Authorize daemon IPC callers by their local identity

client/cmd/daemon_error.go

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/rpc/errdetails"
+	gstatus "google.golang.org/grpc/status"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
+)
+
+// daemonCallError prepares a daemon error for display. A refusal the daemon
+// raised because the operation needs root/administrator is already guidance
+// written for the user, so it is surfaced on its own instead of buried under the
+// gRPC envelope and the name of the RPC that hit it. Anything else is wrapped
+// with context as usual.
+func daemonCallError(context string, err error) error {
+	if guidance, ok := privilegeGuidance(err); ok {
+		return errors.New(guidance)
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", context, err)
+}
+
+// privilegeGuidance renders the daemon's privilege refusal as a summary and the
+// command that performs the operation with the privileges it needs. It reports
+// false for any other error.
+func privilegeGuidance(err error) (string, bool) {
+	info, ok := privilegeErrorInfo(err)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	summary := info.GetMetadata()[ipcauth.ErrorMetaSummary]
+	command := info.GetMetadata()[ipcauth.ErrorMetaCommand]
+	if summary == "" {
+		// Detail without a summary: fall back to the status message, which
+		// carries the same text.
+		summary = strings.TrimSpace(gstatus.Convert(err).Message())
+	}
+	if command == "" {
+		return summary, true
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s\n\n    %s\n", summary, command), true
+}
+
+// privilegeErrorInfo returns the daemon's privilege-refusal detail, if the error
+// carries one.
+func privilegeErrorInfo(err error) (*errdetails.ErrorInfo, bool) {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	for _, detail := range gstatus.Convert(err).Details() {
+		info, ok := detail.(*errdetails.ErrorInfo)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		if info.GetReason() == ipcauth.ErrorReasonPrivilegeRequired && info.GetDomain() == ipcauth.ErrorDomain {
+			return info, true
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, false
+}

client/cmd/logout.go

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ var logoutCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		if _, err := daemonClient.Logout(ctx, req); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("deregister: %v", err)
+			return daemonCallError("deregister", err)
 		}
 
 		cmd.Println("Deregistered successfully")

client/cmd/root.go

@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 
 	daddr "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
@@ -91,6 +90,7 @@ var (
 			// Don't resolve for service commands — they create the socket, not connect to it.
 			if !isServiceCmd(cmd) {
 				daemonAddr = daddr.ResolveUnixDaemonAddr(daemonAddr)
+				daemonAddr = daddr.ResolveDaemonAddr(daemonAddr)
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
@@ -143,10 +143,10 @@ func init() {
 
 	defaultDaemonAddr := "unix:///var/run/netbird.sock"
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-		defaultDaemonAddr = "tcp://127.0.0.1:41731"
+		defaultDaemonAddr = daddr.WindowsPipeAddr
 	}
 
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&daemonAddr, "daemon-addr", defaultDaemonAddr, "Daemon service address to serve CLI requests [unix|tcp]://[path|host:port]")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&daemonAddr, "daemon-addr", defaultDaemonAddr, "Daemon service address to serve CLI requests [unix|tcp|npipe]://[path|host:port|name]")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&managementURL, "management-url", "m", "", fmt.Sprintf("Management Service URL [http|https]://[host]:[port] (default \"%s\")", profilemanager.DefaultManagementURL))
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&adminURL, "admin-url", "", fmt.Sprintf("Admin Panel URL [http|https]://[host]:[port] (default \"%s\")", profilemanager.DefaultAdminURL))
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&logLevel, "log-level", "l", "info", "sets NetBird log level")
@@ -269,12 +269,10 @@ func DialClientGRPCServer(ctx context.Context, addr string) (*grpc.ClientConn, e
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second*10)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	return grpc.DialContext(
-		ctx,
-		strings.TrimPrefix(addr, "tcp://"),
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-		grpc.WithBlock(),
-	)
+	target, opts := daddr.DialTarget(addr)
+	opts = append(opts, grpc.WithBlock())
+
+	return grpc.DialContext(ctx, target, opts...)
 }
 
 // WithBackOff execute function in backoff cycle.

