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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 09:48:22 -0600
Message-ID: <CAFHuXubQw1uzKhE9GL4t8TeE3QD=d5j+UcejU59yK-U0efzU-A@mail.gmail.com>
From: Michael Hendricks <michael@ndrix.org>
To: Pieter Wuille <pieter.wuille@gmail.com>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=089e013a1e600f501d04e22fb956
Cc: Bitcoin Dev <bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net>,
	Andreas Schildbach <andreas@schildbach.de>
Subject: Re: [Bitcoin-development] HTTP REST API for bitcoind
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On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 4:36 AM, Pieter Wuille <pieter.wuille@gmail.com>wrote:

> Apart from that, exposing this HTTP-based interface publicly has its
> own problems, like security risks and potential DoS risks. If
> anything, we should be reducing the attack surface rather than
> increase it. IMHO, the only thing that should be exposed in the P2P
> protocol, which is inevitable, and already has some DoS protections.
>
> I like this HTTP interface, but it should really only be used for
> trusted local applications and debugging.
>

We already have a good private HTTP interface.  Most benefits of this REST
interface come from exposing it publicly.  As always, the challenge is
balancing costs and benefits.  I'm not confident that either can be known
with certainty until a well-written prototype is running in the wild.  As
some nodes expose this interface, we'll gain concrete experience from which
node operators can make informed security trade offs.

-- 
Michael

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<div dir=3D"ltr">On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 4:36 AM, Pieter Wuille <span dir=
=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:pieter.wuille@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">p=
ieter.wuille@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><div class=3D"gmail_extra">=
<div class=3D"gmail_quote">
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-=
left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;p=
adding-left:1ex"><div class=3D"im"><span style=3D"color:rgb(34,34,34)">Apar=
t from that, exposing this HTTP-based interface publicly has its</span><br>
</div>
own problems, like security risks and potential DoS risks. If<br>
anything, we should be reducing the attack surface rather than<br>
increase it. IMHO, the only thing that should be exposed in the P2P<br>
protocol, which is inevitable, and already has some DoS protections.<br>
<br>
I like this HTTP interface, but it should really only be used for<br>
trusted local applications and debugging.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><d=
iv>We already have a good private HTTP interface. =C2=A0Most benefits of th=
is REST interface come from exposing it publicly. =C2=A0As always, the chal=
lenge is balancing costs and benefits. =C2=A0I&#39;m not confident that eit=
her can be known with certainty until a well-written prototype is running i=
n the wild. =C2=A0As some nodes expose this interface, we&#39;ll gain concr=
ete experience from which node operators can make informed security trade o=
ffs.</div>
<div><br></div><div>--=C2=A0</div><div>Michael</div></div></div></div>

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