# Slice 10D core — identity-escrow round-trip + tunnel re-establishment: Findings

**Hosts:** "box1"/OLD = `demo-felhom` (192.168.0.162); "NEW box" = the build server (192.168.0.180).
Cloudflare zone `demo-felhom.eu` (per operator instruction — see the zone note in §2), tunnel
**`demo-minipc`** (`8b4edf48-…`). `cloudflared` 2026.6.0; `age` (filippo.io/age) scrypt+ChaCha20-Poly1305.
**Date:** 2026-06-10. **Driver:** SPIKE — validate the two unvalidated mechanisms under the 10D DR
capstone (identity-escrow round-trip + tunnel re-establishment) BEFORE speccing the orchestration.

> **REDACTED by policy.** No recovery code `R`, no Cloudflare **tunnel token**, no **API token**, no
> tunnel **connector secret**, no identity-bundle token values appear here — only mechanism, command
> *shapes*, and routing *behaviour*. Tunnel/zone/connector *identifiers* (non-secret) are shown. R +
> all tokens were staged to `0600` files, referenced by path, and **shredded at teardown**.

---

## 1. Phase S1 — identity-escrow round-trip (age over R) — **PASS**

The identity bundle `{tunnel_token, pbs_token}` is wrapped under a recovery code `R` and recovered on
a secret-less box — the K-escrow mechanism (slice 7/10C), applied to the identity bundle.

- **Crypto:** `age` with a **scrypt** passphrase recipient + **ChaCha20-Poly1305 AEAD** (the blob
  header is `age-encryption.org/v1` / `-> scrypt …`). No hand-rolled crypto — a vetted
  passphrase-AEAD, equivalent to `age -p`. `R` = a 10-word EFF-wordlist code (the slice-7 generator).
- **Wrap → recover:** `wrap(bundle, R) → identity.blob`; on a **fenced, secret-less fresh box** handed
  ONLY the blob + R, `unwrap(blob, R)` recovered the bundle **byte-identical** to the original
  (`sha256` match) — `tunnel_token` + `pbs_token` intact.
- **Negative (wrong R):** `unwrap(blob, WRONG-R)` **failed closed** — `incorrect passphrase`, **no
  plaintext emitted** (no file written). Identical fail-closed behaviour to the K-escrow's wrong-R.

**F-D1 — the identity bundle escrows exactly like `K`.** Same two-factor, zero-knowledge shape: the
blob is opaque without `R`; `R` is the only out-of-band secret. 10D can reuse the **10C `Consume`
pattern** (Unwrap → install) for the identity bundle, with `age` (or the PBS-key path) as the AEAD.

## 2. Phase S2 — tunnel re-establishment on a NEW box — **PASS (with a security caveat)**

**Zone note:** the operator directed the test to the `demo-felhom.eu` zone (the `sajatfelhom.hu`
throwaway zone resolved IPv6-only and was unreachable from the demo host). A **new** test subdomain
`dr-spike.demo-felhom.eu` was added (the live `*.demo-felhom.eu` wildcard + all other records were
**untouched**) and removed at teardown. The tunnel used was the demo's own `demo-minipc` — its live
connector was **down** (demo guests stopped), so no live traffic was displaced; this made it a
faithful "host X is back" test (X = the demo).

### Setup
- A `CNAME dr-spike.demo-felhom.eu → <tunnel-id>.cfargotunnel.com` (proxied) was created with the
  **zone-scoped** API token (DNS:Edit). The same token **lacked** Account `Cloudflare Tunnel:Edit`
  (`cfd_tunnel` → auth error) — so the tunnel's ingress config could not be set via the API.
- OLD box (162) + NEW box (180): each ran `cloudflared` with the **recovered tunnel token**, plus a
  distinguishable HTTPS origin ("OLD box" / "NEW box") behind the hostname the remote ingress expects.

### Results
- **Routing to the connector works.** `dr-spike.demo-felhom.eu` → Cloudflare edge → the tunnel →
  **the running connector** (the cloudflared log shows `dest=https://dr-spike.demo-felhom.eu/`
  arriving at the connector). The DNS CNAME → tunnel is **stable**; only the *connector* moves — **no
  DNS change is needed to move a hostname to a new box.**
- **New box takes over routing immediately.** With BOTH connectors up (OLD 162 + NEW 180), **14/14**
  requests served from **NEW**; **0** from OLD. Cloudflare routes to the most-recently-established
  connector.
- **Old connector is a HOT STANDBY, not auto-retired.** The OLD connector stayed **active +
  registered** (no unregister/lost events) while serving 0 traffic. On **stopping NEW**, traffic
  **fell back to OLD (6/6)** within seconds — so OLD was a live failover the whole time.

