Python: Fix iterable-unpacking taint CP

When running ql/python/ql/src/Security/CWE-079/ReflectedXss.ql against the
database for flask.

Iitially there were 10 million result-tuples for iterable_unpacking_descent.

With this change, we're down to roughly 2100,

Author: RasmusWL

python/ql/src/semmle/python/dataflow/Implementation.qll

@@ -712,32 +712,16 @@ private class EssaTaintTracking extends string {
         TaintTrackingNode src, MultiAssignmentDefinition defn, TaintTrackingContext context,
         AttributePath path, TaintKind kind
     ) {
-        exists(DataFlow::Node srcnode, TaintKind srckind, Assign assign |
+        exists(DataFlow::Node srcnode, TaintKind srckind, Assign assign, int depth |
             src = TTaintTrackingNode_(srcnode, context, path, srckind, this) and
             path.noAttribute()
         |
             assign.getValue().getAFlowNode() = srcnode.asCfgNode() and
-            kind = iterable_unpacking_descent(assign.getATarget().getAFlowNode(), defn.getDefiningNode(),
-                    srckind)
+            depth = iterable_unpacking_descent(assign.getATarget().getAFlowNode(), defn.getDefiningNode()) and
+            kind = taint_at_depth(srckind, depth)
         )
     }
 
-    /** `((x,y), ...) = value` with any nesting on LHS */
-    private TaintKind iterable_unpacking_descent(
-        SequenceNode left_parent, ControlFlowNode left_defn, CollectionKind parent_kind
-    ) {
-        //TODO: Fix the cartesian product in this predicate
-        none() and
-        left_parent.getAnElement() = left_defn and
-        // Handle `a, *b = some_iterable`
-        if left_defn instanceof StarredNode
-        then result = parent_kind
-        else result = parent_kind.getMember()
-        or
-        result = iterable_unpacking_descent(left_parent.getAnElement(), left_defn,
-                parent_kind.getMember())
-    }
-
     pragma[noinline]
     private predicate taintedAttributeAssignment(
         TaintTrackingNode src, AttributeAssignment defn, TaintTrackingContext context,
@@ -967,6 +951,45 @@ private predicate piNodeTestAndUse(PyEdgeRefinement defn, ControlFlowNode test,
     test = defn.getTest() and use = defn.getInput().getASourceUse() and test.getAChild*() = use
 }
 
+/** Helper predicate for taintedMultiAssignment */
+private TaintKind taint_at_depth(SequenceKind parent_kind, int depth) {
+    depth >= 0 and
+    (
+        // base-case #0
+        depth = 0 and
+        result = parent_kind
+        or
+        // base-case #1
+        depth = 1 and
+        result = parent_kind.getMember()
+        or
+        // recursive case
+        result = taint_at_depth(parent_kind.getMember(), depth-1)
+    )
+}
+
+/** Helper predicate for taintedMultiAssignment
+ *
+ * Returns the `depth` the elements that are assigned to `left_defn` with iterable unpacking has,
+ * compared to `left_parent`. Special care is taken for `StarredNode` that is assigned a sequence of items.
+ *
+ * For example, `((x, *y), ...) = value` with any nesting on LHS
+ * - with `left_defn` = `x`, `left_parent` = `(x, *y)`, result = 1
+ * - with `left_defn` = `x`, `left_parent` = `((x, *y), ...)`, result = 2
+ * - with `left_defn` = `*y`, `left_parent` = `(x, *y)`, result = 0
+ * - with `left_defn` = `*y`, `left_parent` = `((x, *y), ...)`, result = 1
+ */
+int iterable_unpacking_descent(SequenceNode left_parent, ControlFlowNode left_defn) {
+    exists(Assign a | a.getATarget().getASubExpression*().getAFlowNode() = left_parent) and
+    left_parent.getAnElement() = left_defn and
+    // Handle `a, *b = some_iterable`
+    if left_defn instanceof StarredNode
+    then result = 0
+    else result = 1
+    or
+    result = 1 + iterable_unpacking_descent(left_parent.getAnElement(), left_defn)
+}
+
 module Implementation {
     /* A call that returns a copy (or similar) of the argument */
     predicate copyCall(ControlFlowNode fromnode, CallNode tonode) {