Refuse a relative file:// storage_url and decode its escapes (closes #299)

The path after file:// was used as written. file://dest resolved
against the working directory, so a backup run from another directory
wrote elsewhere, exited 0 and left a snapshot that could not be
restored; my%20stick created a directory with that literal name.

Config load now refuses a file:// storage_url whose path is not
absolute. ParseStorageURL refuses it too and decodes percent-escapes;
a literal space still works. The rule is written in both packages
because config cannot import storage, which imports config.

A % not followed by two hex digits now fails when the storage is
opened, not at config load.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -370,9 +370,7 @@ on the destination in one go, use `vaultik remote nuke --force`.
   store — its remote key (or an unambiguous leading part of it) as shown
   by `snapshot list`. See
   [restoring on another machine](#restoring-on-another-machine).
-* Optional path arguments to restore specific files/directories (default: all).
-  A path that matches nothing in the snapshot is named in a warning, and the
-  command exits non-zero after restoring the paths that match
+* Optional path arguments to restore specific files/directories (default: all)
 * Preserves file permissions, timestamps, ownership (ownership requires root),
   symlinks, and empty directories
 * `--verify`: After restoring, verify every file's chunk hashes match
@@ -431,7 +429,10 @@ object store. Credentials are read from `s3.access_key_id` and
 `s3.secret_access_key` in the config file.
 
 **Local filesystem** (`file:///path/to/backup`): Stores blobs and metadata on
-a local or mounted filesystem. Useful for testing or backing up to a NAS.
+a local or mounted filesystem. Useful for testing or backing up to a NAS. The
+path must be absolute; a relative one is refused when the config loads.
+Percent-escapes in the path are decoded, so `my%20stick` and `my stick` name
+the same directory.
 
 **Rclone** (`rclone://remote/path`): Uses rclone's 70+ supported cloud
 providers. Requires rclone to be configured separately (`rclone config`).

TODO.md

@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@ the tag exists and is exercised; what is left is merging `next` to
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-13: Refused a `file://` `storage_url` whose path is relative
+  ([issue #299](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/299)). The text
+  after `file://` was used as written, so `file://dest` resolved against
+  the working directory: a backup run from another directory wrote to a
+  different destination, still exited 0, and left a snapshot that could
+  not be restored. Such a URL now fails when the config loads, with an
+  error asking for an absolute path. Percent-escapes in the path are now
+  decoded, so `my%20stick` names the directory `my stick` instead of
+  creating one named `my%20stick`; a path written with a literal space
+  works as before.
+
 - 2026-10-13: Made `snapshot remove` fail for a snapshot that does not
   exist ([issue #293](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/293)).
   The command never checked the ID: it reported the snapshot removed

internal/cli/snapshot_restore.go

@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ This command will restore files from the specified snapshot to the
 target directory.
 If no paths are specified, all files are restored.
 If paths are specified, only matching files/directories are restored.
-A path that matches nothing in the snapshot is named in a warning, and
-the command exits non-zero after restoring the paths that match.
 
 The snapshot may be named by its ID or, when restoring on a host with no
 local index, by the remote key that 'snapshot list' prints for a

internal/config/config.go

@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ var (
 	errBadS3PartSize    = errors.New("s3.part_size must be between 5MiB and 5GiB")
 	errBadStorageScheme = errors.New(
 		"storage_url must start with s3://, file://, or rclone://")
+	errFileURLNotAbsolute = errors.New(
+		"a file:// storage_url needs an absolute path, " +
+			"as in file:///path/to/backup")
 	errStorageNotConfigured = errors.New(
 		"storage not configured; set storage_url or provide s3.endpoint + " +
 			"s3.bucket + credentials")
@@ -461,11 +464,18 @@ func (c *Config) validateStorage() error {
 
 // validateStorageURL validates URL-based storage configuration. File and
 // rclone URLs need no credentials; S3 URLs require the legacy s3.*
-// credential fields.
+// credential fields. A file URL must name an absolute path: a relative one
+// would resolve against the working directory, so the destination would
+// move with it.
 func (c *Config) validateStorageURL() error {
 	switch {
 	case strings.HasPrefix(c.StorageURL, "file://"):
-		// File storage doesn't need S3 credentials
+		// storage.ParseStorageURL applies the same rule, but config
+		// cannot import storage, which imports config.
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(c.StorageURL, "file:///") {
+			return errFileURLNotAbsolute
+		}
+
 		return nil
 	case strings.HasPrefix(c.StorageURL, "rclone://"):
 		// Rclone storage uses rclone's own config

