CA accepts whatever certificate the gateway presents. To verify
instead, pin a CA with `CaCertificatePath` / `--ca-file` (this path also enforces
the certificate hostname/SAN match), or set `RequireCertificateValidation` to
force OS/system-trust verification without pinning. Use `ServerNameOverride` /
`--server-name` when the dialed host differs from the certificate SAN. See
[Gateway Configuration](../../docs/GatewayConfiguration.md#automatic-self-signed-certificate).
## Integration Checks
Run live checks only when a gateway and MXAccess-backed worker are available:
+17
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@@ -104,6 +104,23 @@ Support:
- `credentials.NewClientTLSFromFile`,
- custom `tls.Config` for advanced callers.
### Trust posture
The gateway can serve a self-signed certificate it generates itself (it has no
PKI). To make that usable, TLS is **lenient by default**: when `Plaintext` is
`false` and no `CACertFile`/`TLSConfig`/`TransportCredentials` is supplied,
`buildCredentials` dials with `tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: true}` (carrying
`ServerNameOverride` as the SNI when set), so the gateway's self-signed
certificate is accepted without verification.
To verify the gateway instead:
- set `CACertFile` to pin a CA (full verification against that root), or
- set `RequireCertificateValidation: true` to verify against the OS/system trust
roots without pinning.
Pinning a CA always wins over the lenient default.
## Streaming
`Events(ctx)` should return a receive channel of:
+8
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@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ client, err := mxgateway.Dial(ctx, mxgateway.Options{
})
```
The gateway can auto-generate its own self-signed certificate (it has no PKI), so
the client is **lenient by default**: a TLS connection (`Plaintext: false`) with
no `CACertFile`/`TLSConfig` accepts whatever certificate the gateway presents
(`InsecureSkipVerify`, with `ServerNameOverride` as the SNI when set). To verify
instead, set `CACertFile` to pin a CA, or set `RequireCertificateValidation:
true` to verify against the OS/system trust roots without pinning. See
[Gateway Configuration](../../docs/GatewayConfiguration.md#automatic-self-signed-certificate).
`Client.OpenSession` returns a `Session` with helpers for `Register`,
`AddItem`, `AddItem2`, `Advise`, `Write`, `Events`, and `Close`. Prefer
`SubscribeEvents` or `SubscribeEventsAfter` for long-running streams because the
+17
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@@ -112,6 +112,23 @@ Support:
- custom CA certificate file,
- server name override for test environments.
### Trust posture
The gateway can serve a self-signed certificate it generates itself (it has no
PKI). To make that usable, TLS is **lenient by default**: when the channel is not
plaintext and no `caCertificatePath` is set, the client builds
`GrpcSslContexts.forClient().trustManager(InsecureTrustManagerFactory.INSTANCE)`
(grpc-netty-shaded), so the gateway's self-signed certificate is accepted without
verification.
To verify the gateway instead:
- set `caCertificatePath` to pin a CA (full verification against that root), or
- set `requireCertificateValidation` to `true` to verify against the JVM trust
store without pinning.
Pinning a CA always wins over the lenient default.
## Streaming
Support both:
+10
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@@ -57,6 +57,16 @@ try (MxGatewayClient client = MxGatewayClient.connect(options);
}
```
The gateway can auto-generate its own self-signed certificate (it has no PKI), so
the client is **lenient by default**: a TLS connection (`plaintext(false)`) with
no `caCertificatePath` accepts whatever certificate the gateway presents (via
grpc-netty-shaded's `InsecureTrustManagerFactory`). To verify instead, set
`caCertificatePath` to pin a CA, or set `requireCertificateValidation(true)` to
verify against the JVM trust store without pinning. Use `serverNameOverride` /
`--server-name-override` when the dialed host differs from the certificate SAN.
See
[Gateway Configuration](../../docs/GatewayConfiguration.md#automatic-self-signed-certificate).
Use `rawBlockingStub`, `rawFutureStub`, `rawAsyncStub`, `openSessionRaw`,
`closeSessionRaw`, `invoke`, and raw session helper methods when tests need the
underlying protobuf messages. `MxGatewayCommandException` and
+22
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@@ -112,6 +112,28 @@ Support:
- TLS channel with default roots,
- custom root certificate file.
