routemanager: enforce a single selected exit node

Exit nodes are mutually exclusive, but the RouteSelector stores routes with
default-on semantics, so every available exit node reported as selected at once.

Reconcile exit-node selection on each network map (and on runtime selection):
keep at most one selected — the user's persisted pick, else whatever management
marks for auto-apply (SkipAutoApply=false), else none. Never auto-activate an
exit node the map doesn't request; it stays off until the user picks it.

The server deselects sibling exit nodes when the user activates one (leaving
non-exit routes untouched), and the tray/React exit-node toggle now appends so
activating an exit node no longer wipes network-route selections.

client/internal/routemanager/exit_node_selection_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+package routemanager
+
+import (
+	"net/netip"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routeselector"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/route"
+)
+
+func newExitNodeTestManager() *DefaultManager {
+	return &DefaultManager{routeSelector: routeselector.NewRouteSelector()}
+}
+
+func exitRoute(netID, peer string, skipAutoApply bool) *route.Route {
+	return &route.Route{
+		NetID:         route.NetID(netID),
+		Network:       netip.MustParsePrefix("0.0.0.0/0"),
+		Peer:          peer,
+		SkipAutoApply: skipAutoApply,
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPickPreferredExitNode(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		info exitNodeInfo
+		want route.NetID
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "persisted user selection wins over management",
+			info: exitNodeInfo{
+				allIDs:               []route.NetID{"a", "b", "c"},
+				userSelected:         []route.NetID{"b"},
+				selectedByManagement: []route.NetID{"a"},
+			},
+			want: "b",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "multiple user-selected self-heal to deterministic min",
+			info: exitNodeInfo{
+				allIDs:       []route.NetID{"a", "b", "c"},
+				userSelected: []route.NetID{"c", "a"},
+			},
+			want: "a",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "explicit opt-out keeps none",
+			info: exitNodeInfo{
+				allIDs:         []route.NetID{"a", "b"},
+				userDeselected: []route.NetID{"a", "b"},
+			},
+			want: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "fresh defaults to management auto-apply pick",
+			info: exitNodeInfo{
+				allIDs:               []route.NetID{"a", "b", "c"},
+				selectedByManagement: []route.NetID{"b"},
+			},
+			want: "b",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "no user pick and no management auto-apply selects none",
+			info: exitNodeInfo{
+				allIDs: []route.NetID{"c", "a", "b"},
+			},
+			want: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "user-deselect does not block a management auto-apply sibling",
+			info: exitNodeInfo{
+				allIDs:               []route.NetID{"a", "b"},
+				userDeselected:       []route.NetID{"a"},
+				selectedByManagement: []route.NetID{"b"},
+			},
+			want: "b",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, pickPreferredExitNode(tt.info), "preferred exit node")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEnforceSingleExitNode(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newExitNodeTestManager()
+	all := []route.NetID{"a", "b", "c"}
+
+	m.enforceSingleExitNode("b", all)
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("a"), "a should be deselected")
+	assert.True(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("b"), "b should be the only selected exit node")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("c"), "c should be deselected")
+
+	// Switching the preferred node moves the single selection.
+	m.enforceSingleExitNode("c", all)
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("a"), "a stays deselected")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("b"), "b should now be deselected")
+	assert.True(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("c"), "c should now be selected")
+
+	// Empty preferred turns every exit node off.
+	m.enforceSingleExitNode("", all)
+	for _, id := range all {
+		assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected(id), "no exit node should be selected")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEnforceSingleExitNode_RespectsDeselectAll(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newExitNodeTestManager()
+	m.routeSelector.DeselectAllRoutes()
+
+	m.enforceSingleExitNode("b", []route.NetID{"a", "b"})
+
+	assert.True(t, m.routeSelector.IsDeselectAllActive(), "global deselect-all must stay in effect")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("b"), "no exit node should be forced on while deselect-all is set")
+}
+
+func TestUpdateRouteSelectorFromManagement_FreshSelectsOne(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newExitNodeTestManager()
+	routes := route.HAMap{
+		"exitA|0.0.0.0/0":    {exitRoute("exitA", "p1", false)},
+		"exitB|0.0.0.0/0":    {exitRoute("exitB", "p2", false)},
+		"lan|192.168.1.0/24": {{NetID: "lan", Network: netip.MustParsePrefix("192.168.1.0/24"), Peer: "p3"}},
+		"exitC|0.0.0.0/0":    {exitRoute("exitC", "p4", false)},
+	}
+
+	m.updateRouteSelectorFromManagement(routes)
+
+	// Exactly one exit node (the deterministic first) is selected.
+	assert.True(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitA"), "exitA is the deterministic default")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitB"), "exitB must not also be selected")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitC"), "exitC must not also be selected")
+	// Non-exit routes are left at their default-on state.
+	assert.True(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("lan"), "non-exit route selection is untouched")
+}
+
+func TestUpdateRouteSelectorFromManagement_HonorsPersistedPick(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newExitNodeTestManager()
+	routes := route.HAMap{
+		"exitA|0.0.0.0/0": {exitRoute("exitA", "p1", false)},
+		"exitB|0.0.0.0/0": {exitRoute("exitB", "p2", false)},
+	}
+	all := []route.NetID{"exitA", "exitB"}
+
+	// Simulate the state the runtime select path leaves behind: exactly one
+	// exit node explicitly selected, its sibling deselected.
+	require.NoError(t, m.routeSelector.SelectRoutes([]route.NetID{"exitB"}, true, all))
+	require.NoError(t, m.routeSelector.DeselectRoutes([]route.NetID{"exitA"}, all))
+
+	m.updateRouteSelectorFromManagement(routes)
+
+	assert.True(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitB"), "persisted pick must stay selected")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitA"), "the other exit node stays deselected")
+}
+
+func TestUpdateRouteSelectorFromManagement_OptOutKeepsNone(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newExitNodeTestManager()
+	routes := route.HAMap{
+		"exitA|0.0.0.0/0": {exitRoute("exitA", "p1", false)},
+		"exitB|0.0.0.0/0": {exitRoute("exitB", "p2", false)},
+	}
+	all := []route.NetID{"exitA", "exitB"}
+
+	// User deselected exit nodes and selected none.
+	require.NoError(t, m.routeSelector.DeselectRoutes(all, all))
+
+	m.updateRouteSelectorFromManagement(routes)
+
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitA"), "opt-out keeps exitA off")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitB"), "opt-out keeps exitB off")
+}
+
+func TestUpdateRouteSelectorFromManagement_NoAutoApplySelectsNone(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newExitNodeTestManager()
+	// SkipAutoApply=true: management offers the exit nodes but doesn't request
+	// auto-activation, so none should be selected until the user picks one.
+	routes := route.HAMap{
+		"exitA|0.0.0.0/0": {exitRoute("exitA", "p1", true)},
+		"exitB|0.0.0.0/0": {exitRoute("exitB", "p2", true)},
+	}
+
+	m.updateRouteSelectorFromManagement(routes)
+
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitA"), "no auto-apply keeps exitA off")
+	assert.False(t, m.routeSelector.IsSelected("exitB"), "no auto-apply keeps exitB off")
+}