client/cmd/service.go

@@ -33,10 +33,15 @@ var (
 )
 
 type program struct {
-	ctx              context.Context
-	cancel           context.CancelFunc
-	serv             *grpc.Server
-	jsonServ         *http.Server
+	ctx      context.Context
+	cancel   context.CancelFunc
+	serv     *grpc.Server
+	jsonServ *http.Server
+	// jsonClient is the gateway's own connection to the daemon. It is held so
+	// shutting the gateway down also closes it: nothing else references it once
+	// the handlers are registered, so its transport goroutines would otherwise
+	// outlive the server.
+	jsonClient       *grpc.ClientConn
 	jsonServMu       sync.Mutex
 	serverInstance   *server.Server
 	serverInstanceMu sync.Mutex

client/cmd/service_controller.go

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/kardianos/service"
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/server"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/system"
@@ -26,6 +29,31 @@ func validateJSONSocketFlags() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// daemonServerOptions installs the transport credentials that expose each
+// caller's kernel-authenticated identity to the handlers, which is what lets
+// the daemon require root/administrator for privileged operations.
+//
+// The handshake exchanges no bytes, so older CLI and UI binaries still
+// interoperate. Callers on a TCP socket carry no identity at all: the daemon
+// keeps serving them, and the privileged operations deny them, so a warning is
+// logged to make the loss of functionality visible.
+func daemonServerOptions(network string) []grpc.ServerOption {
+	if network == "tcp" {
+		log.Warnf("daemon is listening on TCP (%s): callers carry no verifiable identity over TCP, "+
+			"so privileged operations (SSH root login, SSH auth, enabling the SSH server, management URL changes, "+
+			"deregistration) will be denied. Use a unix socket, or npipe:// on Windows", daemonAddr)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	creds := ipcauth.NewTransportCredentials()
+	if creds == nil {
+		log.Warnf("daemon IPC has no peer-identity primitive on %s: privileged operations will be denied", runtime.GOOS)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return []grpc.ServerOption{grpc.Creds(creds)}
+}
+
 func (p *program) Start(svc service.Service) error {
 	// Start should not block. Do the actual work async.
 	log.Info("starting NetBird service") //nolint
@@ -37,68 +65,106 @@ func (p *program) Start(svc service.Service) error {
 	// Collect static system and platform information
 	system.UpdateStaticInfoAsync()
 
-	// in any case, even if configuration does not exists we run daemon to serve CLI gRPC API.
-	p.serv = grpc.NewServer()
-
-	daemonListener, err := listenOnAddress(daemonAddr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("listen daemon interface: %w", err)
+	// A daemon installed before named-pipe support has the loopback TCP address
+	// persisted. Move it to the named pipe so an upgraded daemon can identify
+	// its callers instead of silently serving an unauthenticated socket.
+	if migrated, ok := daemonaddr.MigrateLegacy(daemonAddr); ok {
+		log.Infof("daemon address %q predates named-pipe support, listening on %q so callers can be identified", daemonAddr, migrated)
+		daemonAddr = migrated
 	}
 
-	var jsonListener *socketListener
-	if enableJSONSocket {
-		jsonListener, err = listenOnAddress(jsonSocket)
-		if err != nil {
-			_ = daemonListener.Close()
-			return fmt.Errorf("listen daemon JSON interface: %w", err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		removeStaleUnixSocketForAddress(jsonSocket)
+	network, _, err := parseListenAddress(daemonAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("parse daemon address: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// in any case, even if configuration does not exists we run daemon to serve CLI gRPC API.
+	p.serv = grpc.NewServer(daemonServerOptions(network)...)
+
+	daemonListener, jsonListener, err := listenDaemonSockets()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	go func() {
-		defer daemonListener.Close()
-		if jsonListener != nil {
-			defer jsonListener.Close()
-		}
-
-		if err := daemonListener.chmodUnixSocket("daemon"); err != nil {
-			log.Error(err)
-			return
-		}
-		if jsonListener != nil {
-			if err := jsonListener.chmodUnixSocket("daemon JSON"); err != nil {
-				log.Error(err)
-				return
-			}
-		}
-
-		serverInstance := server.New(p.ctx, util.FindFirstLogPath(logFiles), configPath, profilesDisabled, updateSettingsDisabled, captureEnabled, networksDisabled)
-		if err := serverInstance.Start(); err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("failed to start daemon: %v", err)
-		}
-		proto.RegisterDaemonServiceServer(p.serv, serverInstance)
-
-		p.serverInstanceMu.Lock()
-		p.serverInstance = serverInstance
-		p.serverInstanceMu.Unlock()
-
-		if jsonListener != nil {
-			if err := p.startJSONGateway(jsonListener, daemonAddr); err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("failed to start daemon JSON server: %v", err)
-			}
-		} else {
-			log.Debug("daemon JSON socket disabled")
-		}
-
-		log.Printf("started daemon server: %v", daemonListener.address)
-		if err := p.serv.Serve(daemonListener.Listener); err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("failed to serve daemon requests: %v", err)
+		// Fatal here rather than inside serve, so serve's deferred listener
+		// closes run before the process exits.
+		if err := p.serve(daemonListener, jsonListener); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("failed to %v", err)
 		}
 	}()
 	return nil
 }
 
