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Change the default value of activitypub_rfc9421_signature from false to true. The modern HTTP Message Signature standard (RFC 9421) is now used by default instead of being opt-in. This is safe because the plugin already has graceful fallback: if RFC 9421 fails (4xx response), it automatically retries with Draft Cavage signature and caches incompatible hosts for one month.
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Pull request overview
This PR enables RFC 9421 (HTTP Message Signatures) by default for ActivityPub federation, changing from an opt-in to an opt-out configuration. The change maintains backward compatibility through automatic fallback to Draft Cavage signatures on 4xx responses.
Changes:
- Modified the default value for RFC-9421 signature setting from
falsetotrue - Added changelog entry documenting this configuration change
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| includes/class-options.php | Changed default value of RFC-9421 signature option to enable it by default |
| .github/changelog/2859-from-description | Added changelog entry for the configuration change |
The existing pattern uses string comparison with '1', so pass '1' as the default to get_option() to ensure the setting is enabled when the option doesn't exist in the database.
The test_verify_http_signature_with_digest test was designed for Draft Cavage signatures. With RFC 9421 now enabled by default, explicitly disable it for this test since it doesn't set the $_SERVER variables needed for RFC 9421 verification.
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Let's enable it by default. The option has been pretty hidden and we've not received any feedback on the feature so far.
It's been working on activitypub.blog (while it was on), so let's default it to true and see what breaks.
Proposed changes:
Other information:
The existing test coverage applies — this only changes the default value.
Testing instructions:
Changelog entry
Changelog Entry Details
Significance
Type
Message
Enable RFC 9421 HTTP Message Signatures by default.