client/internal/routemanager/manager.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"runtime"
 	"slices"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
@@ -707,15 +708,22 @@ func resolveURLsToIPs(urls []string) []net.IP {
 	return ips
 }
 
-// updateRouteSelectorFromManagement updates the route selector based on the isSelected status from the management server
+// updateRouteSelectorFromManagement reconciles exit-node selection on every
+// network map: it keeps at most one exit node selected — the user's persisted
+// pick, else whatever management marks for auto-apply (SkipAutoApply=false),
+// else none. We never auto-activate an exit node the map doesn't request; it
+// stays off until the user picks it. Exit nodes are mutually exclusive, but the
+// RouteSelector stores routes with default-on semantics, so without this every
+// available exit node would report selected at once.
 func (m *DefaultManager) updateRouteSelectorFromManagement(clientRoutes route.HAMap) {
-	exitNodeInfo := m.collectExitNodeInfo(clientRoutes)
-	if len(exitNodeInfo.allIDs) == 0 {
+	info := m.collectExitNodeInfo(clientRoutes)
+	if len(info.allIDs) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
 
-	m.updateExitNodeSelections(exitNodeInfo)
-	m.logExitNodeUpdate(exitNodeInfo)
+	preferred := pickPreferredExitNode(info)
+	m.enforceSingleExitNode(preferred, info.allIDs)
+	m.logExitNodeUpdate(info, preferred)
 }
 
 type exitNodeInfo struct {
@@ -725,6 +733,10 @@ type exitNodeInfo struct {
 	userDeselected       []route.NetID
 }
 
+// collectExitNodeInfo categorises the available exit nodes by their persisted
+// selection state. It keys on the base (v4) NetID and skips the synthesized
+// "-v6" partner, which inherits its base's selection through the RouteSelector
+// — counting it separately would double-count the pair.
 func (m *DefaultManager) collectExitNodeInfo(clientRoutes route.HAMap) exitNodeInfo {
 	var info exitNodeInfo
 