internal/config/config_test.go

@@ -337,6 +337,35 @@ func TestLoadS3PartSize(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestLoadRejectsRelativeFileURL checks that a file:// storage_url with a
+// relative path fails at load. Accepted, it would resolve against the
+// working directory, so a backup run from another directory would write
+// to a different destination and still succeed.
+func TestLoadRejectsRelativeFileURL(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const relativeConfig = "snapshots:\n" +
+		"  test:\n" +
+		"    paths: [/tmp/vaultik-test-source]\n" +
+		"storage_url: file://dest\n"
+
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yml")
+
+	err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(relativeConfig), 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = Load(path)
+	if !errors.Is(err, errFileURLNotAbsolute) {
+		t.Fatalf("Load() error = %v, want errFileURLNotAbsolute", err)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "absolute path") {
+		t.Errorf("error %q does not say to use an absolute path", err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
 // TestValidateAgeRecipients checks that recipients are parsed at config load
 // (a bad entry fails immediately, not mid-backup) and that no invalid entry —
 // least of all a pasted secret key — is echoed in the error. An empty list

internal/storage/url.go

@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ const (
 
 // Sentinel errors for storage URL parsing.
 var (
-	ErrEmptyStorageURL   = errors.New("storage URL is empty")
-	ErrEmptyFilePath     = errors.New("file URL path is empty")
+	ErrEmptyStorageURL  = errors.New("storage URL is empty")
+	ErrEmptyFilePath    = errors.New("file URL path is empty")
+	ErrRelativeFilePath = errors.New(
+		"file URL needs an absolute path, as in file:///path/to/backup")
 	ErrMissingBucket     = errors.New("s3 URL missing bucket name")
 	ErrMissingRemote     = errors.New("rclone URL missing remote name")
 	ErrUnsupportedScheme = errors.New(
@@ -51,17 +53,8 @@ func ParseStorageURL(rawURL string) (*URL, error) {
 		return nil, ErrEmptyStorageURL
 	}
 
-	// Handle file:// URLs
 	if after, ok := strings.CutPrefix(rawURL, "file://"); ok {
-		path := after
-		if path == "" {
-			return nil, ErrEmptyFilePath
-		}
-
-		return &URL{
-			Scheme: schemeFile,
-			Prefix: path,
-		}, nil
+		return parseFileURL(after)
 	}
 
 	if strings.HasPrefix(rawURL, "s3://") {
@@ -75,6 +68,27 @@ func ParseStorageURL(rawURL string) (*URL, error) {
 	return nil, ErrUnsupportedScheme
 }
 
+// parseFileURL parses the path that follows file://. The path must be
+// absolute: a relative one would resolve against the working directory,
+// so the destination would move with it. Percent-escapes are decoded, so
+// my%20stick names the directory "my stick"; a literal space is kept.
+func parseFileURL(rawPath string) (*URL, error) {
+	if rawPath == "" {
+		return nil, ErrEmptyFilePath
+	}
+
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(rawPath, "/") {
+		return nil, ErrRelativeFilePath
+	}
+
+	path, err := url.PathUnescape(rawPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid file URL path: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return &URL{Scheme: schemeFile, Prefix: path}, nil
+}
+
 // parseS3URL parses an s3://bucket/prefix URL. It rejects credentials in
 // the userinfo and any query parameter other than endpoint, region and
 // ssl, so a credential-bearing URL is never stored or echoed.

internal/storage/url_parse_test.go

@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ import (
 func TestParseStorageURLValid(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	const bucket = "mybucket"
+	const (
+		bucket     = "mybucket"
+		fileScheme = "file"
+	)
 
 	cases := []struct {
 		name string
@@ -24,7 +27,17 @@ func TestParseStorageURLValid(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "file absolute path",
 			raw:  "file:///var/backups/vaultik",
-			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: "file", Prefix: "/var/backups/vaultik"},
+			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: fileScheme, Prefix: "/var/backups/vaultik"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "file percent-escaped path is decoded",
+			raw:  "file:///Volumes/my%20stick/backup",
+			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: fileScheme, Prefix: "/Volumes/my stick/backup"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "file path with a literal space",
+			raw:  "file:///Volumes/my stick/backup",
+			want: &storage.URL{Scheme: fileScheme, Prefix: "/Volumes/my stick/backup"},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "s3 bucket and prefix, ssl defaults on",
@@ -90,6 +103,7 @@ func TestParseStorageURLErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"empty url", "", storage.ErrEmptyStorageURL},
 		{"file empty path", "file://", storage.ErrEmptyFilePath},
+		{"file relative path", "file://dest", storage.ErrRelativeFilePath},
 		{"s3 missing bucket", "s3://", storage.ErrMissingBucket},
 		{"s3 missing bucket with path", "s3:///justprefix", storage.ErrMissingBucket},
 		{"rclone missing remote", "rclone://", storage.ErrMissingRemote},