+// listenDaemonSockets opens the daemon control socket and, when it is enabled, the
+// JSON gateway socket. The control socket is closed again if the second one fails,
+// so a failed start leaves nothing listening. The returned JSON listener is nil
+// when the socket is disabled.
+func listenDaemonSockets() (*socketListener, *socketListener, error) {
+	daemonListener, err := listenOnAddress(daemonAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("listen daemon interface: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if !enableJSONSocket {
+		removeStaleUnixSocketForAddress(jsonSocket)
+		return daemonListener, nil, nil
+	}
+
+	jsonListener, err := listenOnAddress(jsonSocket)
+	if err != nil {
+		if cerr := daemonListener.Close(); cerr != nil {
+			log.Debugf("close daemon listener: %v", cerr)
+		}
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("listen daemon JSON interface: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return daemonListener, jsonListener, nil
+}
+
+// serve brings up the daemon server on an already-open control socket and blocks
+// until it stops. jsonListener is nil when the JSON socket is disabled. A returned
+// error means the daemon cannot run at all and the caller is expected to exit; the
+// failures it recovers from on its own are logged here.
+func (p *program) serve(daemonListener, jsonListener *socketListener) error {
+	defer daemonListener.Close()
+	if jsonListener != nil {
+		defer jsonListener.Close()
+	}
+
+	// chmodUnixSocket is a no-op for a nil listener and for a non-unix one.
+	if err := daemonListener.chmodUnixSocket("daemon"); err != nil {
+		log.Error(err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := jsonListener.chmodUnixSocket("daemon JSON"); err != nil {
+		log.Error(err)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	serverInstance := server.New(p.ctx, util.FindFirstLogPath(logFiles), configPath, profilesDisabled, updateSettingsDisabled, captureEnabled, networksDisabled)
+	if err := serverInstance.Start(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("start daemon: %w", err)
+	}
+	proto.RegisterDaemonServiceServer(p.serv, serverInstance)
+
+	p.serverInstanceMu.Lock()
+	p.serverInstance = serverInstance
+	p.serverInstanceMu.Unlock()
+
+	if jsonListener == nil {
+		log.Debug("daemon JSON socket disabled")
+	} else if err := p.startJSONGateway(jsonListener, daemonAddr); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("start daemon JSON server: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("started daemon server: %v", daemonListener.address)
+	if err := p.serv.Serve(daemonListener.Listener); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("failed to serve daemon requests: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (p *program) Stop(srv service.Service) error {
 	p.serverInstanceMu.Lock()
 	if p.serverInstance != nil {
@@ -113,8 +179,13 @@ func (p *program) Stop(srv service.Service) error {
 	p.cancel()
 
 	p.jsonServMu.Lock()
-	jsonServ := p.jsonServ
+	jsonServ, jsonClient := p.jsonServ, p.jsonClient
 	p.jsonServMu.Unlock()
+	if jsonClient != nil {
+		if err := jsonClient.Close(); err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("close daemon JSON gateway client: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
 	if jsonServ != nil {
 		shutdownCtx, shutdownCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
 		if err := jsonServ.Shutdown(shutdownCtx); err != nil {

client/cmd/service_json_gateway.go

@@ -5,27 +5,123 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
-	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/v2/runtime"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
 )
 
