Wordpress-ios: Notifications: 2FA login push notification sometimes does not trigger in-app confirmation prompt

[rachelmcr]

Expected behavior

I expect that if I am logged in to my account with 2FA in the app, and I try to log in to that account on the web, I'll be prompted with a 2FA push notification about the login attempt. When I tap the push notification, I'll be taken to a confirmation prompt in the app where I can ignore or approve the login.

Actual behavior

Sometimes, tapping the push notification opens the app but does not display the confirmation prompt so I can't ignore or approve the web login.

This was reported by an a8c tester with WP Internal and I reproduced it with WP Internal. I haven't confirmed if it happens with the app store version. I noticed that the logs for both reports (mine and the other tester) show Received push notification twice for the push_auth notification.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

We don't have exact steps to reproduce, but these are the steps used when it happened:

1. Start logged in to the app with a WordPress.com account with 2FA. Ensure you have push notifications enabled on your device.
2. On the web, log in to the same account. At the 2FA step, you should see a message that a push notification was sent to your device for 2FA.
3. When the push notification arrives, tap it.

Result: Sometimes the app opens with the confirmation prompt, but sometimes the app opens and no confirmation prompt appears.

Reported at p4a5px-2v0-p2 on iPhone X, iOS 13.3, WP Internal beta

Reproduced on [iPhone XS], iOS [13.3], WPiOS [14.20.20200210]

[thehenrybyrd]

I have had this experience as well - either receiving the push notification but no in-app confirmation, or not receiving the push notification at all. Will keep an eye out for more cases.

[sarahfg]

There is another report here https://woothemes.zendesk.com/agent/tickets/2946401 from Android WP app v14.7.1. #2946401-zen

[UPDATE from Sheri: the support request in 2946401 was a different bug where the "Approve" option appeared but tapping on it did not work (now fixed on the server side via https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/pull/42504 which Eli noted earlier in another comment). 👍 This bug is different, it's a case where the "Approve" button never appeared.]

[elibud]

This has been fixed here: https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/pull/42504. @thehenrybyrd since you could replicate, can you verify and close the issue if it's no longer a problem? Thanks.

[scosgro]

@elibud and @thehenrybyrd - Another report in 2992136-zd

[elibud]

@scosgro that user reported the issue before we deployed the fix, can you ask them to try again now please?

[scosgro]

@scosgro that user reported the issue before we deployed the fix, can you ask them to try again now please?

Reached out again in 2992136-zd. Will post a link to this thread in the notes for when they get back with us.

[UPDATE from Sheri: the support request in 2992136 was a different bug where the "Approve" option appeared but tapping on it did not work (now fixed on the server side via https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/pull/42504 which Eli noted earlier in another comment). 👍 This bug is different, it's a case where the "Approve" button never appeared.]

[designsimply]

With the help of a few additional internal reports ❤️ I've figured out some reliable steps to reproduce this issue.

To prepare:

• On the device, go to Settings > WordPress > Notifications and turn "Allow Notifications" on.
• If you haven't already, set up two-factor authentication (2FA) for your WP.com account. (ref)

To test:

1. Log in to the WPiOS app using a 2FA-enabled account.
2. Lock the device.
3. On the web, go to https://wordpress.com/log-in.
4. Enter username and password and click the "Log In" button.
5. Expect to see a "Notification sent!" message.
6. Expect to see a corresponding push notification on the lock screen of the app.
7. Tap the notification on the lock screen.
8. Notice the in-app confirmation does not appear.
9. Try the steps again except unlock the device _before_ tapping the push notification.

Results: the in-app "Verify Log In" prompt with Ignore/Approve buttons never appears if you tap a login push notification from the lock screen. If you unlock the phone first and _then_ tap on the push notification in the notification center (while the device is unlocked) then the in-app confirmation prompt appears. (2m8s)

WP.com push login|Push Notification on Lock Screen|Push Notification in Notification Center (Unlocked)|In-app confirmation prompt (missing if pn is tapped from lock screen)
---|---|---|---
|||

^{Tested with Firefox 76.0.1 on macOS 10.15.4 and WPiOS 14.8.2 App Store version on iPhone 6S iOS 13.3.1.}

[bummytime]

Report from an internal user running 14.7.1:

Today I got a request for verification:

1. A push notification was sent to my phone, and a notification was shown in my phone while locked…
2. I tapped on it.
3. I could see the WordPress app attempting to launch and immediately crashing.

This has happened for long because I immediately blamed myself for not doing what I usually do knowing that this problem usually arises. I would have normally unlocked the phone and just head to the app to approve the request there.

@jleandroperez since you were just looking at this code, any initial ideas on what this could be?

/cc @frosty @yaelirub

^{[Quick update from Sheri to note the internal reference: p4a5px-2z7-p2.]}

[jleandroperez]

@bummytime thank you for the reference sir!

There's no glaring reason why the push notification handling would crash the app, I'm afraid.

Since I couldn't spot the exact trace on Sentry, I've poked Oscar requesting further details (same P2: p4a5px-2z7-p2).

In the affected time window, there are crashlogs ranging from [Reader, Notifications, Core Data, ...] (May 21, ~13.00 UTC), perhaps we can try narrow it down.

As per the silent failure (no Alert onscreen!), I'll spend some time next week. Will keep you posted!

