fix(nodes): require opt-in before binding the LAN listener to all interfaces

changes/177.security.md

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+**Sentient no longer opens itself to your whole network on its own.** Listening beyond this computer for devices
+now needs its own opt-in (`nodes.lan_bind_all`), and Settings and `sentient doctor` warn while it is on.

desktop/src/features/settings/sections/Advanced.tsx

@@ -58,6 +58,17 @@ export function AdvancedSection({ query }: SectionProps) {
             {backend.state === 'ready' ? (socket === 'open' ? 'Running · live connection open' : 'Running · reconnecting') : backend.state}
           </span>
         </FormRow>
+        {config.data?.nodes?.lan_enabled && config.data?.nodes?.lan_bind_all && (
+          <FormRow
+            label="LAN listener"
+            description="Devices on your network can reach Sentient. They still have to pair first."
+          >
+            <span className="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-fg-muted">
+              <StatusDot tone="warning" />
+              Exposed to your network
+            </span>
+          </FormRow>
+        )}
         <FormRow label="Restart engine" description="Stops and starts Sentient's background engine. Chats in progress are interrupted.">
           <Button
             size="sm"

desktop/src/lib/types.ts

@@ -390,6 +390,15 @@ export interface SentientConfig {
   proactivity: ProactivityConfig
   voice: VoiceConfig
   ui: UIConfig
+  nodes?: NodesConfig
+}
+
+export interface NodesConfig {
+  enabled: boolean
+  lan_enabled: boolean
+  lan_port: number
+  /** Bind the LAN listener to 0.0.0.0 instead of loopback. */
+  lan_bind_all?: boolean
 }
 
 export type ConfigSection = keyof SentientConfig
@@ -1431,6 +1440,8 @@ export interface DeviceLanInfo {
   web_urls?: string[]
   fingerprint: string | null
   mdns?: boolean
+  /** True when the listener accepts connections from the whole network (`nodes.lan_bind_all`), false for this computer only. */
+  bind_all?: boolean
   error?: string | null
 }
 

docs/API.md

@@ -2668,7 +2668,9 @@ A device ("node") is a phone, a pair of smart glasses, a watch, or the desktop a
   its voice chats and what was learned in them → `{ok, forgotten: ForgetCounts}`, section 7, #153);
   `POST /api/nodes/{id}/invoke` `{capability, params, timeout_ms?}` → `{ok, data?, error?, code?}` with `code` `offline`, `unsupported`,
   `timeout`, `not_allowed` (desktop screen capture off), `bad_upload` or the device's own code;
-  `GET /api/nodes/lan` → `{enabled, running, port, urls, web_urls, fingerprint, mdns, error}`.
+  `GET /api/nodes/lan` → `{enabled, running, port, urls, web_urls, fingerprint, mdns, bind_all, error}` (`bind_all`
+  true when the listener is bound to every network interface because `nodes.lan_bind_all` is on, false when it
+  listens on this computer only, #177).
 - Domain events `node.updated` → `Node`, `node.deleted` `{node_id}`, `node.event` `{node_id, event, data}`.
 - Tools (plugin `devices`, hidden unless an online device offers a capability the tools use; the desktop node counts only for
   `screen.capture`): `device_list()` read; `device_take_photo(device="", question="")` read (effective risk `send` while

sentient/cli.py

@@ -215,6 +215,18 @@ def row(name: str, ok: bool | None, detail: str = ""):
         row("sqlite-vec", s.store.vec_available, "semantic memory " + ("enabled" if s.store.vec_available else "DISABLED"))
         row("tools", True, f"{len(s.registry.tools())} tools from {len(s.registry.plugins())} plugins")
         row("skills", True, f"{len(s.skills.list())} active, {len(s.skills.list_pending())} pending review")
+        try:
+            lan = s.nodes.lan_status()
+            if lan["enabled"]:
+                row(
+                    "lan listener",
+                    not lan["bind_all"],
+                    f"port {lan['port']}, bound to all interfaces (nodes.lan_bind_all); any host on the network can reach it, pairing required"
+                    if lan["bind_all"]
+                    else f"port {lan['port']}, this computer only (loopback)",
+                )
+        except Exception as exc:
+            row("lan listener", False, str(exc))
         try:
             text = ""
             async for chunk in s.llm.stream("primary", [{"role": "user", "content": "Reply with the single word: ready"}]):

