Extend spam checker to allow for multiple modules (#7435)

changelog.d/7435.feature

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Allow for using more than one spam checker module at once.

docs/sample_config.yaml

@@ -1867,10 +1867,17 @@ password_providers:
 #  include_content: true
 
 
-#spam_checker:
+# Spam checkers are third-party modules that can block specific actions
-#  module: "my_custom_project.SuperSpamChecker"
+# of local users, such as creating rooms and registering undesirable
-#  config:
+# usernames, as well as remote users by redacting incoming events.
-#    example_option: 'things'
+#
+spam_checker:
+   #- module: "my_custom_project.SuperSpamChecker"
+   #  config:
+   #    example_option: 'things'
+   #- module: "some_other_project.BadEventStopper"
+   #  config:
+   #    example_stop_events_from: ['@bad:example.com']
 
 
 # Uncomment to allow non-server-admin users to create groups on this server

docs/spam_checker.md

@@ -64,10 +64,12 @@ class ExampleSpamChecker:
 Modify the `spam_checker` section of your `homeserver.yaml` in the following
 manner:
 
-`module` should point to the fully qualified Python class that implements your
+Create a list entry with the keys `module` and `config`.
-custom logic, e.g. `my_module.ExampleSpamChecker`.
 
-`config` is a dictionary that gets passed to the spam checker class.
+* `module` should point to the fully qualified Python class that implements your
+  custom logic, e.g. `my_module.ExampleSpamChecker`.
+
+* `config` is a dictionary that gets passed to the spam checker class.
 
 ### Example
 
@@ -75,12 +77,15 @@ This section might look like:
 
 ```yaml
 spam_checker:
-  module: my_module.ExampleSpamChecker
+  - module: my_module.ExampleSpamChecker
-  config:
+    config:
-    # Enable or disable a specific option in ExampleSpamChecker.
+      # Enable or disable a specific option in ExampleSpamChecker.
-    my_custom_option: true
+      my_custom_option: true
 ```
 
+More spam checkers can be added in tandem by appending more items to the list. An
+action is blocked when at least one of the configured spam checkers flags it.
+
 ## Examples
 
 The [Mjolnir](https://github.com/matrix-org/mjolnir) project is a full fledged

synapse/config/spam_checker.py

@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Tuple
+
+from synapse.config import ConfigError
 from synapse.util.module_loader import load_module
 
 from ._base import Config
@@ -22,16 +25,35 @@ class SpamCheckerConfig(Config):
     section = "spamchecker"
 
     def read_config(self, config, **kwargs):
-        self.spam_checker = None
+        self.spam_checkers = []  # type: List[Tuple[Any, Dict]]
 
-        provider = config.get("spam_checker", None)
+        spam_checkers = config.get("spam_checker") or []
-        if provider is not None:
+        if isinstance(spam_checkers, dict):
-            self.spam_checker = load_module(provider)
+            # The spam_checker config option used to only support one
+            # spam checker, and thus was simply a dictionary with module
+            # and config keys. Support this old behaviour by checking
+            # to see if the option resolves to a dictionary
+            self.spam_checkers.append(load_module(spam_checkers))
+        elif isinstance(spam_checkers, list):
+            for spam_checker in spam_checkers:
+                if not isinstance(spam_checker, dict):
+                    raise ConfigError("spam_checker syntax is incorrect")
+
+                self.spam_checkers.append(load_module(spam_checker))
+        else:
+            raise ConfigError("spam_checker syntax is incorrect")
 
     def generate_config_section(self, **kwargs):
         return """\
-        #spam_checker:
+        # Spam checkers are third-party modules that can block specific actions
-        #  module: "my_custom_project.SuperSpamChecker"
+        # of local users, such as creating rooms and registering undesirable
-        #  config:
+        # usernames, as well as remote users by redacting incoming events.
-        #    example_option: 'things'
+        #
+        spam_checker:
+           #- module: "my_custom_project.SuperSpamChecker"
+           #  config:
+           #    example_option: 'things'
+           #- module: "some_other_project.BadEventStopper"
+           #  config:
+           #    example_stop_events_from: ['@bad:example.com']
         """

synapse/events/spamcheck.py

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import inspect
-from typing import Dict
+from typing import Any, Dict, List
 
 from synapse.spam_checker_api import SpamCheckerApi
 
@@ -26,24 +26,17 @@ if MYPY:
 
 class SpamChecker(object):
     def __init__(self, hs: "synapse.server.HomeServer"):
-        self.spam_checker = None
+        self.spam_checkers = []  # type: List[Any]
 