[jleandroperez]

Following up (Oscar is awesome), incoming console logs. It would appear that the NotificatioNServiceExtension is blowing up:

<NSXPCConnection: 0x1031fca40> connection to service on pid 19680 created from an endpoint: Warning: Exception caught during invocation of selector didReceiveNotificationRequest:withCompletionHandler:, dropping incoming message and invalidating the connection.
Exception: Invalid type in JSON write (UNNotificationContent)
Invalid type in JSON write (UNNotificationContent)
(
    0   CoreFoundation                      0x00000001a2361604 409609CD-8410-38E1-BA5D-BDED609D2018 + 1222148
    1   libobjc.A.dylib                     0x00000001a2083bcc objc_exception_throw + 56
    2   Foundation                          0x00000001a27cb72c 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 1795884
    3   Foundation                          0x00000001a27ce050 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 1806416
    4   libswiftCore.dylib                  0x00000001afa61618 DCBC2D49-9C31-3DBE-BCF3-B0F5205F87FE + 2659864
    5   libswiftCore.dylib                  0x00000001af858a44 DCBC2D49-9C31-3DBE-BCF3-B0F5205F87FE + 526916
    6   Foundation                          0x00000001a27cd580 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 1803648
    7   Foundation                          0x00000001a27ce358 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 1807192
    8   CoreFoundation                      0x00000001a2334c7c 409609CD-8410-38E1-BA5D-BDED609D2018 + 1039484
    9   CoreFoundation                      0x00000001a23352a8 409609CD-8410-38E1-BA5D-BDED609D2018 + 1041064
    10  Foundation                          0x00000001a27cda2c 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 1804844
    11  Foundation                          0x00000001a27ce050 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 1806416
    12  libswiftCore.dylib                  0x00000001afa61618 DCBC2D49-9C31-3DBE-BCF3-B0F5205F87FE + 2659864
    13  libswiftCore.dylib                  0x00000001af858a44 DCBC2D49-9C31-3DBE-BCF3-B0F5205F87FE + 526916
    14  Foundation                          0x00000001a27cd580 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 1803648
    15  Foundation                          0x00000001a2682bbc 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 449468
    16  Foundation                          0x00000001a2682840 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 448576
    17  WordPressNotificationServiceExtensi 0x0000000102cd9da8 WordPressNotificationServiceExtensi + 89512
    18  WordPressNotificationServiceExtensi 0x0000000102cd4c4c WordPressNotificationServiceExtensi + 68684
    19  WordPressNotificationServiceExtensi 0x0000000102cd5ddc WordPressNotificationServiceExtensi + 73180
    20  UserNotifications                   0x00000001a96c1e40 44B07041-E972-3AF2-A644-6A04BC8588A7 + 20032
    21  Foundation                          0x00000001a284bf28 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 2322216
    22  Foundation                          0x00000001a2668e68 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 343656
    23  Foundation                          0x00000001a284c040 1A46239D-F2FC-34B6-95BC-9F38869F0C85 + 2322496
    24  libxpc.dylib                        0x00000001a1f299d8 9E9D069D-E3B1-36FA-8575-5E1D9E6B6B54 + 51672
    25  libxpc.dylib                        0x00000001a1f29d48 9E9D069D-E3B1-36FA-8575-5E1D9E6B6B54 + 52552
    26  libdispatch.dylib                   0x00000001a20275e4 5A83D0CF-8FB9-3727-8A32-012D20A47EC8 + 374244
    27  libdispatch.dylib                   0x00000001a1fe3fb8 5A83D0CF-8FB9-3727-8A32-012D20A47EC8 + 98232
    28  libdispatch.dylib                   0x00000001a1fd3770 5A83D0CF-8FB9-3727-8A32-012D20A47EC8 + 30576
    29  libdispatch.dylib                   0x00000001a1fe4bb4 5A83D0CF-8FB9-3727-8A32-012D20A47EC8 + 101300
    30  libdispatch.dylib                   0x00000001a1fd3770 5A83D0CF-8FB9-3727-8A32-012D20A47EC8 + 30576
    31  libdispatch.dylib                   0x00000001a1fd42c4 5A83D0CF-8FB9-3727-8A32-012D20A47EC8 + 33476
    32  libdispatch.dylib                   0x00000001a1fdd78c 5A83D0CF-8FB9-3727-8A32-012D20A47EC8 + 71564
    33  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00000001a2078b74 _pthread_wqthread + 272
    34  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00000001a207b740 start_wqthread + 8
)

[designsimply]

^{(internal reference: p1590510515273800-slack-wpmobile re: which release to target)}

[designsimply]

I tested with WPiOS 14.9 (App Store version) and found that I was not able to crash the app but that the problem remains where tapping a login push notification from the lock screen does not work.

Video: 1m30s

^{Tested with WPiOS 14.9 App Store version on iPhone 6S iOS 13.3.1.}

[jleandroperez]

For the record, I've managed to reproduce this issue. Steps were:

1. Leave WPiOS in the foreground. Reader or My Sites work
2. Lock your phone
3. Receive a Push Auth Notification (DM me to force this on develop builds please!)
4. Wait ~4 seconds
5. Press over the Push Auth notification: Make sure you stay away from the FaceID sensors
6. Wait for the "FaceID to Unlock" label
7. Perform FaceID to unlock!

As a result, WPiOS will be onscreen but no Alert will show up.

Hotfix shipping soon in 15.1 via #14349 😄

[elibud]

Woohooo thanks @jleandroperez!

[jleandroperez]

Anytime Eli!! hope there's no third chained bug, buuut pretty sure this is it 😄

[bummytime]

Looks like this was addressed in #14349 — closing.