RE: [widgets] What does it mean to have an unavailable API

Yes, one of the differences between <feature> and requestFeature() is the time when the actual API gets available.

What is the automatic polling?
Do you assume that the "loaded feature" is initialized by a kind of "onLoad" method?

Thanks.

Marcin Hanclik
ACCESS Systems Germany GmbH
Tel: +49-208-8290-6452  |  Fax: +49-208-8290-6465
Mobile: +49-163-8290-646
E-Mail: marcin.hanclik@access-company.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Wilson [mailto:scott.bradley.wilson@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 10:58 AM
To: Jonas Sicking
Cc: Marcin Hanclik; Henri Sivonen; public-webapps
Subject: Re: [widgets] What does it mean to have an unavailable API

Security is on UC; another is resource use. If the UA only needs to
inject the modules needed by a Widget this can have a positive impact
on downloading and processing Widgets.

For example, if you have a lot of optional features, each of which is
another 12k of injected JS...  well, you get the idea. You don't want
to have those downloaded every time if they aren't needed.

Also, if any of those modules do automatic polling then you only want
to load them for Widget instances that  really do need to use them.

S

On 4 Jun 2009, at 08:25, Jonas Sicking wrote:

> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 3:16 AM, Marcin Hanclik
> <Marcin.Hanclik@access-company.com> wrote:
>> Hi Jonas,
>>
>> requestFeature() is mainly (still debated, though) for websites,
>> i.e. online content where the <feature> is not present.
>> <feature> is for packaged widgets only.
>
> Ah, so requestFeature() is a BONDI spec, not a widget spec?
>
>>>> However this does not seem to be true
>>>> if the exploited code could simply call requestFeature() first, and
>>>> then use the feature.
>> Calling requestFeature() does not mean that the security aspects
>> are omitted.
>> The check against the security policy happens when requestFeature()
>> is called.
>
> As it was described to me by Marcos earlier in this thread, <feature>
> was used so that a widget could statically declare which security
> sensitive features it desired to use. This added security because if
> the widget was hacked, it could never use more security sensitive
> functionality than what had been statically declared using <feature>.
>
> So for example a widget that displays the current time would not need
> to claim access to any security sensitive APIs like camera or network
> access. This way it wasn't such a big deal if someone managed to hack
> the camera widget and get malicious code to run in the widgets
> security context, since that malicious code would not have access to
> camera or network.
>
> But if the malicious code could simply call requestFeature to gain
> access to camera, the above description no longer holds true.
>
> / Jonas


________________________________________

Access Systems Germany GmbH
Essener Strasse 5  |  D-46047 Oberhausen
HRB 13548 Amtsgericht Duisburg
Geschaeftsfuehrer: Michel Piquemal, Tomonori Watanabe, Yusuke Kanda

www.access-company.com

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This e-mail and any attachments hereto may contain information that is privileged or confidential, and is intended for use only by the
individual or entity to which it is addressed. Any disclosure, copying or distribution of the information by anyone else is strictly prohibited.
If you have received this document in error, please notify us promptly by responding to this e-mail. Thank you.

Received on Thursday, 4 June 2009 09:31:12 UTC