@@ -734,6 +746,9 @@ func (m *DefaultManager) collectExitNodeInfo(clientRoutes route.HAMap) exitNodeI
 		}
 
 		netID := haID.NetID()
+		if strings.HasSuffix(string(netID), route.V6ExitSuffix) {
+			continue
+		}
 		info.allIDs = append(info.allIDs, netID)
 
 		if m.routeSelector.HasUserSelectionForRoute(netID) {
@@ -770,45 +785,69 @@ func (m *DefaultManager) checkManagementSelection(routes []*route.Route, netID r
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *DefaultManager) updateExitNodeSelections(info exitNodeInfo) {
-	routesToDeselect := m.getRoutesToDeselect(info.allIDs)
-	m.deselectExitNodes(routesToDeselect)
-	m.selectExitNodesByManagement(info.selectedByManagement, info.allIDs)
+// pickPreferredExitNode chooses the single exit node to keep selected. In order:
+//   - a persisted user selection wins (deterministic if several survive from
+//     legacy state, so the set self-heals down to one);
+//   - otherwise activate only what management marks for auto-apply
+//     (SkipAutoApply=false); the lexicographically first if it marks several.
+//
+// Returns "" when neither holds — we never force an arbitrary exit node on. A
+// route the map doesn't auto-apply stays off until the user selects it.
+// info.userDeselected is informational only: an explicit deselect simply keeps
+// that route out of both lists above, so it can't be picked.
+func pickPreferredExitNode(info exitNodeInfo) route.NetID {
+	if len(info.userSelected) > 0 {
+		return minNetID(info.userSelected)
+	}
+	if len(info.selectedByManagement) > 0 {
+		return minNetID(info.selectedByManagement)
+	}
+	return ""
 }
 
-func (m *DefaultManager) getRoutesToDeselect(allIDs []route.NetID) []route.NetID {
-	var routesToDeselect []route.NetID
-	for _, netID := range allIDs {
-		if !m.routeSelector.HasUserSelectionForRoute(netID) {
-			routesToDeselect = append(routesToDeselect, netID)
+// enforceSingleExitNode makes preferred the only selected exit node: every other
+// available exit node is deselected and preferred (if any) is selected, without
+// disturbing non-exit route selections. A global deselect-all is left untouched
+// so the user's "all off" stays in effect.
+func (m *DefaultManager) enforceSingleExitNode(preferred route.NetID, allIDs []route.NetID) {
+	if m.routeSelector.IsDeselectAllActive() {
+		return
+	}
+
+	others := make([]route.NetID, 0, len(allIDs))
+	for _, id := range allIDs {
+		if id != preferred {
+			others = append(others, id)
 		}
 	}
-	return routesToDeselect
-}
-
-func (m *DefaultManager) deselectExitNodes(routesToDeselect []route.NetID) {
-	if len(routesToDeselect) == 0 {
-		return
+	if len(others) > 0 {
+		if err := m.routeSelector.DeselectRoutes(others, allIDs); err != nil {
+			log.Warnf("deselect other exit nodes: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
-
-	err := m.routeSelector.DeselectRoutes(routesToDeselect, routesToDeselect)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnf("Failed to deselect exit nodes: %v", err)
+	if preferred != "" {
+		if err := m.routeSelector.SelectRoutes([]route.NetID{preferred}, true, allIDs); err != nil {
+			log.Warnf("select preferred exit node %q: %v", preferred, err)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *DefaultManager) selectExitNodesByManagement(selectedByManagement []route.NetID, allIDs []route.NetID) {
-	if len(selectedByManagement) == 0 {
-		return
-	}
-
-	err := m.routeSelector.SelectRoutes(selectedByManagement, true, allIDs)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnf("Failed to select exit nodes: %v", err)
-	}
+func (m *DefaultManager) logExitNodeUpdate(info exitNodeInfo, preferred route.NetID) {
+	log.Debugf("Exit node selection: %d available, preferred=%q (%d user-selected, %d user-deselected, %d management-selected)",
+		len(info.allIDs), preferred, len(info.userSelected), len(info.userDeselected), len(info.selectedByManagement))
 }
 
-func (m *DefaultManager) logExitNodeUpdate(info exitNodeInfo) {
-	log.Debugf("Updated route selector: %d exit nodes available, %d selected by management, %d user-selected, %d user-deselected",
-		len(info.allIDs), len(info.selectedByManagement), len(info.userSelected), len(info.userDeselected))
+// minNetID returns the lexicographically smallest NetID, for a deterministic
+// default pick that stays stable across restarts.
+func minNetID(ids []route.NetID) route.NetID {
+	if len(ids) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	best := ids[0]
+	for _, id := range ids[1:] {
+		if id < best {
+			best = id
+		}
+	}
+	return best
 }

client/internal/routeselector/routeselector.go

@@ -124,6 +124,16 @@ func (rs *RouteSelector) IsSelected(routeID route.NetID) bool {
 	return rs.isSelectedLocked(routeID)
 }
 
