Extension:AccessControl

MediaWiki extensions manual - list

AccessControl Release status: stable
Implementation	User rights, Tag
Description	Extension to restrict access to specific pages based on internal groups or group lists from userspace. Git repository on server http://git.felk.cvut.cz/pub/git
Author(s)	Aleš Kapica (Wanttalk)
Latest version	2.3 tested on 1.22.0 (2014-01-10)
MediaWiki	mediawiki 1.16 <= accesscontrol 1.3 mediawiki 1.18+ - 1.20.x = accesscontrol v. 2.1 mediawiki 1.21 >= accesscontrol 2.2
Database changes	no
License	GPL
Download	Download snapshot (Git master) Git [?]: repo summary tree code changes Note: no localisation updates provided by translatewiki.net.
Example	http://support.dce.felk.cvut.cz/mediawiki/index.php/Support or https://www.thewoodcraft.org/wiki/index.php/thewoodcraft.org
Tags <accesscontrol>
Translate the AccessControl extension if possible
Check usage and version matrix; code metrics
Bugs: list open list all report

This extension is based on original Extension:Group Based Access Control but without its bugs. Unlike the original double commas aren't used for selection group, only one comma is required. It is not necessary to use the ',,' separator at the end of the element content. It is also possible to use usergroups and internal groups MediaWiki at the same time.

How this extension meets the requirements for site security?

More info about potential problems regarding security is on page Security issues with authorization extensions. The following points are based on the table on this page.

Atom/RSS feeds & Diff & revision links 

Page content is protected, but when opening a page from history, a piece of raw content will appear in this. If tag "accesscontrol" was placed at the beginning, a potential attacker may be able to obtain information about names of contributing users!

Listings & search 

If unauthorized users open protected articles via search results, they are redirected away.

Inclusion/transclusion & related rights and other extensions

AccessControl is used together with extension DynamicPageList. Every page, which content is protected by AccessControl is secured, because the content page is checked before finishing parsing in raw form code.

Redirects

The problem with redirection was repaired in version 1.1

API and action links

For each anonymous user the action class is automatically set to false, besides view attribute for unprotected pages. Allowed actions for the authorized user depends on the permissions settings mediawiki and his username listed in the access list which pages will use.

Edit Section and Watching Pages

Options are available only to registered user. If user is logged and member from the security access list.

Files & Images 

WARNING: The extension AccessControl does not protecting files against direct access via URL! If files can not be publicly available, must be protect at the server level!

XML export (Special page Export) 

WARNING: AccessControl version < 2.0, was based on the hook, which was not protected from MediaWiki side before exporting in a raw form code the page. Therefore, if you use version AccessControl < 2.0, you must prohibit the special page for export the pages from MediaWiki.

Author backdoor 

Extension AccessControl have not any backdoor!

Caching 

I recommend to turn off caching. See the previous paragraphs

Features

Since version 2.1 examine extension the embedded page or template too.

• easy to setup and simple to use
• no patches, real extension
• unlimited number of groups
• Dual mode access control
  • view control
  • edit control, including restrictions on manual edit access when using action=edit in the URL
• user groups may use any namespace
  • namespaces may be protected by another extension or by this extension only
    • In original Group Based Access Control can be set special namespace "Usergroup:.." only in extension variable
• mediaWiki sysop-Group may view and edit the protected pages
  • controlled by extension variable
• access may be granted to multiple groups
• may be used for access control for internal system groups from MediaWiki in parallel with user groups lists
• read only access may be granted to for groups and for individual users
• Unauthorized user can't use search feature to find pages protected by accesscontrol element

Please read about security issues with authorization extensions

Documentation

From 11. May 2012 has this extension own repository in MediaWiki extensions git repo - Browse the Git Tree.

git clone https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/p/mediawiki/extensions/AccessControl.git

Installation

Step 1: Local Settings File

• add the following lines to the bottom of your LocalSettings.php:

require_once("extensions/AccessControl/AccessControl.php");

• add a namespace to the LocalSettings.php file for the purpose of creating groups.
  • See Manual:Using_custom_namespaces for more information.

NB : See discussion

• Check (and maybe edit) the settings in AccessControl.php:

$wgAccessControlMessages = false; // if set to true, show a line on top of each secured page, which says, which groups are allowed to see this page.
$wgUseMediaWikiGroups = false; // use the groups from MediaWiki instead of own Usergroup pages
$wgAdminCanReadAll = true; // sysop users can read all restricted pages

Step 2: Create User Groups

User groups are simply standard wiki pages that are part of a namespace other than the default namespace. For ease of use, it is suggested that a specific custom namespace be created for the explicit purpose of managing access control list pages.

• Create a Wiki-Page with a users list in any namespace
  • It is not sufficient to simply create a page with a colon (:) in the name, this extension requires the use of a namespace and one or more pages within namespaces
  • Page Name Example: My:Group
    • The namespace is My
    • The group page is Group
      • This is the name of usergroup
      • Users are added to the group in a bulletlist
  • Page Content Example
    • Presume that the namespace IT exists
    • Create a page in the namespace titled "Department"
    • Create users "John Doe" and "Jane Doe" in the group. The group information is contained on the page "Department".
    • Each user name appears as a list item.