sentient/config/schema.py

@@ -1049,6 +1049,11 @@ class NodesConfig(BaseModel):
         False, description="Accept devices on your local network (encrypted, pairing code required)."
     )
     lan_port: int = Field(7778, ge=1024, le=65535, description="Port devices on your network connect to.")
+    lan_bind_all: bool = Field(
+        False,
+        description="Bind the device listener to every network interface (0.0.0.0) instead of this computer only "
+        "(loopback). Off by default: enable it only if devices cannot reach Sentient, and keep pairing on.",
+    )
     mdns_enabled: bool = Field(
         True,
         description="Announce Sentient on your network (mDNS) so glasses and phones find it without typing an address.",

sentient/nodes/lan.py

@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ async def run() -> None:
             self.error = f"Could not listen on port {port}. Another program may be using it."
             return
         self.running = True
-        log.info("LAN device listener on https://0.0.0.0:%s (sha256 %s)", port, cert.fingerprint)
+        log.info("LAN device listener on https://%s:%s (sha256 %s)", host, port, cert.fingerprint)
         if mdns:
             await self._advertise()
 

sentient/nodes/service.py

@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def __init__(self, app):
         self._uploads: dict[str, tuple[Path, str, str, float]] = {}  # id -> (path, node_id, mime, created)
         self._lan_lock = asyncio.Lock()
         self.lan: LanListener | None = None
-        self.lan_host = "0.0.0.0"  # tests bind loopback
+        self.lan_host = "0.0.0.0" if self.cfg.lan_bind_all else "127.0.0.1"  # tests bind loopback explicitly
         # authenticates the LAN app's internal hop into the voice socket; never leaves the process
         self.lan_secret = secrets.token_urlsafe(32)
         self._schema_ready = False
@@ -235,13 +235,26 @@ async def apply_config(self) -> None:
         async with self._lan_lock:
             lan = self.lan
             if want_lan:
-                if lan is None or not lan.running or lan.port != cfg.lan_port or lan.mdns_wanted != cfg.mdns_enabled:
+                host = "0.0.0.0" if cfg.lan_bind_all else "127.0.0.1"
+                if (
+                    lan is None
+                    or not lan.running
+                    or lan.port != cfg.lan_port
+                    or lan.mdns_wanted != cfg.mdns_enabled
+                    or self.lan_host != host
+                ):
                     if lan is not None:
                         await lan.stop()
                     from sentient.nodes.lan import LanListener
 
                     self.lan = LanListener(self)
+                    self.lan_host = host
                     await self.lan.start(cfg.lan_port, mdns=cfg.mdns_enabled, host=self.lan_host)
+                    if host == "0.0.0.0":
+                        log.warning(
+                            "nodes: LAN listener bound to ALL interfaces (nodes.lan_bind_all); "
+                            "any host on the network can reach it and pairing is required"
+                        )
             elif lan is not None:
                 await lan.stop()
                 self.lan = None
@@ -259,6 +272,7 @@ def lan_status(self) -> dict:
             "web_urls": lan.web_urls() if running and lan else [],
             "fingerprint": lan.fingerprint if lan else None,
             "mdns": bool(lan and lan.mdns),
+            "bind_all": bool(cfg.lan_bind_all),
             "error": lan.error if lan else None,
         }
 

tests/nodes/test_lan_bind.py

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+"""SAFE-15: binding the LAN device listener to all interfaces must be an explicit opt-in."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import socket
+
+
+def _free_port() -> int:
+    with socket.socket() as s:
+        s.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+        return s.getsockname()[1]
+
+
+def _enable_lan(core, *, bind_all: bool) -> None:
+    core.config.nodes.lan_enabled = True
+    core.config.nodes.lan_bind_all = bind_all
+    core.config.nodes.lan_port = _free_port()
+    core.config.nodes.mdns_enabled = False
+
+
+def test_lan_bind_all_defaults_off(config):
+    assert config.nodes.lan_bind_all is False
+
+
+async def test_apply_config_binds_loopback_by_default(nodes_client):
+    client = nodes_client()
+    core = client.core
+    _enable_lan(core, bind_all=False)
+    await core.nodes.apply_config()
+    try:
+        assert core.nodes.lan and core.nodes.lan.running
+        assert core.nodes.lan_host == "127.0.0.1"
+        status = core.nodes.lan_status()
+        assert status["bind_all"] is False  # not exposed beyond this computer
+    finally:
+        await core.nodes.lan.stop()
+
+
+async def test_apply_config_requires_opt_in_to_bind_all_interfaces(nodes_client):
+    client = nodes_client()
+    core = client.core
+    _enable_lan(core, bind_all=True)
+    await core.nodes.apply_config()
+    try:
+        assert core.nodes.lan and core.nodes.lan.running
+        assert core.nodes.lan_host == "0.0.0.0"
+        status = core.nodes.lan_status()
+        assert status["bind_all"] is True  # surfaces the exposure warning in doctor and Settings
+    finally:
+        await core.nodes.lan.stop()