---
id: task-30
title: Production path deletion guard
status: Completed
assignee: []
created_date: '2025-12-04 04:25'
updated_date: '2025-12-04'
completed_date: '2025-12-04'
labels:
- security
- high
- defense-in-depth
dependencies: []
priority: high
---
## Description
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:BEGIN -->
Implement a safe deletion utility that refuses to delete production paths. This is a defense-in-depth measure - even if all other protections fail, this guard prevents catastrophic data loss.
### Problem
Any code can call `shutil.rmtree()` on any path. There's no verification that the path is safe to delete.
### Solution
Create a `safe_rmtree()` function that verifies paths before deletion using an allowlist approach.
### Implementation
Created `src/registry_review_mcp/utils/safe_delete.py`:
```python
SAFE_PATH_PREFIXES = ("/tmp/", "/var/tmp/")
class UnsafeDeleteError(Exception):
"""Raised when attempting to delete a path outside safe locations."""
pass
def is_safe_to_delete(path: Path) -> bool:
"""Check if a path is safe to delete (allowlist approach)."""
path = path.resolve()
path_str = str(path)
for prefix in SAFE_PATH_PREFIXES:
if path_str.startswith(prefix):
return True
return False
def safe_rmtree(path: Path, force: bool = False) -> None:
"""Delete a directory tree, but refuse if not in safe location."""
path = Path(path).resolve()
if not force and not is_safe_to_delete(path):
raise UnsafeDeleteError(
f"REFUSED: Cannot delete '{path}' - not in safe location (/tmp/). "
f"If this is intentional, use force=True."
)
if path.exists():
shutil.rmtree(path)
def safe_unlink(path: Path, force: bool = False) -> None:
"""Delete a file, but refuse if not in safe location."""
path = Path(path).resolve()
if not force and not is_safe_to_delete(path):
raise UnsafeDeleteError(
f"REFUSED: Cannot delete '{path}' - not in safe location (/tmp/)."
)
if path.exists():
path.unlink()
```
### Usage in Tests
Updated `tests/conftest.py` to use `safe_rmtree()` in all cleanup operations:
```python
from registry_review_mcp.utils.safe_delete import safe_rmtree
@pytest.fixture(autouse=True, scope="function")
def cleanup_sessions(tmp_path_factory, worker_id):
def cleanup_test_sessions():
if settings.sessions_dir.exists():
safe_rmtree(settings.sessions_dir)
settings.sessions_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
cleanup_test_sessions()
try:
yield
finally:
cleanup_test_sessions()
```
### Files Created/Modified
- `src/registry_review_mcp/utils/safe_delete.py` - New file with safe deletion utilities
- `tests/conftest.py` - Uses safe_rmtree for all cleanup operations
### Acceptance Criteria
- [x] `safe_rmtree()` refuses to delete paths not under `/tmp/` or `/var/tmp/`
- [x] `safe_rmtree()` allows deletion of `/tmp/` paths
- [x] All test cleanup code uses `safe_rmtree()`
- [x] Production paths survive even if isolation fails
- [x] Clear error message explains why deletion was refused
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:END -->
