FEATURE: Restrict profile visibility of low-trust users (#29981)

We've seen in some communities abuse of user profile where bios and other fields are used in malicious ways, such as malware distribution. A common pattern between all the abuse cases we've seen is that the malicious actors tend to have 0 posts and have a low trust level.

To eliminate this abuse vector, or at least make it much less effective, we're making the following changes to user profiles:

1. Anonymous, TL0 and TL1 users cannot see any user profiles for users with 0 posts except for staff users
2. Anonymous and TL0 users can only see profiles of TL1 users and above

Users can always see their own profile, and they can still hide their profiles via the "Hide my public profile" preference. Staff can always see any user's profile.

Internal topic: t/142853.

lib/guardian/user_guardian.rb

@@ -128,12 +128,21 @@ module UserGuardian
 
   def can_see_profile?(user)
     return false if user.blank?
-    return true if !SiteSetting.allow_users_to_hide_profile?
+    return true if is_me?(user) || is_staff?
 
-    # If a user has hidden their profile, restrict it to them and staff
-    return is_me?(user) || is_staff? if user.user_option.try(:hide_profile?)
+    profile_hidden = SiteSetting.allow_users_to_hide_profile && user.user_option&.hide_profile?
 
-    true
+    return true if user.staff? && !profile_hidden
+
+    if user.user_stat.blank? || user.user_stat.post_count == 0
+      return false if anonymous? || !@user.has_trust_level?(TrustLevel[2])
+    end
+
+    if anonymous? || !@user.has_trust_level?(TrustLevel[1])
+      return user.has_trust_level?(TrustLevel[1]) && !profile_hidden
+    end
+
+    !profile_hidden
   end
 
   def can_see_user_actions?(user, action_types)

plugins/chat/spec/system/user_profile_spec.rb

@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ RSpec.describe "User profile", type: :system do
   fab!(:current_user) { Fabricate(:user) }
   fab!(:user)
 
-  before { chat_system_bootstrap }
+  before do
+    user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1)
+    chat_system_bootstrap
+  end
 
   shared_examples "not showing chat button" do
     it "has no chat button" do

spec/lib/guardian/user_guardian_spec.rb

@@ -98,44 +98,175 @@ RSpec.describe UserGuardian do
   end
 
   describe "#can_see_profile?" do
+    fab!(:tl0_user) { Fabricate(:user, trust_level: 0) }
+    fab!(:tl1_user) { Fabricate(:user, trust_level: 1) }
+    fab!(:tl2_user) { Fabricate(:user, trust_level: 2) }
+
+    before { tl2_user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1) }
+
+    context "when viewing the profile of a user with 0 posts" do
+      before { user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 0) }
+
+      it "they can view their own profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(user).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "an anonymous user cannot view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new.can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(false)
+      end
+
+      it "a TL0 user cannot view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl0_user).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(false)
+      end
+
+      it "a TL1 user cannot view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl1_user).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(false)
+      end
+
+      it "a TL2 user can view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl2_user).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "a moderator can view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(moderator).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "an admin can view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      context "when the profile is hidden" do
+        before do
+          SiteSetting.allow_users_to_hide_profile = true
+          user.user_option.update!(hide_profile: true)
+        end
+
+        it "they can view their own profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(user).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
+        end
+
+        it "a TL2 user cannot view the user's profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(tl2_user).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(false)
+        end
+
+        it "a moderator can view the user's profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(moderator).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
+        end
+
+        it "an admin can view the user's profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when viewing the profile of a TL0 user with more than 0 posts" do
+      before { tl0_user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1) }
+
+      it "they can view their own profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl0_user).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "an anonymous user cannot view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new.can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(false)
+      end
+
+      it "a TL0 user cannot view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(Fabricate(:user, trust_level: 0)).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(
+          false,
+        )
+      end
+
+      it "a TL1 user can view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl1_user).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "a TL2 user can view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl2_user).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "a moderator user can view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(moderator).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "an admin user can view the user's profile" do
+        expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      context "when the profile is hidden" do
+        before do
+          SiteSetting.allow_users_to_hide_profile = true
+          tl0_user.user_option.update!(hide_profile: true)
+        end
+
+        it "they can view their own profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(tl0_user).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+        end
+
+        it "a TL1 user cannot view the user's profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(tl1_user).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(false)
+        end
+
+        it "a TL2 user cannot view the user's profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(tl2_user).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(false)
+        end
+
+        it "a moderator user can view the user's profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(moderator).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+        end
+
+        it "an admin user can view the user's profile" do
+          expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(tl0_user)).to eq(true)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when the allow_users_to_hide_profile setting is false" do
+      before { SiteSetting.allow_users_to_hide_profile = false }
+
+      it "doesn't hide the profile even if the hide_profile user option is true" do
+        tl2_user.user_option.update!(hide_profile: true)
+
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl0_user).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl1_user).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+        expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+        expect(Guardian.new(moderator).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when the allow_users_to_hide_profile setting is true" do
+      before { SiteSetting.allow_users_to_hide_profile = true }
+
+      it "doesn't allow non-staff users to view the user's profile if the hide_profile user option is true" do
+        tl2_user.user_option.update!(hide_profile: true)
+
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl0_user).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(false)
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl1_user).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(false)
+
+        expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+        expect(Guardian.new(moderator).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "allows everyone to view the user's profile if the hide_profile user option is false" do
+        tl2_user.user_option.update!(hide_profile: false)
+
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl0_user).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+        expect(Guardian.new(tl1_user).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+
+        expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+        expect(Guardian.new(moderator).can_see_profile?(tl2_user)).to eq(true)
+      end
+    end
+
     it "is false for no user" do
       expect(Guardian.new.can_see_profile?(nil)).to eq(false)
     end
 
