Hi all,
I have submitted an individual Internet-Draft proposing a new EAP
authentication method for enterprise wireless networks:
Title: EAP-WSIM: A SIM-Based EAP Method Using the
MILENAGE-ECDH-FWD Authentication Construction
Draft: draft-gupta-emu-eap-wsim-00
URL: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-gupta-emu-eap-wsim/
Background
EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA, EAP-AKA', and EAP-AKA' FS (RFC 9678) all require the EAP
server to contact MNO backend infrastructure (HSS, HLR, UDM, or AuC) during
each authentication exchange. This dependency makes them unsuitable for
air-gapped enterprise environments, manufacturing facilities, defence networks,
or any deployment where MNO backend connectivity cannot be guaranteed.
EAP-WSIM removes this dependency entirely.
Core Innovation
The EAP server holds a SIM card (the WSIM) that acts as a self-contained
Authentication Centre. It holds master key material on-card, derives
per-subscriber MILENAGE keys on-card, generates authentication vectors on-card,
and verifies subscriber responses on-card - with no MNO network contact at any
point.
The cryptographic core is a new named construction, MILENAGE-ECDH-FWD, which
combines MILENAGE mutual authentication with ephemeral P-256 ECDH key
agreement. This construction simultaneously provides:
- Mutual authentication (via MILENAGE AUTN/RES)
- Forward secrecy (via ephemeral ECDH, discarded post-session)
- Offline operation (no MNO backend contact)
By defining MILENAGE-ECDH-FWD as an explicitly named construction (rather than
an ad-hoc combination), the draft enables independent cryptographic analysis
and potential reuse in non-EAP protocols.
Relationship to RFC 9678 (EAP-AKA' FS)
RFC 9678 and EAP-WSIM are complementary, not competing. RFC 9678 adds forward
secrecy to EAP-AKA' for MNO-connected deployments. EAP-WSIM targets deployments
where MNO backend contact is not available or not acceptable. Section 7 of the
draft provides a detailed technical comparison.
Draft Contents
- Four-round protocol exchange (WSIM-Start, WSIM-Challenge,
WSIM-Confirm, WSIM-Complete)
- Complete MILENAGE-ECDH-FWD construction specification
- Full attribute TLV encodings (15 attribute types)
- Key derivation chain: K_UE → MILENAGE → ECDH → MSK/EMSK
- RFC 3748 Section 7.2 security claims (all 14 properties)
- Complete test vectors (verified against 3GPP TS 35.208 Test Set 1)
- IANA considerations for EAP type and three new registries
- Optional pre-association certificate exchange for rogue AP prevention
Two companion drafts (key slot management and 802.11r Fast Transition
integration) are referenced but will be submitted only if the WG indicates
interest.
IPR
US Provisional Patent Application 64/048,069 covers aspects of this
architecture. The author commits to RAND-z licensing (royalty-free) for any RFC
produced from this document, per BCP 79 / RFC 8179. An IPR disclosure has been
filed at the IETF datatracker.
I welcome review and discussion from the WG.
Regards,
Praveen Gupta
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-gupta-emu-eap-wsim/
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