**F-D2 — a tunnel TOKEN carries the credentials, but a remotely-managed tunnel ignores local
ingress.** The base64 token decodes to `{AccountTag, TunnelID, TunnelSecret}` → a cloudflared
credentials file. BUT for a **remotely-managed** tunnel (dashboard/API config), cloudflared uses the
**REMOTE** ingress (here `originService=https://traefik`) and **ignores any local `config.yml`**. So
on DR the new box's connector serves the tunnel's **hub/dashboard-owned** ingress → the **origin
service (traefik/the app) must be running on the new box** (the restore orchestration brings it up;
the 502 here was only the missing origin, not a routing failure). Alternatively DR uses a
**locally-managed** tunnel (credentials file + local config) for full local ingress control.

**F-D3 — identity continuity is automatic on running the recovered token.** Recovered tunnel token →
run cloudflared on the new box → the customer's hostname routes to the new box, **no DNS edit, no
operator routing step.** This is the "the host is back as host X" mechanism.

**F-D4 / the load-bearing DR consequence — the OLD connector + token stay valid → 10D MUST rotate.**
Routing needs **no** explicit old-connector retirement (newest wins, old is standby). BUT the old
box's connector remains **registered and authenticated with the SAME tunnel token**, and the leaked
token still grants tunnel access. In **host-LOSS DR** (the old box is gone/untrusted/compromised),
that is a security gap: a recovered old box (or a leaked token) can silently **re-register and
co-serve** the customer's hostname. **10D must, after re-establishment, ROTATE the tunnel token (and
PBS token) and/or explicitly delete the stale connector** (`cleanup_connections` / the connector
DELETE API) — this needs an **Account `Cloudflare Tunnel:Edit` token**, which the geo-restriction
zone token does NOT have (the hub's CF credential placement, design-review S4, must cover tunnel +
connector management for DR, not just WAF).

### Gotchas (test-environment, not DR)
- **Split-horizon DNS:** the LAN pi-hole resolves `*.demo-felhom.eu → 192.168.0.162`, masking the
  Cloudflare edge from internal hosts. Tested via the real edge with `curl --resolve <host>:443:<CF-IP>`
  (CF IP from `dig @1.1.1.1`).
- **Origin TLS:** the remote ingress origin was `https://traefik`; the spike pointed `traefik →
  127.0.0.1` (`/etc/hosts`) at a self-signed HTTPS responder, which the remote config accepted (its
  `originRequest.noTLSVerify` is set for the internal traefik). On DR the new box must present the
  real origin.

## 3. GO / NO-GO

**GO** to spec **10D**. Both unvalidated mechanisms are proven:
1. The **identity bundle escrows + recovers exactly like `K`** (age scrypt+AEAD; wrong-R fails closed)
   → reuse the 10C `Consume` shape.
2. **Tunnel re-establishment is automatic**: run the recovered token on the new box → the customer's
   hostname routes there (no DNS step). The old connector is a hot standby, superseded in routing.

**The 10D spec MUST include (consequences of this spike):**
- **Identity-escrow CREATION at provisioning** (extend slice-7 escrow to also emit the identity blob:
  `{tunnel_token, pbs_token, …}` wrapped under the SAME `R`, or a sibling blob) — so DR has it.
- **Restore-mode consumption** of the identity blob (10C `Consume` pattern; `R` by hand) + install
  the tunnel/PBS tokens.
- **The new box must run the tunnel's expected origin** (restore orchestration brings up traefik/apps
  before/with the connector), OR DR uses a locally-managed tunnel config.
- **Cred ROTATION after re-establishment** (rotate tunnel + PBS tokens; delete the stale connector) —
  the security capstone for host-LOSS DR. Requires an **Account Cloudflare-Tunnel-scoped** credential
  on the hub (broader than the current WAF-only zone token).

## 4. Teardown (verify the live demo is untouched)
- **Connectors stopped + removed** on both boxes (cloudflared + the HTTPS/responder units); `cloudflared`
  binaries removed; `/etc/hosts` `traefik` entries removed.
- **DNS:** the throwaway `dr-spike.demo-felhom.eu` record **deleted**; the live `*.demo-felhom.eu`
  wildcard + all other records **untouched**; the `sajatfelhom.hu` test record (created then abandoned
  on the zone-switch) **deleted**.
- **Tunnel:** its **remote config was never modified** (the API token lacked `cfd_tunnel` permission) —
  so `demo-minipc` returns to exactly its prior state (no spike connectors; the demo's own connector
  reclaims it when the demo guest restarts).
- **Secrets shredded:** `R`, the identity bundle/blob, the tunnel token, the API token, the cloudflared
  credentials file (`AccountTag/TunnelID/TunnelSecret`), the throwaway `age` harness. No secret committed.

## Out of scope (note; don't build — → 10D spec)
- The recovery-mode toggle + re-enroll handshake + **cred rotation**.
- Identity-escrow **creation wired into provisioning** (slice-7 escrow extension).
- The **restore orchestration** (consume → pull → `RestoreLXC` → bring up origin → re-establish under identity).