-        module = None
+        for module, config in hs.config.spam_checkers:
-        config = None
-        try:
-            module, config = hs.config.spam_checker
-        except Exception:
-            pass
-
-        if module is not None:
             # Older spam checkers don't accept the `api` argument, so we
             # try and detect support.
             spam_args = inspect.getfullargspec(module)
             if "api" in spam_args.args:
                 api = SpamCheckerApi(hs)
-                self.spam_checker = module(config=config, api=api)
+                self.spam_checkers.append(module(config=config, api=api))
             else:
-                self.spam_checker = module(config=config)
+                self.spam_checkers.append(module(config=config))
 
     def check_event_for_spam(self, event: "synapse.events.EventBase") -> bool:
         """Checks if a given event is considered "spammy" by this server.
@@ -58,10 +51,11 @@ class SpamChecker(object):
         Returns:
             True if the event is spammy.
         """
-        if self.spam_checker is None:
+        for spam_checker in self.spam_checkers:
-            return False
+            if spam_checker.check_event_for_spam(event):
+                return True
 
-        return self.spam_checker.check_event_for_spam(event)
+        return False
 
     def user_may_invite(
         self, inviter_userid: str, invitee_userid: str, room_id: str
@@ -78,12 +72,14 @@ class SpamChecker(object):
         Returns:
             True if the user may send an invite, otherwise False
         """
-        if self.spam_checker is None:
+        for spam_checker in self.spam_checkers:
-            return True
+            if (
+                spam_checker.user_may_invite(inviter_userid, invitee_userid, room_id)
+                is False
+            ):
+                return False
 
-        return self.spam_checker.user_may_invite(
+        return True
-            inviter_userid, invitee_userid, room_id
-        )
 
     def user_may_create_room(self, userid: str) -> bool:
         """Checks if a given user may create a room
@@ -96,10 +92,11 @@ class SpamChecker(object):
         Returns:
             True if the user may create a room, otherwise False
         """
-        if self.spam_checker is None:
+        for spam_checker in self.spam_checkers:
-            return True
+            if spam_checker.user_may_create_room(userid) is False:
+                return False
 
-        return self.spam_checker.user_may_create_room(userid)
+        return True
 
     def user_may_create_room_alias(self, userid: str, room_alias: str) -> bool:
         """Checks if a given user may create a room alias
@@ -113,10 +110,11 @@ class SpamChecker(object):
         Returns:
             True if the user may create a room alias, otherwise False
         """
-        if self.spam_checker is None:
+        for spam_checker in self.spam_checkers:
-            return True
+            if spam_checker.user_may_create_room_alias(userid, room_alias) is False:
+                return False
 
-        return self.spam_checker.user_may_create_room_alias(userid, room_alias)
+        return True
 
     def user_may_publish_room(self, userid: str, room_id: str) -> bool:
         """Checks if a given user may publish a room to the directory
@@ -130,10 +128,11 @@ class SpamChecker(object):
         Returns:
             True if the user may publish the room, otherwise False
         """
-        if self.spam_checker is None:
+        for spam_checker in self.spam_checkers:
-            return True
+            if spam_checker.user_may_publish_room(userid, room_id) is False:
+                return False
 
-        return self.spam_checker.user_may_publish_room(userid, room_id)
+        return True
 
     def check_username_for_spam(self, user_profile: Dict[str, str]) -> bool:
         """Checks if a user ID or display name are considered "spammy" by this server.
@@ -150,13 +149,14 @@ class SpamChecker(object):
         Returns:
             True if the user is spammy.
         """
-        if self.spam_checker is None:
+        for spam_checker in self.spam_checkers:
-            return False
+            # For backwards compatibility, only run if the method exists on the
+            # spam checker
+            checker = getattr(spam_checker, "check_username_for_spam", None)
+            if checker:
+                # Make a copy of the user profile object to ensure the spam checker
+                # cannot modify it.
+                if checker(user_profile.copy()):
+                    return True
 
-        # For backwards compatibility, if the method does not exist on the spam checker, fallback to not interfering.
+        return False
-        checker = getattr(self.spam_checker, "check_username_for_spam", None)
-        if not checker:
-            return False
-        # Make a copy of the user profile object to ensure the spam checker
-        # cannot modify it.
-        return checker(user_profile.copy())

tests/handlers/test_user_directory.py

@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class UserDirectoryTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
                 # Allow all users.
                 return False
 
-        spam_checker.spam_checker = AllowAll()
+        spam_checker.spam_checkers = [AllowAll()]
 
         # The results do not change:
         # We get one search result when searching for user2 by user1.
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ class UserDirectoryTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
                 # All users are spammy.
                 return True
 
-        spam_checker.spam_checker = BlockAll()
+        spam_checker.spam_checkers = [BlockAll()]
 
         # User1 now gets no search results for any of the other users.
         s = self.get_success(self.handler.search_users(u1, "user2", 10))