I don't understand how MITM could happen here? I'd assume that the server process would create the UNIX socket and then somehow open the path to the socket in the browser (or print a URL which a user can paste). If another process already has a UNIX socket at that path then surely the server process would just error?
I think using a UNIX socket instead of a TCP server for local HTTP development would be extremely useful. It solves most of the problems associated with creating a local TCP server (which everyone already does) without introducing new problems.
When listening on localhost on an unprivileged TCP port any other process could open the port first and provide a similar UI. Opening the port may even trigger the original process to chose another free port and the malicious software could take the requests from the users browser on the usual port and forward them to the new port.
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I don't understand how MITM could happen here? I'd assume that the server process would create the UNIX socket and then somehow open the path to the socket in the browser (or print a URL which a user can paste). If another process already has a UNIX socket at that path then surely the server process would just error?
I think using a UNIX socket instead of a TCP server for local HTTP development would be extremely useful. It solves most of the problems associated with creating a local TCP server (which everyone already does) without introducing new problems.
When listening on localhost on an unprivileged TCP port any other process could open the port first and provide a similar UI. Opening the port may even trigger the original process to chose another free port and the malicious software could take the requests from the users browser on the usual port and forward them to the new port.
UNIX sockets would of course solve this issue.