The parameter for password is simply just used to pass information from the client to CS. It's really up to the AuthenticatorAdapter to decide how it should use the parameter. Since by default, MD5 hashed password is being passed in, the default adapter is just doing a simple comparison againt the DB. If suddenly the admin wishes to use the LDAPAuthenticator, he should require that the password to be in plain-text (assuming that is what is used to compare against). We don't need need two parameters for this. You can also imagine someone wanting SHA-256, etc. for their password encryption. The only way I can think having two separate parameters is if there is a use-case for using multiple adapters, each requiring their own parameter but I really doubt this would ever be used. It would mean two different auth DB.
Will ________________________________________ From: Kevin Kluge [kevin.kl...@citrix.com] Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 9:01 PM To: cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org Subject: RE: user credntials I think Abhi's proposal would avoid all this, yes? I am not sure if I like have a single parameter that can be either MD5 (as in 2.2.x) , either MD5 or plaintext (as in 3.0.x), or plaintext (as in some future release when MD5 has been deprecated). The alternative is to just introduce a new parameter (for cleartext password), and exactly one of that new param or the existing param must be specified. > -----Original Message----- > From: Will Chan [mailto:will.c...@citrix.com] > Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 11:21 AM > To: cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org > Subject: RE: user credntials > > I also want to point out that this is simply the default behavior for a brand > new CS install and as Chiradeep pointed out, it only applies to the session- > based login that requires a username/password. > > We should not be changing this behavior by default on an upgrade because > some people may just use this as-is with zero modification. If there are CS > admins that want to change this behavior, they would have had to do one or > more of the following: > > - Create their own custom Auth adapter > - Modification of components.xml to configure this > - Perhaps customizing the UI to pass in the password whether hashed or not. > > For the people that have gone about this way, after a CS update, there > should be no need to change anything other than perhaps the UI as their > existing adapter and components XML should refer to their customer > adapters. > > Will > > -----Original Message----- > From: Chiradeep Vittal [mailto:chiradeep.vit...@citrix.com] > Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 10:06 AM > To: cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org > Subject: Re: user credntials > > Just wanted to point out this only affects the session-based logins via the > GUI (although one can script this kind of API interaction as well). > API-key-based authentication continues as before. > > On 4/30/12 9:15 AM, "Abhinandan Prateek" > <abhinandan.prat...@citrix.com> > wrote: > > >The deprecation of MD5 can be done in a graceful fashion with the > >following scheme: > > > >We add a Authenticator which can take plaintext password and add it > >after the MD5 authenticator. Anyone who is already using the MD5 > >password in API will continue to function as they are now. > >Anyone upgrading is not affected. > > > >Any new integrator/cloudstack user can start using plaintext password > >in API without issues, as there is a plaintext authenticator in the chain. > >Again the use of SSL ensures channel security and keeps the password > >safe as is done by countless other websites taking plaintext passwords > >from the users. > > > >With plaintext passwords cloudstack can now seamlessly work with > >external authentication systems as well. With this we do not need a new > >parameter too, probably a warning in the logs saying that this is > >going to be deprecated soon. > > > >-Abhi > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: Kevin Kluge [mailto:kevin.kl...@citrix.com] > >Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 9:30 PM > >To: Will Chan; cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org > >Subject: RE: user credntials > > > >This means the client has to figure out whether to send MD5 hash or > >cleartext on a per-cloud basis. That seems unreasonable. > > > >Why don't we just send plain text passwords and expect the use of SSL? > >We'd have to add a new parameter and deprecate the current MD5 hash > >password. > > > >-kevin > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Will Chan > >> Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 4:39 PM > >> To: cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org; Kevin Kluge > >> Subject: RE: user credntials > >> > >> The service provider (or whomever is hosting CloudStack) needs to > >> make that decision. Using the default CS installation, we default to > >> the MD5UserAuthenticator which requires passwords passed to the login > >> command to be MD5 hashed. This got changed to plain-text in 3.0 and > >> must be reverted back to MD5 in 3.0.2 when the upgrade patch is > >> released or anyone upgrading could get affected. > >> > >> If the service/hosting provider wants to use a different hashing > >> algorithm - > >> OR- none, he can create or configure CS to use that adapter. > >> However, they are responsible for informing their customer. > >> > >> Will > >> > >> ________________________________________ > >> From: Abhinandan Prateek [abhinandan.prat...@citrix.com] > >> Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 3:28 PM > >> To: Kevin Kluge; cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org > >> Subject: RE: user credntials > >> > >> The use of plaintext passwords in API is required for only those > >> cloudstack users who wish to use an external authentication mechanism > >> and will be documented. > >> The support for the encoded password has to be kept as is due to > >> existing users of cloudstack. > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Kevin Kluge > >> Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2012 1:09 AM > >> To: Abhinandan Prateek; cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org > >> Subject: RE: user credntials > >> > >> How would an API client know to use cleartext or MD5 hash? > >> > >> > >> > -----Original Message----- > >> > From: Abhinandan Prateek > >> > Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 7:56 AM > >> > To: Kevin Kluge; cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org > >> > Subject: RE: user credntials > >> > > >> > In 2.2.* we were passing MD5 encoded password via UI. For Acton it > >> > changed to unencrypted password as that was the only way to have > >> > external systems to authenticate cloudstack users for example > >> > external > >> LDAP. > >> > This is being reverted back to MD5 encoded password in 3.0.2 as it > >> > was. It will be left to the admin to configure this encryption > >> > mechanism in case LDAP is in use. > >> > > >> > -Abhi > >> > > >> > -----Original Message----- > >> > From: Kevin Kluge > >> > Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 8:16 PM > >> > To: Abhinandan Prateek; cloudstack-dev@incubator.apache.org > >> > Subject: RE: user credntials > >> > > >> > Abhi, is this a backwards incompatible API change? Also, what does > >>it > >> mean > >> > for upgrade? > >> > > >> > I thought we always sent MD5 hashed passwords from UI to MS. Can > >> > you explain the change a bit more? > >> > > >> > -kevin > >> > > >> > > -----Original Message----- > >> > > From: Abhinandan Prateek > >> > > Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 12:14 AM > >> > > Subject: user credntials > >> > > > >> > > Team, > >> > > There has been a change in the way passwords are being passed > >> > > from the cloudstack UI. In case you have difficulty login with > >> > > the new 3.* build, clear your browser cache. If you are using API > >> > > to login then you need to provide > >> > > MD5 encrypted passwords to login instead of plaintext. In case > >> > > you still have issues drop me an email. > >> > > -Abhi