-func grpcGatewayEndpoint(addr string) string {
-	return strings.TrimPrefix(addr, "tcp://")
+// jsonPeerIdentity is the context key under which the connecting HTTP client's
+// identity is stashed for the lifetime of its connection.
+type jsonPeerIdentity struct{}
+
+// jsonPeerIdentityValue pairs the identity with whether it could be read at
+// all, so an unreadable identity is forwarded as "unknown" rather than omitted.
+type jsonPeerIdentityValue struct {
+	id    ipcauth.Identity
+	known bool
+}
+
+// jsonConnContext reads the identity of the client connecting to the JSON
+// socket and stashes it on the connection's context. The gateway re-dials the
+// daemon in-process, so the daemon would otherwise see every JSON request as
+// coming from the daemon itself.
+func jsonConnContext(ctx context.Context, c net.Conn) context.Context {
+	value := jsonPeerIdentityValue{}
+	id, err := ipcauth.ConnIdentity(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warnf("json gateway: cannot read HTTP client identity, privileged operations will be denied for this connection: %v", err)
+	} else {
+		value.id = id
+		value.known = true
+	}
+	return context.WithValue(ctx, jsonPeerIdentity{}, value)
+}
+
+// forwardIdentity stamps the HTTP client's identity onto every call the gateway
+// makes to the daemon.
+//
+// It is an interceptor on the gateway's client connection rather than a
+// runtime.WithMetadata annotator because grpc-gateway skips annotators when no
+// request header maps to metadata, which an HTTP/1.0 request with no Host header
+// over a unix socket achieves. The daemon would then receive no marker, see its own
+// identity as the transport peer, and authorize the request as the daemon itself.
+// An interceptor runs for every RPC whatever the request looked like.
+func forwardIdentity(ctx context.Context) context.Context {
+	value, ok := ctx.Value(jsonPeerIdentity{}).(jsonPeerIdentityValue)
+	if !ok {
+		// No ConnContext ran for this request, so forward an unknown identity:
+		// the daemon must not mistake its own identity for the client's.
+		return ipcauth.WithForwardedIdentity(ctx, ipcauth.Identity{}, false)
+	}
+	return ipcauth.WithForwardedIdentity(ctx, value.id, value.known)
+}
+
+func forwardIdentityUnary(ctx context.Context, method string, req, reply any, cc *grpc.ClientConn, invoker grpc.UnaryInvoker, opts ...grpc.CallOption) error {
+	return invoker(forwardIdentity(ctx), method, req, reply, cc, opts...)
+}
+
+func forwardIdentityStream(ctx context.Context, desc *grpc.StreamDesc, cc *grpc.ClientConn, method string, streamer grpc.Streamer, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (grpc.ClientStream, error) {
+	return streamer(forwardIdentity(ctx), desc, cc, method, opts...)
+}
+
+// reservedHeaderWarning limits the dropped-header warning to the first occurrence.
+var reservedHeaderWarning sync.Once
+
+// jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher keeps an HTTP client from supplying the metadata the
+// gateway uses to forward its identity. grpc-gateway turns "Grpc-Metadata-<key>"
+// headers into gRPC metadata and joins them ahead of what its annotators add, so
+// without this filter a JSON client could send its own x-netbird-fwd-uid and the
+// daemon would authorize that instead of the client's real identity.
+func jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher(key string) (string, bool) {
+	mapped, ok := runtime.DefaultHeaderMatcher(key)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", false
+	}
+	if ipcauth.IsReservedForwardKey(mapped) {
+		// Warn once: any client can send these on every request, so warning each
+		// time hands it a way to fill the log. The rest are debug-level.
+		reservedHeaderWarning.Do(func() {
+			log.Warnf("json gateway: dropping reserved header %q from a request: only the gateway may set the caller's identity", key)
+		})
+		log.Debugf("json gateway: dropping reserved header %q", key)
+		return "", false
+	}
+	return mapped, true
 }
 
