Hi Ilari,

I updated the PR based on your feedback.

I still have a few question regarding the processing rules. I wonder whether 
this procedure introduces fragility just for a very small byte saving (namely 
saving the kem id value).
It also makes the implementations more difficult since multiple cases have to 
be considered.

~snip~

> * you introduce rules for processing that are dependent upon the
> presence/absence of the kem field. You are asking the developer to
> determine whether "the KEM is consistent with the private key".
>
> I fear that this rule is too loose to understand. We will have to
> specify what "consistent" means i.e. what checks a developer is
> supposed to make. This also changes the text that is currently in the
> draft, which says that the kem is optional one the value of this field
> is inferred already by the key identifier.

This processing is already needed, it is just left unspecified. And my wording 
was apparently very poor.


The question is, what does your implementation do if it receives:

a) A message with no KEM, but there are multiple KEMs that all can
   be used with the private key and have Nenc = |enc|.

   I think it is reasonable to fail to decrypt.

b) A message with no KEM, there are multiple KEMs that all can be
   used with the private key, but only one has Nenc = |enc|.

   I think it is reasonable to attempt decryption with the one
   KEM.

   (checking for Nenc = |enc| is needed in case both compact and
   uncompressed curves are supported with the same private key.)

c) A message with KEM that can not be used with the private key.

   I think it is reasonable to fail to decrypt.

   (If the KEM can be used with private key, but Nenc != |enc|,
   then HPKE will fail anyway.)


Ciao
Hannes

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