### Trust posture (trust-on-first-use)
The gateway can serve a self-signed certificate it generates itself (it has no
PKI). grpc-python exposes no per-channel skip-verify hook, so the client cannot
"accept any certificate" the way the other clients do. Instead, when the channel
is not plaintext and neither `ca_file` nor `require_certificate_validation` is
set, the TLS default is **trust-on-first-use**: the client fetches the server's
presented certificate once via `ssl.get_server_certificate` (an unverified
probe), pins it as the channel's only trust root, and — because the generated
certificate always carries a `localhost` SAN — defaults
`grpc.ssl_target_name_override` to `localhost` when no `server_name_override` was
supplied (tolerating dial-by-IP or a hostname mismatch). A failed probe is
surfaced as a transport error naming the endpoint.
To verify the gateway instead:
- set `ca_file` to verify against a specific CA, or
- set `require_certificate_validation=True` to verify against the system trust
roots.
Both bypass the TOFU path.
## Streaming
Expose `stream_events` as an async iterator. Canceling the task should cancel
+11
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@@ -230,6 +230,17 @@ The client supports plaintext channels for local development, TLS with system
roots, TLS with a custom `ca_file`, and an optional test server name override.
API keys are redacted from option repr output and CLI error output.
The gateway can auto-generate its own self-signed certificate (it has no PKI).
grpc-python has no per-channel skip-verify, so the lenient TLS default is
**trust-on-first-use**: with no `ca_file` and `require_certificate_validation`
left `False`, the client fetches the gateway's presented certificate once
(unverified) and pins it for the channel, defaulting the SNI/target-name override
to `localhost` (the generated certificate always carries a `localhost` SAN) when
none was supplied. To verify instead, pass `ca_file` to verify against a specific
CA, or set `require_certificate_validation=True` to verify against the system
trust roots. See
[Gateway Configuration](../../docs/GatewayConfiguration.md#automatic-self-signed-certificate).
## CLI
The CLI emits deterministic JSON for automation:
+13
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@@ -76,6 +76,19 @@ types.
cargo run -p mxgw-cli -- smoke --endpoint https://mxgateway.example.local:5001 --tls --ca-file C:\certs\mxgateway-ca.pem --server-name-override mxgateway.example.local --api-key-env MXGATEWAY_API_KEY --item TestChildObject.TestInt --json
```
### TLS trust (pin-only)
The gateway can auto-generate its own self-signed certificate (it has no PKI).
Unlike the other clients, the Rust client is **not** lenient: tonic 0.13.1
exposes no public hook to inject a custom certificate verifier, so TLS over Rust
is pin-only. A TLS connection requires either `--ca-file` /
`ClientOptions::with_ca_file(...)` to pin a CA (export the gateway's self-signed
certificate and pin it), or `--require-certificate-validation` /
`with_require_certificate_validation(true)` to verify against the system trust
roots. TLS with neither set fails `connect` with a clear, actionable error rather
than accepting the certificate. See
[Gateway Configuration](../../docs/GatewayConfiguration.md#automatic-self-signed-certificate).
## Library Surface
`ClientOptions` configures endpoint, API key, plaintext or TLS transport,
+19
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@@ -189,6 +189,25 @@ Support:
- custom CA file,
- domain override.
### Trust posture (pin-only)
The gateway can serve a self-signed certificate it generates itself (it has no
PKI). Rust is the **exception** to the lenient-by-default posture the other
clients use: tonic 0.13.1 exposes no public hook to inject a custom certificate
verifier, so the Rust client cannot accept an arbitrary certificate. TLS over the
Rust client is therefore **pin-only** — it requires either:
- `ClientOptions::with_ca_file(...)` to pin a CA (the supported path for the
gateway's self-signed certificate; export the certificate and pin it), or
- `ClientOptions::with_require_certificate_validation(true)` to verify against the
system trust roots.
With TLS enabled (`with_plaintext(false)`), no pinned CA, and certificate
validation not required, `GatewayClient::connect` rejects the connection with a
clear, actionable error pointing at `with_ca_file` /
`require_certificate_validation` rather than silently accepting the certificate.
The CLI exposes `--ca-file` and `--require-certificate-validation`.
## Streaming
Expose event streams as a `Stream<Item = Result<MxEvent, Error>>`. Dropping the