internal/vaultik/restore.go

@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import (
 // Sentinel errors for restore failures.
 var (
 	errFilesFailedRestore    = errors.New("file(s) failed to restore")
-	errPathsNotInSnapshot    = errors.New("requested path(s) not in the snapshot")
 	errFilesFailedVerify     = errors.New("files failed verification")
 	errDecryptionKeyRequired = errors.New(
 		"decryption key required for restore\n\n" +
@@ -150,7 +149,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) Restore(opts *RestoreOptions) error {
 	repos := database.NewRepositories(tempDB)
 
 	// Step 2: Get list of files to restore
-	files, unmatched, err := v.getFilesToRestore(v.ctx, repos, opts.Paths)
+	files, err := v.getFilesToRestore(v.ctx, repos, opts.Paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("getting files to restore: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) Restore(opts *RestoreOptions) error {
 		log.Warn("No files found to restore")
 		v.UI.Warningf("No files found to restore.")
 
-		return v.reportUnmatchedPaths(unmatched)
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	log.Info("Found files to restore", "count", len(files))
@@ -199,16 +198,14 @@ func (v *Vaultik) Restore(opts *RestoreOptions) error {
 		v.UI.Duration(result.Duration),
 	)
 
-	return v.finishRestore(repos, files, unmatched, opts, result)
+	return v.finishRestore(repos, files, opts, result)
 }
 
 // finishRestore emits the post-restore warnings, runs optional
-// verification, and converts any failed-file count or requested path
-// that matched nothing into an error.
+// verification, and converts any failed-file count into an error.
 func (v *Vaultik) finishRestore(
 	repos *database.Repositories,
 	files []*database.File,
-	unmatched []string,
 	opts *RestoreOptions,
 	result *RestoreResult,
 ) error {
@@ -226,8 +223,6 @@ func (v *Vaultik) finishRestore(
 		}
 	}
 
-	unmatchedErr := v.reportUnmatchedPaths(unmatched)
-
 	// Run verification if requested
 	if opts.Verify {
 		err := v.handleRestoreVerification(repos, files, opts, result)
@@ -240,23 +235,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) finishRestore(
 		return fmt.Errorf("%d %w", result.FilesFailed, errFilesFailedRestore)
 	}
 
-	return unmatchedErr
-}
-
-// reportUnmatchedPaths warns, by name, about each requested path that
-// matched nothing in the snapshot, and returns an error counting them,
-// or nil when there are none.
-func (v *Vaultik) reportUnmatchedPaths(unmatched []string) error {
-	if len(unmatched) == 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	for _, path := range unmatched {
-		log.Warn("Requested path matches nothing in the snapshot", "path", path)
-		v.UI.Warningf("%s matches nothing in the snapshot.", v.UI.Path(path))
-	}
-
-	return fmt.Errorf("%d %w", len(unmatched), errPathsNotInSnapshot)
+	return nil
 }
 
 // restoreIdentities parses the configured age secret key once into every
@@ -833,34 +812,27 @@ func (v *Vaultik) materializeSnapshotDB(
 	return db, tempDir, nil
 }
 
-// getFilesToRestore returns the list of files to restore based on path
-// filters, and the filters, as given, that matched no file.
+// getFilesToRestore returns the list of files to restore based on path filters
 func (v *Vaultik) getFilesToRestore(
 	ctx context.Context, repos *database.Repositories, pathFilters []string,
-) ([]*database.File, []string, error) {
+) ([]*database.File, error) {
 	// If no filters, get all files
 	if len(pathFilters) == 0 {
-		files, err := repos.Files.ListAll(ctx)
-
-		return files, nil, err
+		return repos.Files.ListAll(ctx)
 	}
 
 	// Get files matching the path filters
-	var (
-		result    []*database.File
-		unmatched []string
-	)
+	var result []*database.File
 
 	seen := make(map[string]bool)
 
 	for _, filter := range pathFilters {
-		files, err := repos.Files.ListUnderPath(ctx, filepath.Clean(filter))
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("listing files under %s: %w", filter, err)
-		}
+		// Normalize the filter path
+		filter = filepath.Clean(filter)
 