 func (p *program) startJSONGateway(jsonListener *socketListener, daemonEndpoint string) error {
-	mux := runtime.NewServeMux()
-	opts := []grpc.DialOption{grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials())}
-	if err := proto.RegisterDaemonServiceHandlerFromEndpoint(p.ctx, mux, grpcGatewayEndpoint(daemonEndpoint), opts); err != nil {
+	if jsonListener.network == "tcp" {
+		log.Warnf("daemon JSON socket is listening on TCP (%s): callers carry no verifiable identity over TCP, "+
+			"so privileged operations will be denied for JSON clients", jsonListener.address)
+	}
+
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+
+	// grpc.NewClient does not connect until the first request, so registering
+	// the handler here cannot block daemon startup.
+	target, opts := daemonaddr.DialTarget(daemonEndpoint)
+	opts = append(opts,
+		grpc.WithChainUnaryInterceptor(forwardIdentityUnary),
+		grpc.WithChainStreamInterceptor(forwardIdentityStream),
+	)
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(target, opts...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create daemon client for JSON gateway: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := proto.RegisterDaemonServiceHandler(p.ctx, mux, conn); err != nil {
+		if cerr := conn.Close(); cerr != nil {
+			log.Debugf("close daemon client after failed JSON gateway registration: %v", cerr)
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -35,10 +131,12 @@ func (p *program) startJSONGateway(jsonListener *socketListener, daemonEndpoint
 		BaseContext: func(net.Listener) context.Context {
 			return p.ctx
 		},
+		ConnContext: jsonConnContext,
 	}
 
 	p.jsonServMu.Lock()
 	p.jsonServ = jsonServer
+	p.jsonClient = conn
 	p.jsonServMu.Unlock()
 
