On 03/12/2013 01:04 PM, Alper Yegin wrote:
> Yes.
>

So at this point I want to hear from others in the WG about this
proposed change.

> On Mar 11, 2013, at 9:35 PM, Leif Johansson wrote:
>
>> On 03/11/2013 08:12 PM, Alper Yegin wrote:
>>> Here you go:
>> So this replaces all of 2.1 (just to be clear) ?
>>> 2.1 Retransmission
>>> In EAP, the authenticator is responsible for retransmission. By default
>>> EAP assumes that the lower layer (the application in this context) is
>>> unreliable. The authenticator can send a packet whenever its
>>> retransmission timer triggers. In this mode, applications need to be
>>> able to receive and process 
>>> EAP messages at any time during the authentication conversation.
>>> Alternatively, EAP permits a lower layer to set the retransmission timer
>>> to infinite. When this happens, the lower layer becomes responsible for
>>> reliable delivery of EAP messages. Applications that use a lock-step or
>>> client-driven authentication protocol might benefit from this approach.
>>> When retransmission is exclusively handled by the client-side EAP
>>> lower-layer, 
>>> an EAP message that gets silently discarded by the EAP method may
>>> stall the 
>>> EAP lower-layer state machine.  In such a case, applications MUST
>>> handle discarded 
>>> EAP messages. The specific way in which discarded messages will be
>>> handled
>>> depend on the characteristics of the application. Solution options
>>> include, 
>>> but are not limited to, failing the authentication at the
>>> application level, 
>>> and requesting an EAP retransmit and waiting for additional EAP
>>> input. Both of 
>>> these options require the EAP methods to notify the EAP and/or EAP
>>> lower-layer 
>>> when an EAP message is discarded.  
>>> Specifications of how EAP is used for application authentication MUST
>>> document how retransmission are handled. If the retransmissions are
>>> exclusively 
>>> handled by the client-side EAP lower-layer, then the specifications
>>> MUST also 
>>> document how message discards are handled.
>>>
>>> Alper
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mar 9, 2013, at 5:45 PM, Leif Johansson wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 9 mar 2013 kl. 09:09 skrev Alper Yegin <[email protected]
>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>>:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Leif,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This "MUST" cannot be implemented. It's not clear what an
>>>>>>> implementor "must" be doing to comply.
>>>>>>> This is merely telling us "there's a problem, you MUST deal with
>>>>>>> it".
>>>>>>> This reads more like recognition of an issue, rather than a
>>>>>>> solution.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I' going to weigh in (as an individual) on this point.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There is (imo) nothing inherently problematic about calling out a
>>>>>> problem that needs to be addressed in another specification,
>>>>>> especially when writing an applicability statement.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I read the text again, and let me recap it here:
>>>>> > Alternatively, EAP permits a lower layer to set the retransmission timer
>>>>> > to infinite. When this happens, the lower layer becomes responsible for
>>>>> > reliable delivery of EAP messages. Applications that use a lock-step or
>>>>> > client-driven authentication protocol might benefit from this approach.
>>>>> > 
>>>>> > In addition to retransmission behavior applications need to deal with
>>>>> > discarded EAP messages. For example, whenever some EAP methods receive  
>>>>> > erroneous
>>>>> > input, these methods discard the input rather than generating an error
>>>>> > response. If the erroneous input was generated by an attacker,
>>>>> > legitimate input can sometimes be received after the erroneous
>>>>> > input. Applications MUST handle discarded EAP messages,
>>>>> > although the specific way in which discarded messages will be handled
>>>>> > depend on the characteristics of the application. Options include
>>>>> > failing the authentication at the application level, requesting an EAP 
>>>>> > retransmit and waiting for additional EAP input.  
>>>>>
>>>>> This text implies there is a problem, but it does not define what
>>>>> the problem is.
>>>>> Or under what circumstances that problem arises.
>>>>>
>>>>> The issue is very specific to the case where the EAP lower layer
>>>>> is in charge of rexmits, and the rexmits are solely client-side
>>>>> driven.
>>>>> It does not apply to any other case. 
>>>>> And if the EAP stack (the combination of EAP method, EAP layer,
>>>>> and EAP lower layer) does not handle this case in a special way,
>>>>> then the state machines may stall.
>>>>>
>>>>> None of that can be understood from the above text at all.
>>>>>
>>>>> Once the readers understand the issue, then they can proceed to
>>>>> "dealing with it". 
>>>>>
>>>>> As for the suggested solutions, failing the authentication reduces
>>>>> the resiliency of EAP solutions. 
>>>>> The other option requires an API between EAP method and EAP
>>>>> lower-layer. 
>>>>>
>>>>> OK, maybe we don't care about the analysis of the solutions, but
>>>>> we do care about defining what the problem is.
>>>>>
>>>>> And also, this issue is not really an "applicability statement"
>>>>> matter. This is a "requirement on EAP lower layer (which is based
>>>>> on strictly client-driven rexmits)" matter, IMHO. 
>>>>>
>>>>> (I understand some people might want to get done with this, but if
>>>>> we don't do it properly I'm afraid it'd open more problems than it
>>>>> solves for people down the road).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Alper
>>>>>  
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Why don't you propose text!
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>      Cheers Leif
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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