firefrost-operations-manual/docs/tasks-index/task-112-trinity-core-security.md

task_number, title, status, priority, is_blocker, owner, tags, estimated_hours

task_number	title	status	priority	is_blocker	owner	tags	estimated_hours
112	Trinity Core Security Hardening	Complete	P1-High	true	Michael	trinity-core security infrastructure	3

Trinity Core Security Hardening

Address security concerns identified by Gemini before deploying web MCP upgrade.

Why This is a Blocker

Trinity Core provides root SSH access to 7 production servers. Before enabling multi-user access (Holly, Meg) or native Claude.ai integration, we must address these vulnerabilities.

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Issue 1: Command Injection (CRITICAL)

The Problem: Current code:

const sshCmd = `ssh -o ConnectTimeout=10 ${target.user}@${target.host} "${command.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
exec(sshCmd, ...);

This only escapes double quotes. Subshells $(...), backticks `...`, and environment variables $VAR are NOT escaped. A prompt injection attack could execute arbitrary commands.

Example Attack:

Command: echo $(cat /etc/shadow)
Result: Dumps password hashes

The Fix: Use child_process.spawn with array arguments instead of exec with string interpolation:

import { spawn } from 'child_process';

function executeCommand(server, command) {
  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    const target = SERVERS[server];
    
    // spawn prevents shell interpretation
    const ssh = spawn('ssh', [
      '-o', 'ConnectTimeout=10',
      `${target.user}@${target.host}`,
      command  // passed as single argument, not interpolated into shell
    ]);
    
    let stdout = '';
    let stderr = '';
    
    ssh.stdout.on('data', (data) => stdout += data);
    ssh.stderr.on('data', (data) => stderr += data);
    
    ssh.on('close', (code) => {
      resolve({
        success: code === 0,
        stdout: stdout.trim(),
        stderr: stderr.trim(),
        code
      });
    });
    
    ssh.on('error', reject);
  });
}

Status: ❌ Not implemented — MUST FIX before web MCP deployment

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Issue 2: AI Concurrency / Race Conditions (MEDIUM)

The Problem: If Chronicler and Catalyst both run commands on the same server simultaneously:

• Catalyst restarts Docker
• Chronicler deploys container
• Chronicler's command fails or corrupts deployment

The Fix: Add server locking to Arbiter:

CREATE TABLE server_locks (
  server VARCHAR(50) PRIMARY KEY,
  locked_by VARCHAR(50),
  locked_at TIMESTAMP,
  expires_at TIMESTAMP
);

Before executing, check lock. If locked, return: "tx1-dallas is currently locked by The Catalyst. Please try again in a moment."

Status: ⏳ Future enhancement — not critical for initial deployment

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Issue 3: SD Card Wear & Log Exhaustion (HIGH)

The Problem:

• Pi SD cards have finite write cycles
• fs.appendFileSync on every command wears the card
• No log rotation = disk fills up

The Fix (Implemented): Added cron job to rotate logs daily:

0 0 * * * truncate -s 0 /home/claude_executor/mcp-server/command.log && echo "[$(date -Iseconds)] Log rotated" >> /home/claude_executor/mcp-server/command.log

Better Long-term Fix: Send logs to Arbiter's PostgreSQL instead of local disk (Task #109 already covers this).

Status: ✅ Mitigated with cron rotation

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Issue 4: Cloudflare Access Layer (MEDIUM)

The Problem: mcp.firefrostgaming.com is public. Malicious requests hit the Pi even if rejected by auth.

The Fix: Enable Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust) for the subdomain:

1. Only allow requests from Anthropic IP ranges
2. Or require Cloudflare Service Token header
3. Drops malicious traffic at edge before reaching Pi

Status: ⏳ Future enhancement — token auth is sufficient for now

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Issue 5: System Prompt Alignment (LOW)

The Problem: AI partners won't know how to use Trinity Core unless told.

The Fix: Update system prompts / project instructions for:

• Chronicler: Already has Trinity Core context in project instructions
• Catalyst: Add Trinity Core section to Catalyst project
• The Orb: Add Trinity Core section to Orb project

Include:

• Available servers
• How to run commands
• What requires approval
• What to do on timeout

Status: ⏳ Document when Catalyst/Orb projects are created

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Implementation Checklist

Before Web MCP Deployment (Task #111):

• Fix command injection with spawn instead of exec
• Verify log rotation is working

After Initial Deployment:

• Consider Cloudflare Access
• Consider server locking for concurrency
• Update Catalyst/Orb system prompts when created

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Related Tasks

• Task #109: MCP Logging in Trinity Console (moves logs off Pi)
• Task #111: Trinity Core Web MCP Connector (main implementation)

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