 	go func() {

client/cmd/service_json_gateway_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,261 @@
+//go:build !windows && !ios && !android
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/v2/runtime"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/metadata"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/peer"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
+)
+
+// The JSON gateway runs inside the daemon and re-dials it locally, so every JSON
+// request reaches a handler with the daemon's own identity as the transport peer.
+// The gateway therefore forwards its HTTP client's identity as metadata, and the
+// daemon authorizes that instead of itself. These tests drive the real wiring
+// (jsonConnContext, forwardIdentity, jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher) and check the
+// identity a handler would end up authorizing.
+
+// daemonSideCtx is what a handler sees for a gateway-relayed call. The transport
+// peer must be this process's own identity: the gateway is the daemon, so the two
+// cannot differ, and hardcoding root here instead would describe a state that
+// never occurs.
+func daemonSideCtx(t *testing.T, md metadata.MD) context.Context {
+	t.Helper()
+	self, err := ipcauth.CurrentProcessIdentity()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("cannot read this process's identity: %v", err)
+	}
+	ctx := peer.NewContext(context.Background(), &peer.Peer{
+		AuthInfo: ipcauth.AuthInfo{
+			CommonAuthInfo: credentials.CommonAuthInfo{SecurityLevel: credentials.NoSecurity},
+			Identity:       self,
+		},
+	})
+	return metadata.NewIncomingContext(ctx, md)
+}
+
+// gatewayMetadata reproduces what the daemon receives for a JSON request: the
+// mux annotates the context from the request's headers, then the interceptor on the
+// gateway's client connection stamps the caller's identity. The order matters,
+// since the interceptor must win over anything a header put there.
+func gatewayMetadata(t *testing.T, req *http.Request, ctx context.Context) metadata.MD {
+	t.Helper()
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+	annotated, err := runtime.AnnotateContext(ctx, mux, req,
+		"/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig",
+		runtime.WithHTTPPathPattern("/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("annotate: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	md, ok := metadata.FromOutgoingContext(forwardIdentity(annotated))
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("the interceptor produced no metadata")
+	}
+	return md
+}
+
+// clientCtx is the connection context jsonConnContext would have produced for an
+// HTTP client whose identity the gateway could read.
+func clientCtx(id ipcauth.Identity, known bool) context.Context {
+	return context.WithValue(context.Background(), jsonPeerIdentity{},
+		jsonPeerIdentityValue{id: id, known: known})
+}
+
+// An HTTP client must not be able to name its own identity. grpc-gateway turns
+// Grpc-Metadata-<key> headers into gRPC metadata, so without the header filter and
+// the interceptor overwriting the reserved keys, this request would authorize as
+// uid 0.
+func TestJSONGateway_ForgedIdentityHeaderIsDropped(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Uid", "0")
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Gid", "0")
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd", "1")
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Sid", "S-1-5-18")
+
+	caller := ipcauth.Identity{UID: 31000, GID: 31000}
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, clientCtx(caller, true))
+
+	id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md))
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("the forwarded identity should be usable")
+	}
+	if id.IsPrivileged() {
+		t.Errorf("forged header was believed: authorized as %v", id)
+	}
+	if id.UID != caller.UID {
+		t.Errorf("authorized as uid %d, want the real client %d", id.UID, caller.UID)
+	}
+}
+
+// A request with no headers at all (HTTP/1.0 needs no Host, and a unix socket
+// yields no host:port) makes grpc-gateway produce no metadata whatsoever and skip
+// its annotators: "if len(pairs) == 0 { return ctx, nil, nil }" in
+// runtime/context.go. That is why the identity is stamped by an interceptor
+// instead. This is the case that previously reached the gate as the daemon itself.
+func TestJSONGateway_HeaderlessRequestIsStillMarkedForwarded(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	req.Header = http.Header{}
+	req.Host = ""
+
+	caller := ipcauth.Identity{UID: 31000, GID: 31000}
+	ctx := clientCtx(caller, true)
+
+	// Pin the skip path itself: if grpc-gateway ever produced a pair here, this
+	// test would still pass below while no longer covering what it was written for.
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+	annotated, err := runtime.AnnotateContext(ctx, mux, req,
+		"/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig",
+		runtime.WithHTTPPathPattern("/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("annotate: %v", err)
+	}
+	if md, ok := metadata.FromOutgoingContext(annotated); ok {
+		t.Fatalf("grpc-gateway produced metadata %v for a headerless request; "+
+			"this test no longer covers the annotator-skip path", md)
+	}
+
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, ctx)
+
+	id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md))
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("the forwarded identity should be usable")
+	}
+	if id.UID != caller.UID || id.IsPrivileged() {
+		t.Errorf("authorized as %v, want the real client uid %d", id, caller.UID)
+	}
+}
+
+// When the gateway cannot read its client's identity (a TCP JSON socket, say) it
+// forwards the marker alone. The daemon must then report "unidentified" so the
+// privileged operations refuse, rather than falling back to the gateway's own
+// identity.
+func TestJSONGateway_UnreadableClientIdentityIsUnidentified(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, clientCtx(ipcauth.Identity{}, false))
+
+	if id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md)); ok {
+		t.Errorf("a request with no client identity was authorized as %v", id)
+	}
+}
+
+// A request that never passed through jsonConnContext (no stashed identity) must
+// also come out unidentified rather than as the daemon.
+func TestJSONGateway_MissingConnContextIsUnidentified(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, context.Background())
+
+	if id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md)); ok {
+		t.Errorf("a request with no connection context was authorized as %v", id)
+	}
+}
+
+// End to end over a real unix socket: the gateway reads the connecting client's
+// identity from the socket itself, so a client cannot present anything else.
+func TestJSONGateway_IdentityComesFromTheSocket(t *testing.T) {
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+
+	type observed struct {
+		md metadata.MD
+	}
+	seen := make(chan observed, 1)
+
+	srv := &http.Server{
+		Handler: http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			ctx, err := runtime.AnnotateContext(r.Context(), mux, r,
+				"/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig",
+				runtime.WithHTTPPathPattern("/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig"))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("annotate: %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+			md, _ := metadata.FromOutgoingContext(forwardIdentity(ctx))
+			seen <- observed{md: md}
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		}),
+		ReadHeaderTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
+		ConnContext:       jsonConnContext,
+	}
+
+	sock := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "http.sock")
+	ln, err := net.Listen("unix", sock)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := srv.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Logf("close server: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+	go func() {
+		if err := srv.Serve(ln); err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
+			t.Logf("serve: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	conn, err := net.Dial("unix", sock)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := conn.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Logf("close conn: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	// Forge the identity headers on the wire as well.
+	request := "POST /daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig HTTP/1.1\r\n" +
+		"Host: localhost\r\n" +
+		"Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd: 1\r\n" +
+		"Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Uid: 0\r\n" +
+		"Content-Length: 0\r\n\r\n"
+	if _, err := conn.Write([]byte(request)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case got := <-seen:
+		self, err := ipcauth.CurrentProcessIdentity()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Skipf("cannot read this process's identity: %v", err)
+		}
+		// The socket peer is this test process, so that is the identity the
+		// gateway must forward, not the uid 0 the request asked for.
+		if uids := got.md.Get("x-netbird-fwd-uid"); len(uids) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("x-netbird-fwd-uid = %v, want exactly the gateway's own value", uids)
+		}
+		id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, got.md))
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("the forwarded identity should be usable")
+		}
+		if id.UID != self.UID {
+			t.Errorf("authorized as uid %d, want the socket peer %d", id.UID, self.UID)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("the gateway never handled the request")
+	}
+}

client/cmd/service_params.go

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/configs"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
 )
 
