# Security-Focused Repository Operations
This folder contains journal entries documenting the evolution from a flexible Global Context Provider design to a security-focused architecture that restricts all operations to the current working directory (CWD) only.
## Background
The Commit Helper MCP originally allowed operations on arbitrary filesystem locations through:
- Explicit `repo_path` parameters in all tools
- `COMMITIZEN_REPO_PATH` environment variable
- Complex path resolution logic
This flexibility created significant security risks, including potential path traversal attacks and unauthorized directory access.
## Evolution of Design
The documentation shows the progression from a flexible context provider approach to a security-focused CWD-only design:
1. **Initial Problem**: Repetitive repository path parameters
2. **First Solution**: Global Context Provider with flexible path resolution
3. **Security Concerns**: Realized the security implications of arbitrary path access
4. **Final Solution**: Complete removal of path parameters, CWD-only operations
## Journal Entries
### Core Documentation
1. [Requirements Analysis](./01-requirements-analysis.md) - Security-focused requirements
2. [Design Options](./02-design-options.md) - Comparison of approaches including security-focused design
3. [Security-Focused Repository Manager](./03-global-context-provider.md) - CWD-only design details
4. [Error Handling](./04-error-handling.md) - Simplified error handling for CWD operations
5. [Testing Strategy](./05-testing-strategy.md) - Security-focused testing approach
6. [Thread-Local Singleton](./06-thread-local-singleton.md) - Why it's not needed in secure design
7. [Implementation Plan](./07-implementation-plan.md) - Breaking change implementation
### Security-Focused Documentation
8. [Architecture Diagrams](./08-architecture-diagrams.md) - Visual comparison of approaches
9. [Code Examples](./09-code-examples.md) - Migration examples and patterns
10. [FAQ & Troubleshooting](./10-faq-troubleshooting.md) - Security-focused Q&A
11. [Quick Start Guide](./11-quick-start.md) - Migration guide for users
12. [Security-Focused Architecture](./12-security-focused-architecture.md) - Detailed security design
13. [Dev Dependency Approach](./13-dev-dependency-approach.md) - Recommended MCP integration method
## Key Outcomes
### Security Benefits
- **Eliminated Path Traversal**: Cannot access directories outside CWD
- **No Arbitrary Access**: Services confined to current directory
- **No Environment Injection**: Removed all environment variable dependencies
- **Clear Audit Trail**: All directory changes are explicit
### Simplicity Benefits
- **~30% Code Reduction**: Removed complex path resolution logic
- **No Global State**: Eliminated context provider complexity
- **Simpler Testing**: No path mocking or complex fixtures
- **Clearer Errors**: All errors relate to current directory
### Trade-offs
- **Breaking Change**: All existing code must be updated
- **Less Convenient**: Multi-repository workflows require explicit `cd`
- **Migration Effort**: Users must update scripts and workflows
## Migration Summary
### Before (v1.x)
```python
# Flexible but insecure
result = get_git_status(repo_path="/any/path")
```
### After (v2.0)
```python
# Secure but requires navigation
os.chdir("/any/path")
result = get_git_status()
```
## Conclusion
The security-focused CWD-only approach represents a fundamental shift in design philosophy: trading flexibility for security and simplicity. While this requires significant changes for users, it eliminates entire categories of security vulnerabilities and results in a much simpler, more maintainable codebase.
