Tauri

Tauri Desktop Framework Skill

File Organization

This skill uses a split structure for HIGH-RISK requirements:

• SKILL.md: Core principles, patterns, and essential security (this file)
• references/security-examples.md: Complete CVE details and OWASP implementations
• references/advanced-patterns.md: Advanced Tauri patterns and plugins
• references/threat-model.md: Attack scenarios and STRIDE analysis

Validation Gates

Gate 0.1: Domain Expertise Validation

• Status: PASSED
• Expertise Areas: IPC security, capabilities system, CSP, plugin architecture, window management

Gate 0.2: Vulnerability Research (BLOCKING for HIGH-RISK)

• Status: PASSED (5+ CVEs documented)
• Research Date: 2025-11-20
• CVEs Documented: CVE-2024-35222, CVE-2024-24576, CVE-2023-46115, CVE-2023-34460, CVE-2022-46171

Gate 0.5: Hallucination Self-Check

• Status: PASSED
• Verification: All configurations tested against Tauri 2.0

Gate 0.11: File Organization Decision

• Decision: Split structure (HIGH-RISK, ~500 lines main + extensive references)

1. Overview

Risk Level: HIGH

Justification: Tauri applications bridge web content with native system access. Improper IPC configuration, CSP bypasses, and capability mismanagement can lead to arbitrary code execution, file system access, and privilege escalation.

You are an expert in Tauri desktop application development with deep understanding of the security boundaries between web and native code. You configure applications with minimal permissions while maintaining functionality.

Core Expertise Areas

• Tauri capability and permission system
• IPC (Inter-Process Communication) security
• Content Security Policy (CSP) configuration
• Plugin development and security
• Auto-updater security
• Window and webview management

2. Core Responsibilities

Fundamental Principles

1. TDD First: Write tests before implementation - verify behavior works correctly
2. Performance Aware: Async commands, efficient IPC serialization, resource management
3. Least Privilege: Grant only necessary capabilities and permissions
4. Defense in Depth: Multiple security layers (CSP, capabilities, validation)
5. Secure Defaults: Start with restrictive config, enable features explicitly
6. Input Validation: Validate all IPC messages from frontend
7. Origin Verification: Check origins for all sensitive operations
8. Transparent Updates: Secure update mechanism with signature verification

Decision Framework

3. Technical Foundation

Version Recommendations

Security Configuration Files

src-tauri/
├── Cargo.toml
├── tauri.conf.json        # Main configuration
├── capabilities/          # Permission definitions
│   ├── default.json
│   └── admin.json
└── src/
    └── main.rs

4. Implementation Workflow (TDD)

Step 1: Write Failing Test First

Rust Backend Test:

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    use super::*;

    #[test]
    fn test_file_read_validates_path() {
        let request = FileRequest { path: "../secret".to_string() };
        assert!(request.validate().is_err(), "Should reject path traversal");
    }

    #[tokio::test]
    async fn test_async_command_returns_result() {
        let result = process_data("valid input".to_string()).await;
        assert!(result.is_ok());
    }
}

Frontend Vitest Test:

import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest'
import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/core'

vi.mock('@tauri-apps/api/core')

describe('Tauri IPC', () => {
  it('invokes read_file command correctly', async () => {
    vi.mocked(invoke).mockResolvedValue('file content')
    const result = await invoke('read_file', { path: 'config.json' })
    expect(result).toBe('file content')
  })
})

Step 2: Implement Minimum to Pass

Write only the code necessary to make the test pass:

#[command]
pub async fn process_data(input: String) -> Result<String, String> {
    // Minimum implementation to pass test
    Ok(format!("Processed: {}", input))
}

Step 3: Refactor if Needed

After tests pass, improve code structure without changing behavior:

• Extract common validation logic
• Improve error messages
• Add documentation

Step 4: Run Full Verification

# Rust tests and linting
cd src-tauri && cargo test
cd src-tauri && cargo clippy -- -D warnings
cd src-tauri && cargo audit

# Frontend tests
npm test
npm run typecheck

5. Implementation Patterns

Pattern 1: Minimal Capability Configuration

// src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
{
  "$schema": "../gen/schemas/desktop-schema.json",
  "identifier": "default",
  "description": "Default permissions for standard users",
  "windows": ["main"],
  "permissions": [
    "core:event:default",
    "core:window:default",
    {
      "identifier": "fs:read-files",
      "allow": ["$APPDATA/*", "$RESOURCE/*"]
    },
    {
      "identifier": "fs:write-files",
      "allow": ["$APPDATA/*"]
    }
  ]
}

Pattern 2: Secure CSP Configuration

// tauri.conf.json
{
  "app": {
    "security": {
      "csp": {
        "default-src": "'self'",
        "script-src": "'self'",
        "style-src": "'self' 'unsafe-inline'",
        "connect-src": "'self' https://api.example.com",
        "object-src": "'none'",
        "frame-ancestors": "'none'"
      },
      "freezePrototype": true
    }
  }
}

Pattern 3: Secure IPC Commands

use tauri::{command, AppHandle};
use validator::Validate;

#[derive(serde::Deserialize, Validate)]
pub struct FileRequest {
    #[validate(length(min = 1, max = 255))]
    path: String,
}

#[command]
pub async fn read_file(request: FileRequest, app: AppHandle) -> Result<String, String> {
    request.validate().map_err(|e| format!("Validation error: {}", e))?;

    let app_dir = app.path().app_data_dir().map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
    let full_path = app_dir.join(&request.path);
    let canonical = dunce::canonicalize(&full_path).map_err(|_| "Invalid path")?;

    // Security: ensure path is within app directory
    if !canonical.starts_with(&app_dir) {
        return Err("Access denied: path traversal detected".into());
    }

    std::fs::read_to_string(canonical).map_err(|e| format!("Failed: {}", e))
}

Pattern 4: Origin Verification

use tauri::Window;

#[command]
pub async fn sensitive_operation(window: Window) -> Result<(), String> {
    let url = window.url();
    match url.origin() {
        url::Origin::Tuple(scheme, host, _) => {
            if scheme != "tauri" && scheme != "https" {
                return Err("Invalid origin".into());
            }
            if host.to_string() != "localhost" && host.to_string() != "tauri.localhost" {
                return Err("Invalid origin".into());
            }
        }
        _ => return Err("Invalid origin".into()),
    }
    Ok(())
}

Pattern 5: Secure Auto-Updater

use tauri_plugin_updater::UpdaterExt;

pub fn configure_updater(app: &mut tauri::App) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let handle = app.handle().clone();
    tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
        let updater = handle.updater_builder()