-    it "is true for a user whose profile is public" do
-      expect(Guardian.new.can_see_profile?(user)).to eq(true)
-    end
+    it "is true for staff users even when they have no posts" do
+      admin.user_stat.update!(post_count: 0)
+      moderator.user_stat.update!(post_count: 0)
 
-    context "with hidden profile" do
-      # Mixing Fabricate.build() and Fabricate() could cause ID clashes, so override :user
-      fab!(:user)
-
-      let(:hidden_user) do
-        result = Fabricate(:user)
-        result.user_option.update_column(:hide_profile, true)
-        result
-      end
-
-      it "is false for another user" do
-        expect(Guardian.new(user).can_see_profile?(hidden_user)).to eq(false)
-      end
-
-      it "is false for an anonymous user" do
-        expect(Guardian.new.can_see_profile?(hidden_user)).to eq(false)
-      end
-
-      it "is true for the user themselves" do
-        expect(Guardian.new(hidden_user).can_see_profile?(hidden_user)).to eq(true)
-      end
-
-      it "is true for a staff user" do
-        expect(Guardian.new(admin).can_see_profile?(hidden_user)).to eq(true)
-      end
-
-      it "is true if hiding profiles is disabled" do
-        SiteSetting.allow_users_to_hide_profile = false
-        expect(Guardian.new(user).can_see_profile?(hidden_user)).to eq(true)
-      end
+      expect(Guardian.new.can_see_profile?(admin)).to eq(true)
+      expect(Guardian.new.can_see_profile?(moderator)).to eq(true)
     end
   end
 

spec/requests/list_controller_spec.rb

@@ -905,7 +905,10 @@ RSpec.describe ListController do
     fab!(:topic2) { Fabricate(:topic, user: user) }
     fab!(:user2) { Fabricate(:user) }
 
-    before { sign_in(user2) }
+    before do
+      user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1)
+      sign_in(user2)
+    end
 
     it "should respond with a list" do
       get "/topics/created-by/#{user.username}.json"

spec/requests/posts_controller_spec.rb

@@ -2578,6 +2578,8 @@ RSpec.describe PostsController do
   end
 
   describe "#user_posts_feed" do
+    before { user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1) }
+
     it "returns public posts rss feed" do
       public_post
       private_post

spec/requests/user_actions_controller_spec.rb

@@ -19,7 +19,10 @@ RSpec.describe UserActionsController do
       let(:actions) { response.parsed_body["user_actions"] }
       let(:post) { create_post }
 
-      before { UserActionManager.enable }
+      before do
+        UserActionManager.enable
+        post.user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1)
+      end
 
       it "renders list correctly" do
         user_actions

spec/requests/user_badges_controller_spec.rb

@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ RSpec.describe UserBadgesController do
   fab!(:admin)
   fab!(:badge)
 
+  before { user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1) }
+
   describe "#index" do
     fab!(:badge) { Fabricate(:badge, target_posts: true, show_posts: false) }
 

spec/requests/users_controller_spec.rb

@@ -4252,6 +4252,12 @@ RSpec.describe UsersController do
   end
 
   describe "#summary" do
+    before do
+      user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1)
+      user1.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1)
+      user_deferred.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1)
+    end
+
     it "generates summary info" do
       create_post(user: user)
 
@@ -4261,7 +4267,7 @@ RSpec.describe UsersController do
       json = response.parsed_body
 
       expect(json["user_summary"]["topic_count"]).to eq(1)
-      expect(json["user_summary"]["post_count"]).to eq(0)
+      expect(json["user_summary"]["post_count"]).to eq(1)
     end
 
     context "when `hide_user_profiles_from_public` site setting is enabled" do
@@ -4938,6 +4944,8 @@ RSpec.describe UsersController do
     fab!(:user) { Discourse.system_user }
     fab!(:user2) { Fabricate(:user) }
 
+    before { user2.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1) }
+
     it "returns success" do
       get "/user-cards.json?user_ids=#{user.id},#{user2.id}"
       expect(response.status).to eq(200)

spec/serializers/user_serializer_spec.rb

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 RSpec.describe UserSerializer do
   fab!(:user) { Fabricate(:user, trust_level: 0) }
 
+  before { user.user_stat.update!(post_count: 1) }
+
   context "with a TL0 user seen as anonymous" do
     let(:serializer) { UserSerializer.new(user, scope: Guardian.new, root: false) }
     let(:json) { serializer.as_json }