Stop using the method

On Fri, Sep 13, 2024, 12:22 PM 'Amir Omidi' via
[email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:

> I agree with this idea and has been something I’ve wanted for a long time.
>
> Beyond that though, what should we do now? Especially now that information
> about how to do an attack like this is out. It’s unlikely that the
> operators of TLDs are suddenly going to get better at handling their WHOIS
> domains.
>
> On Fri, Sep 13, 2024 at 13:53 Matthew McPherrin <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> It would certainly be possible for CAs to include a Certificate Policies
>> Extension <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5280#section-4.2.1.4>
>> with an OID specifying the validation method. That may have privacy and
>> certificate size implications.
>>
>> However, being able to identify the validation method may be of enough
>> value to make it worthwhile for cases like this in the future. For example,
>> a researcher may want to cross-reference certificates by TLD using a
>> whois-based validation method. Or for other incidents, like verifying that
>> Let's Encrypt's https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1751984
>> incident correctly revoked all TLS-ALPN-01 certificates.
>>
>> I will leave it to the root programs or CA/B forum to decide if such
>> action would be worthwhile and how to proceed with that.
>>
>> Matthew McPherrin
>> (Sent in a personal capacity only)
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 13, 2024 at 1:13 PM Watson Ladd <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> One thing would be to look at CPS's to see which CAs have been using
>>> this method.
>>>
>>> Some CAs that have have opened up bugs, I presume that all of them
>>> have looked and if not affected have not opened one to keep the
>>> channel clear. Affected ones of course must.
>>>
>>> Sadly the validation method used does not appear in the issued certs
>>> so it's hard to use tools to get a report.
>>>
>>> On Fri, Sep 13, 2024 at 8:12 AM 'Amir Omidi' via
>>> [email protected] <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > I would love for that to happen. Do you have any suggestions on what
>>> we can do to mitigate what is effectively a 0-day?
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Sep 13, 2024 at 10:42 AM David Adrian <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> > I’m hoping that the Chrome Root Program takes the lead on this and
>>> sets a deadline for sunsetting WHOIS based DCV.
>>> >>
>>> >> It is possible for members of the Web PKI community besides Chrome to
>>> do things.
>>> >>
>>> >> On Fri, Sep 13, 2024 at 9:17 AM 'Amir Omidi' via
>>> [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Given the way the ecosystem has recently worked, I’m hoping that the
>>> Chrome Root Program takes the lead on this and sets a deadline for
>>> sunsetting WHOIS based DCV.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> On Fri, Sep 13, 2024 at 09:15 Hanno Böck <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Hi,
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> In the context of the recent .mobi whois takeover vulnerability, I
>>> had,
>>> >>>> as already mentioned in another thread, checked all the whois
>>> servers
>>> >>>> listed in IANAs data, and found a substantial number not answering.
>>> >>>> (Those were for the TLDs cf ci dz ec gn gp hm iq ml na sb tk to uy
>>> >>>> xn--lgbbat1ad8j xn--mgbtx2b xn--ygbi2ammx)
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> I reported this to IANA, and also asked them about the reliability
>>> of
>>> >>>> the whois server data provided by them, as I believe this is very
>>> >>>> relevant for the security of whois as a domain validatin mechanism.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Kim Davies from IANA shared this with me, and allowed me to share it
>>> >>>> publicly with this group:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> > You'll note that the TLDs you gave identified with inoperative
>>> WHOIS
>>> >>>> > servers are country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs). For ccTLDs,
>>> >>>> > there is no global policy requirement for ccTLD managers to
>>> operate a
>>> >>>> > WHOIS server, and if they do, what kind of information is
>>> provided.
>>> >>>> > ccTLDs are expected to be operated under local oversight (i.e.
>>> within
>>> >>>> > their respective country) and accountability for how WHOIS servers
>>> >>>> > are operated is performed locally, not under ICANN policies. This
>>> is
>>> >>>> > in contrast to generic top-level domains (gTLDs) where ICANN
>>> policies
>>> >>>> > establish specific requirements and obligations, which are
>>> maintained
>>> >>>> > through contracts. ICANN operates a contractual compliance
>>> function
>>> >>>> > to address when these obligations are not met.
>>> >>>> >
>>> >>>> > More generally, TLD managers are obligated to keep their records
>>> >>>> > up-to-date with IANA. but again in the case of country-code
>>> top-level
>>> >>>> > domains IANA does not have an enforcement mechanism to ensure the
>>> >>>> > ccTLD manager maintains accuracy of their records. We do verify
>>> the
>>> >>>> > data is correct at the time we are assessing a change request from
>>> >>>> > the TLD manager, but we cannot ensure it is consistently
>>> maintained
>>> >>>> > without the ccTLD manager voluntarily participating. This is an
>>> issue
>>> >>>> > that has been raised with the policy setting body for ccTLDs, the
>>> >>>> > Country Code Name Supporting Organization (ccNSO), and they have
>>> >>>> > recently established a working group called the Policy Gaps
>>> Analysis
>>> >>>> > Working Group that is expected to study the issue in the near
>>> future.
>>> >>>> >
>>> >>>> > To your question as to whether IANA can guarantee control of the
>>> >>>> > servers that TLD operators use to operate their TLDs. We believe
>>> we
>>> >>>> > have sufficient safeguards in our processes that when we receive
>>> >>>> > change requests from TLD operators, we validate they are authentic
>>> >>>> > and appropriately authorized, and we confirm at that time the
>>> servers
>>> >>>> > are those duly designated by them. However we are only responsible
>>> >>>> > for their entries in the root zone and the associated meta-data
>>> >>>> > concerning who the recognized operator of the domain is. We have
>>> no
>>> >>>> > policy basis to investigate the internal workings of a TLD manager
>>> >>>> > and perform assessments on whether they have full control over the
>>> >>>> > components that comprise their registry operations.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> And in a further mail:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> > Briefly reading that thread, on an informal basis we have reached
>>> out
>>> >>>> > to whois client vendors when we notice poor implementations. The
>>> IANA
>>> >>>> > WHOIS server (whois.iana.org) actually has a "refer:" field that,
>>> >>>> > when queried for a FQDN that is more specific than the data we
>>> hold,
>>> >>>> > provides referrals to second-level WHOIS servers programmatically
>>> so
>>> >>>> > that there is no need to hard-code TLD WHOIS server locations.
>>> With
>>> >>>> > that said, WHOIS itself as a protocol is being superseded by RDAP
>>> >>>> > which has a more robust discovery/referral approach and would be
>>> the
>>> >>>> > preferred mechanism moving forward.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> I take away two things from this:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> * Hardcoding whois servers, like what appears to be the standard of
>>> >>>>   many whois tools, is generally not a good idea. If one uses whois
>>> at
>>> >>>>   all, one should query the iana whois server, and use the "refer:"
>>> >>>>   field to get to the actual whois server responsible.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> * Particularly whois data for ccTLDs has limited reliability, and we
>>> >>>>   have no guarantee that TLD operators keep this information updated
>>> >>>>   and accurate.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> In my opinion, the latter is even more reason to consider
>>> deprecating
>>> >>>> whois as a domain validation mechanism.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> I have not looked into RDAP, and do not know about its security
>>> >>>> properties and whether this is used by CAs as an alternative to
>>> whois.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> --
>>> >>>> Hanno Böck - Independent security researcher
>>> >>>> https://itsec.hboeck.de/
>>> >>>> https://badkeys.info/
>>> >>>>
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