*John Doe
*Jane Doe (ro)

User from a group, which have appended string "(ro)" to the name can only read protected Article, but can't edit it. For other group of users you can create memberlist with name Department too, but in other namespace.

Tips

To protect namespace IT you can use for example Extension:Lockdown, but you can use element accesscontrol to protect it itself.

Step 3: Additional Access Control

• It depends on localization, your MediaWiki needs pages created to which anonymous or unauthorized users will be redirected. You have create them in advance, because some of them can't access pages from another page.
• The safety of the page provides accesscontrol element. And his content. If there isn't any or is empty the page is free accessible for logged users (they can read and edit page). No logged or annonymous user can only read the page.
• Members from groups in accesscontrol element can edit page, only if the group title in list doesn't have added string "(ro)", or if they don't have set readonly access in their user grouplist.
• If it is set the variable $wgUseMediaWikiGroups to true, you can use for managing access the internal groups from MediaWiki too.
• If it is set the variable $wgAllowUserList to false, only members from 'sysop' group can edit usergroups pages in any namespace.
• Example: <accesscontrol>Administrators,IT:Department,Sales(ro)</accesscontrol>

In this example all users from the groups "Administrators", "IT:Department" and "Sales" can read the page but only the users from "Administrators" MediaWiki group (if exists) and John Doe from "IT:Deparment" usergroup can edit it.

Usage on Pages to Control Access

That is for the installation. To restrict access on a page for specific usergroups, just include the names of the allowed usergroups (separated by commas) as the content of accesscontrol tag in the body of that page. Thus, if you wanted to restrict access to the people with groups "Administrators", "IT:Department" and "Sales", you would use the following syntax:

<accesscontrol>Administrators,IT:Department,Sales (ro)</accesscontrol>

IT:Department is usergroup, and groups Administrators and Sales may be added by Extension:GroupPermissionsManager. Members from group Sales page can read only.

Tips

If it is set true $wgAccessControlMessages variable, the element accesscontrol is replaced by warning message.

Attention

For version <= 1.3

MediaWiki version:

≤ 1.17

• Groups from MediaWiki must be in not localized form! In ex. 'sysop' not 'Správce' , etc.
• On page may be more accesscontrol elements. Access is accepted for groups from all.tags
• Anonymous user has not access on pages protected by accesscontrol elements
• Pages without protection can anonymous user only read
• Logged user has access on protected page only when he is member of any group with access rights on page
• If is set in extension script variable $wgAdminCanReadAll on true, have members from group 'sysop' edit access on page always

For version >= 2.0

MediaWiki versions:

1.18 – 1.20

• From version 2.0 extension not use groups from wiki (without sysop), only groups created by users access lists!
• On page may be accepted only one accesscontrol elements.
• If the user is a member of multiple groups, so that takes precedence, which gives greater rights him.

Warning:

Mediawiki >= 1.21 contains new framework ContentHandler and this extension version 2.1 is unusable. Use AccessControl version 2.2 which is updated for mediawiki 1.21 and above.

For version < 2.3

• There was problem in function fromTemplate(), it caused that the extension AccessControl did not accept tags from included pages or templates.

Example

See an example of this add-on in action at: http://support.dce.felk.cvut.cz/mediawiki/index.php/Support run by the author)

Unfortunately the main page does not have an English version, which make it difficult to see the extension in action (for English speakers).

MediaWiki Version

• Version 2.3 was tested on MediaWiki version 1.22.0 (from git repository)
• Version 2.2 was tested on MediaWiki version 1.22.0 (from git repository)
• Version 2.0 was tested on MediaWiki version 1.19-alpha (from svn repository)
• Version 1.2 was tested on MediaWiki version 1.15.5-1 (from Debian repository)
• Version 1.1 was tested on MediaWiki version 1.16.0(b3). Works fine, except that it needed a minor change to line 358 of AccessControl.php (remove '&' from parameter to function controlEditAccess() ). When viewing a page on a Linux server, the <accesscontrol> tags show. But on a Windows server, the tags don't show and it is fine! Still haven't figured that one out, but it is ok for my application.
• Version 1.1 was tested on MediaWiki version 1.15
• Version 1.0 of this extension has been tested and works fine on MediaWiki versions > 1.12.x.
• Version 1.1 tested on MediaWiki version 1.16.1 with new patch from http://git.felk.cvut.cz/pub/git?p=accesscontrol.git;a=commitdiff;h=2f678deed0e4e4f77620e391c94559c7b50102a9

See also

• Extension:Improved Access Control
• Extension:EditOnlyYourOwnPage
• Extension:Page access restriction
• AccessControl extension read only feature error
• Manual:Preventing access

Notes

• As of version 2.0, it only works with ACLs stored in namespace (Main). It also can only protect pages that are in namespace (Main). Changes need to be made to getUsersFromPages and getContentPage to correct the behavior. Click here to see a patched version of the extension that is compatible with NameSpaces.
• This extension uses a mediawiki hook that is called whenever a search result is displayed. This means that a page that has an ACL will trigger an "Access Denied" message for end users who happen to search for text contained in a protected page. A simple solution is to put pages that require AccessControl into another NameSpace and then disable searching for that NameSpace. All though this isn't really a bug, it is undesirable behavior. Click here for an example showing a work around.