On Wed, Oct 15, 2003 at 08:40:22PM -0500, Brandon Low wrote:
> Rare yes, impossible no...  The main point of freenet is that nobody can
> prove beyond a reasonable doubt ... anything ... about anyone ... using
> freenet.

The problem is that if you fetch a splitfile or a big site, it may be
possible to connect a large number of he-probably-did's to make a
he-almost-certainly-did.
> 
> --b
> 
> On Wed, 10/15/03 at 18:34:34 -0700, Martin Stone Davis wrote:
> > Pcaching only kicks in when the DS is 90% full, I thought.  So it 
> > wouldn't apply to a node which kept a huge DS.
> > 
> > Also, isn't it the case that when inserting a large splitfile, the 
> > various parts go through many different nodes? ...and so it would be 
> > rare for you to have every part if you hadn't requested it.
> > 
> > -Martin
> > 
> > Brandon Low wrote:
> > 
> > >I believe that pcaching applies to local requests too... so why not just
> > >let freenet take care of itself and stick to plausible deniability?  You
> > >could just have been the first person in line for the insertion of said
> > >key or whatever...
> > >
> > >--B
> > >
> > >On Wed, 10/15/03 at 18:14:21 -0700, Martin Stone Davis wrote:
> > >
> > >>AFAIK, it is possible right now to discover whether a node has requested 
> > >>a particular large splitfile by measuring how much time it takes the 
> > >>node to search for each part of the splitfile.
> > >>
> > >>To prevent such "timing attacks on the datastore", I thought at first 
> > >>that a solution would be
> > >>
> > >>SOLUTION #1: that the the node itself would flag any keys that the 
> > >>operator has requested as "requested only by me".  Then, if the node was 
> > >>asked later for a key that held such a flag, it would pretend that it 
> > >>didn't have it, search for the key on other nodes, and then reset the 
> > >>key's flag if it found it on another node.
> > >>
> > >>However, Iakin (I believe) pointed out that this is a bad idea because 
> > >>we don't want freenet itself to break it's own anonymity: we don't want 
> > >>someone to be able to inspect the operator's hard drive and say "ah ha! 
> > >>you requested this key!".
> > >>
> > >>He suggested instead (if I understood correctly)
> > >>
> > >>SOLUTION #2: that keys that we request would somehow be moved into a 
> > >>separate, encrypted store, and never placed in the main datastore.
> > >>
> > >>However, isn't there a problem with that as well?
> > >>
> > >>Say that over a long period of time, node A requests keys K1-K1000 from 
> > >>node B.  K1-K100 were requested by the operator of node A, while 
> > >>K101-K1000 were requested by nodes connected to node A.   Also, K1-K100 
> > >>are all related to documents describing plans to overthrow the evil 
> > >>government of AAIR (it's a tropical country which depends mostly on 
> > >>tourism).  Node B is run by (you guessed it) the AAIR.  At the same 
> > >>time, the AAIR is running another node C, which mounts a timing attack 
> > >>on node A to see whether it has keys K1-K1000.  Under either solution #1 
> > >>or #2, node C would see that node A takes longer to find keys K101-1000 
> > >>than it does to find keys K1-K100.  But since the AAIR know that node A 
> > >>requested all of the keys, it also knows that the operator of node A 
> > >>requested keys K1-K100 and is trying to hide that fact.
> > >>
> > >>Note that in the above scenario, K1-K100 don't have to be part of the 
> > >>same splitfile.  They just have to be of similar-enough subject matter 
> > >>that the operator of node A would appear to have requested it IF someone 
> > >>were to inspect his datastore.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with a good solution.  Thoughts?
> > >>
> > >>-Martin
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>_______________________________________________
> > >>Devl mailing list
> > >>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >>http://dodo.freenetproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/devl
> > 
> > 
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-- 
Matthew J Toseland - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Freenet Project Official Codemonkey - http://freenetproject.org/
ICTHUS - Nothing is impossible. Our Boss says so.

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