From ac90b4af3ec2dda337ebfe6a5acfe5e5c59f40b6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: pdxlocations <benlipsey@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2026 14:07:09 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Enhance remote admin verification to establish authorized
 sessions and update related tests

---
 contact/ui/contact_ui.py |  2 +-
 contact/ui/control_ui.py | 20 ++++++++++++--------
 tests/test_control_ui.py | 22 +++++++++++++++++-----
 3 files changed, 30 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)

diff --git a/contact/ui/contact_ui.py b/contact/ui/contact_ui.py
index 969ebe2..596a519 100644
--- a/contact/ui/contact_ui.py
+++ b/contact/ui/contact_ui.py
@@ -1187,7 +1187,7 @@ def handle_backtick(stdscr: curses.window) -> None:
         except RemoteAdminCancelled:
             logging.info("Remote admin request cancelled for %s", remote_node_num)
             remote_status(None)
-        except SystemExit as exc:
+        except (SystemExit, PermissionError) as exc:
             logging.warning("Remote admin was rejected for %s: %s", remote_node_num, exc)
             if wait_win is not None:
                 wait_win.erase()
diff --git a/contact/ui/control_ui.py b/contact/ui/control_ui.py
index 3605395..23206fd 100644
--- a/contact/ui/control_ui.py
+++ b/contact/ui/control_ui.py
@@ -321,18 +321,22 @@ def _request_remote_channels_with_timeout(node: object, cancel_callback=None) ->
 
 
 def verify_remote_admin(node: object, status_callback=None, cancel_callback=None) -> None:
-    """Confirm a remote node accepts admin requests before opening its menu.
+    """Establish and verify an authorized remote-admin session.
 
-    A single device-config request provides an authorization check without
-    eagerly downloading every radio and module setting.  The successful
-    response also seeds the first radio section the user may open.
+    Config reads alone are not a sufficient authorization check.  The
+    Meshtastic admin-session exchange only provides a session passkey when
+    the remote node accepts this client's administrative credentials.
     """
-    device_field = node.localConfig.DESCRIPTOR.fields_by_name.get("device")
-    if device_field is None:
-        raise RuntimeError("The remote node does not expose a device configuration section.")
     if status_callback:
         status_callback("Checking remote-admin permission…")
-    _request_remote_with_timeout(node.requestConfig, device_field, cancel_callback=cancel_callback)
+    _request_remote_with_timeout(node.ensureSessionKey, cancel_callback=cancel_callback)
+
+    try:
+        remote_session = node.iface._getOrCreateByNum(node.nodeNum).get("adminSessionPassKey")
+    except (AttributeError, TypeError):
+        remote_session = None
+    if not remote_session:
+        raise PermissionError("The selected node did not authorize this admin request.")
 
 
 def _request_remote_section(
diff --git a/tests/test_control_ui.py b/tests/test_control_ui.py
index 1a565ed..4eef06a 100644
--- a/tests/test_control_ui.py
+++ b/tests/test_control_ui.py
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ class ControlUiTests(unittest.TestCase):
         reconnect.assert_called_once_with(stdscr, interface)
         self.assertIs(result, new_interface)
 
-    def test_verify_remote_admin_requests_only_device_config(self) -> None:
-        device_field = object()
+    def test_verify_remote_admin_establishes_an_authorized_session(self) -> None:
         node = SimpleNamespace(
-            localConfig=SimpleNamespace(DESCRIPTOR=SimpleNamespace(fields_by_name={"device": device_field})),
-            requestConfig=mock.Mock(),
+            nodeNum=123,
+            ensureSessionKey=mock.Mock(),
+            iface=SimpleNamespace(_getOrCreateByNum=mock.Mock(return_value={"adminSessionPassKey": b"key"})),
         )
         status_callback = mock.Mock()
 
@@ -65,7 +65,19 @@ class ControlUiTests(unittest.TestCase):
             control_ui.verify_remote_admin(node, status_callback=status_callback)
 
         status_callback.assert_called_once_with("Checking remote-admin permission…")
-        request.assert_called_once_with(node.requestConfig, device_field, cancel_callback=None)
+        request.assert_called_once_with(node.ensureSessionKey, cancel_callback=None)
+        node.iface._getOrCreateByNum.assert_called_once_with(123)
+
+    def test_verify_remote_admin_rejects_missing_session_key(self) -> None:
+        node = SimpleNamespace(
+            nodeNum=123,
+            ensureSessionKey=mock.Mock(),
+            iface=SimpleNamespace(_getOrCreateByNum=mock.Mock(return_value={})),
+        )
+
+        with mock.patch.object(control_ui, "_request_remote_with_timeout"):
+            with self.assertRaises(PermissionError):
+                control_ui.verify_remote_admin(node)
 
     def test_redraw_main_ui_after_reconnect_refreshes_channels_nodes_and_layout(self) -> None:
         stdscr = mock.Mock()