+// IsDeselectAllActive reports whether the global "deselect all" flag is set,
+// i.e. the user disabled every route. Callers enforcing per-route invariants
+// (e.g. single exit node) should leave the selection untouched when it is.
+func (rs *RouteSelector) IsDeselectAllActive() bool {
+	rs.mu.RLock()
+	defer rs.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	return rs.deselectAll
+}
+
 // FilterSelected removes unselected routes from the provided map.
 func (rs *RouteSelector) FilterSelected(routes route.HAMap) route.HAMap {
 	rs.mu.RLock()

client/server/network.go

@@ -172,6 +172,17 @@ func (s *Server) SelectNetworks(_ context.Context, req *proto.SelectNetworksRequ
 		if err := routeSelector.SelectRoutes(routes, req.GetAppend(), netIdRoutes); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("select routes: %w", err)
 		}
+
+		// Exit nodes are mutually exclusive: if this selection activates an
+		// exit node, deselect every other available exit node so two can't be
+		// selected at once. Non-exit route selections are left untouched.
+		if requestActivatesExitNode(routes, routesMap) {
+			if others := otherExitNodeIDs(routesMap, routes); len(others) > 0 {
+				if err := routeSelector.DeselectRoutes(others, netIdRoutes); err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("deselect sibling exit nodes: %w", err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	routeManager.TriggerSelection(routeManager.GetClientRoutes())
 
@@ -249,3 +260,38 @@ func toNetIDs(routes []string) []route.NetID {
 	}
 	return netIDs
 }
+
+func isExitNodeRoutes(routes []*route.Route) bool {
+	return len(routes) > 0 && (route.IsV4DefaultRoute(routes[0].Network) || route.IsV6DefaultRoute(routes[0].Network))
+}
+
+// requestActivatesExitNode reports whether any requested NetID maps to an exit
+// node (default route) in the current route table.
+func requestActivatesExitNode(requested []route.NetID, routesMap map[route.NetID][]*route.Route) bool {
+	for _, id := range requested {
+		if isExitNodeRoutes(routesMap[id]) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// otherExitNodeIDs returns every available exit-node NetID that is not in the
+// requested set — the siblings to deselect so a single exit node stays active.
+func otherExitNodeIDs(routesMap map[route.NetID][]*route.Route, requested []route.NetID) []route.NetID {
+	keep := make(map[route.NetID]struct{}, len(requested))
+	for _, id := range requested {
+		keep[id] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	var others []route.NetID
+	for id, routes := range routesMap {
+		if !isExitNodeRoutes(routes) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if _, ok := keep[id]; ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		others = append(others, id)
+	}
+	return others
+}

client/server/network_exitnode_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"net/netip"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/route"
+)
+
+func TestExitNodeSelectionHelpers(t *testing.T) {
+	routesMap := map[route.NetID][]*route.Route{
+		"exitA": {{Network: netip.MustParsePrefix("0.0.0.0/0")}},
+		"exitB": {{Network: netip.MustParsePrefix("::/0")}},
+		"lan":   {{Network: netip.MustParsePrefix("192.168.0.0/16")}},
+	}
+
+	assert.True(t, requestActivatesExitNode([]route.NetID{"exitA"}, routesMap), "v4 default route is an exit node")
+	assert.True(t, requestActivatesExitNode([]route.NetID{"exitB"}, routesMap), "v6 default route is an exit node")
+	assert.False(t, requestActivatesExitNode([]route.NetID{"lan"}, routesMap), "lan route is not an exit node")
+	assert.False(t, requestActivatesExitNode([]route.NetID{"missing"}, routesMap), "unknown id is not an exit node")
+
+	others := otherExitNodeIDs(routesMap, []route.NetID{"exitB"})
+	assert.ElementsMatch(t, []route.NetID{"exitA"}, others, "only the other exit node is a sibling; the lan route is ignored")
+}

client/ui/frontend/src/modules/networks/NetworksContext.tsx

@@ -87,8 +87,9 @@ export const NetworksProvider = ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => {
         [refresh],
     );
 
-    // Exit nodes are mutually exclusive — Select with append=false clears any
-    // other selection before activating the new one.
+    // Exit nodes are mutually exclusive, but the daemon enforces that now —
+    // selecting one deselects the other exit nodes. Append so activating an
+    // exit node doesn't wipe the user's network-route selections.
     const toggleExitNode = useCallback(
         async (id: string, selected: boolean) => {
             try {
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ export const NetworksProvider = ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => {
                 } else {
                     await NetworksSvc.Select({
                         networkIds: [id],
-                        append: false,
+                        append: true,
                         all: false,
                     });
                 }