@@ -125,6 +126,13 @@ func applyServiceParams(cmd *cobra.Command, params *serviceParams) {
 
 	if !rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("daemon-addr") && params.DaemonAddr != "" {
 		daemonAddr = params.DaemonAddr
+		// An install that predates named-pipe support has the loopback TCP
+		// address saved. Callers carry no identity over TCP, so move it to the
+		// pipe instead of restoring a socket the daemon cannot authorize on.
+		if migrated, ok := daemonaddr.MigrateLegacy(daemonAddr); ok {
+			cmd.Printf("Moving the saved daemon address from %s to %s so the daemon can identify its callers\n", daemonAddr, migrated)
+			daemonAddr = migrated
+		}
 	}
 
 	if !serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("json-socket") && params.JSONSocket != "" {

client/cmd/service_pipe_other.go

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+)
+
+// listenNamedPipe is Windows-only: no other platform serves the daemon on a
+// named pipe.
+func listenNamedPipe(string) (net.Listener, string, error) {
+	return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("named pipes are only supported on Windows")
+}

client/cmd/service_pipe_windows.go

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+//go:build windows
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+
+	"github.com/Microsoft/go-winio"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
+)
+
+// listenNamedPipe creates the daemon control pipe and reports the path it ended
+// up on. The security descriptor lets any local caller connect, as a Unix socket
+// at 0666 does, and the privileged operations are authorized separately from the
+// caller's token.
+//
+// The protected name comes first so that an unprivileged process cannot take the
+// name before the service does. Creating it requires being an administrator or
+// LocalSystem, so a daemon an ordinary user runs themselves, as in netstack mode,
+// falls back to the plain name; clients try both and check who serves them.
+func listenNamedPipe(name string) (net.Listener, string, error) {
+	var errs []error
+	for _, path := range daemonaddr.PipePaths(name) {
+		listener, err := winio.ListenPipe(path, &winio.PipeConfig{
+			SecurityDescriptor: ipcauth.DefaultPipeSDDL(),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("not serving the daemon on %s: %v", path, err)
+			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", path, err))
+			continue
+		}
+		return listener, path, nil
+	}
+
+	return nil, "", errors.Join(errs...)
+}

client/cmd/service_socket.go

@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ func listenOnAddress(addr string) (*socketListener, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if network == "npipe" {
+		listener, path, err := listenNamedPipe(address)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return &socketListener{Listener: listener, network: network, address: path}, nil
+	}
+
 	if network == "unix" {
 		removeStaleUnixSocket(address)
 	}
@@ -41,11 +49,11 @@ func listenOnAddress(addr string) (*socketListener, error) {
 func parseListenAddress(addr string) (string, string, error) {
 	network, address, ok := strings.Cut(addr, "://")
 	if !ok || network == "" || address == "" {
-		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("address must be in [unix|tcp]://[path|host:port] format: %q", addr)
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("address must be in [unix|tcp|npipe]://[path|host:port|name] format: %q", addr)
 	}
 
 	switch network {
-	case "unix", "tcp":
+	case "unix", "tcp", "npipe":
 		return network, address, nil
 	default:
 		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("unsupported daemon address protocol: %v", network)

client/cmd/up.go

@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ func runInDaemonMode(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, pm *profilemanager
 		if st, ok := gstatus.FromError(err); ok && st.Code() == codes.Unavailable {
 			log.Warnf("setConfig method is not available in the daemon: %s", st.Message())
 		} else {
-			return fmt.Errorf("call service setConfig method: %v", err)
+			return daemonCallError("call service setConfig method", err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ func doDaemonUp(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, client proto.DaemonServ
 	}
 
 	if loginErr != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("login failed: %v", loginErr)
+		return daemonCallError("login failed", loginErr)
 	}
 
 	if loginResp.NeedsSSOLogin {
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func doDaemonUp(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, client proto.DaemonServ
 		ProfileName: &profileID,
 		Username:    &username,
 	}); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("call service up method: %v", err)
+		return daemonCallError("call service up method", err)
 	}
 
 	return nil