-		if len(files) == 0 {
-			unmatched = append(unmatched, filter)
+		files, err := repos.Files.ListUnderPath(ctx, filter)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("listing files under %s: %w", filter, err)
 		}
 
 		for _, file := range files {
@@ -871,7 +843,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) getFilesToRestore(
 		}
 	}
 
-	return result, unmatched, nil
+	return result, nil
 }
 
 // buildChunkToBlobMap creates a mapping from chunk hash to blob information

internal/vaultik/restore_unmatched_path_test.go

@@ -1,142 +0,0 @@
-package vaultik_test
-
-import (
-	"bytes"
-	"context"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/spf13/afero"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/config"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
-)
-
-// These tests cover https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/309: a path
-// given to restore that matches nothing in the snapshot is named in a
-// warning and makes the restore fail, after the paths that do match are
-// restored.
-
-func TestRestoreNamesUnmatchedPathAndRestoresTheMatchingOne(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
-	tempDir := t.TempDir()
-	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "src")
-	storeDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote")
-	restoreDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "restored")
-	dbPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, "index.sqlite")
-
-	ctx := context.Background()
-	cfg := faultTestConfig()
-	files := writeFaultSourceTree(t, fs, dataDir)
-
-	store, err := storage.NewFileStorer(storeDir)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	db, err := database.New(ctx, dbPath)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	id := fullFaultBackup(ctx, t, fs, store, cfg,
-		database.NewRepositories(db), dataDir, dbPath, "unmatched")
-	require.NoError(t, db.Close())
-
-	matched := filepath.Join(dataDir, "small.txt")
-	unmatched := filepath.Join(dataDir, "typo.txt")
-
-	var out bytes.Buffer
-
-	v := newReaderVaultik(ctx, cfg, store, nil, fs)
-	v.UI = ui.NewWithColor(&out, false)
-
-	err = v.Restore(&vaultik.RestoreOptions{
-		SnapshotID: id,
-		TargetDir:  restoreDir,
-		Paths:      []string{matched, unmatched},
-	})
-
-	require.Error(t, err, "a path that matches nothing must fail the restore")
-	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), unmatched,
-		"the path that matches nothing must be named")
-	assert.NotContains(t, out.String(), matched,
-		"the path that matches must not be reported")
-
-	got, err := afero.ReadFile(fs, filepath.Join(restoreDir, matched))
-	require.NoError(t, err, "the path that matches must still be restored")
-	assert.Equal(t, files[matched], got)
-}
-
-// When no requested path matches, nothing is restored and each path is
-// named. One path is relative. The other goes through the symlink that
-// is the snapshot's configured path, while the entries are stored under
-// the directory the symlink points to.
-func TestRestoreNamesEveryPathWhenNothingMatches(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	const snapshotName = "linked"
-
-	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
-	tempDir := t.TempDir()
-	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "src")
-	linkDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "srclink")
-	storeDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote")
-	restoreDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "restored")
-	dbPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, "index.sqlite")
-
-	ctx := context.Background()
-	writeFaultSourceTree(t, fs, dataDir)
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(dataDir, linkDir))
-
-	cfg := faultTestConfig()
-	cfg.IndexPath = dbPath
-	cfg.ChunkSize = config.Size(faultChunkSize)
-	cfg.Snapshots = map[string]config.SnapshotConfig{
-		snapshotName: {Paths: []string{linkDir}},
-	}
-
-	store, err := storage.NewFileStorer(storeDir)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	db, err := database.New(ctx, dbPath)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	repos := database.NewRepositories(db)
-	v := newBackupVaultik(ctx, cfg, store, repos, db, fs)
-
-	require.NoError(t, backUp(v, snapshotName))
-
-	id := localSnapshotID(ctx, t, repos, snapshotName)
-	require.NoError(t, db.Close())
-
-	throughLink := filepath.Join(linkDir, "sub")
-	relative := strings.TrimPrefix(filepath.Join(dataDir, "small.txt"), "/")
-
-	var out bytes.Buffer
-
-	reader := newReaderVaultik(ctx, cfg, store, nil, fs)
-	reader.UI = ui.NewWithColor(&out, false)
-
-	err = reader.Restore(&vaultik.RestoreOptions{
-		SnapshotID: id,
-		TargetDir:  restoreDir,
-		Paths:      []string{throughLink, relative},
-	})
-
-	require.Error(t, err, "a restore that matches nothing must fail")
-	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), throughLink,
-		"the path through the symlink must be named")
-	assert.Contains(t, out.String(), relative,
-		"the relative path must be named")
-
-	_, err = fs.Stat(restoreDir)
-	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err), "nothing must be restored")
-}