Stephen:

I have text about the need for backup in the Operational Consideration, which 
includes the point that HSMs fail.

I have text about the significant advance in cryptoanalytic capabilities in the 
Security Considerations.

Russ


> On Jan 6, 2019, at 6:03 PM, Stephen Farrell <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi Russ,
> 
> I should probably re-read the draft after the latest changes
> but ISTM that the crypto-break reason for problems here is
> far far less likely than the mucked-up-HSM reason. I think
> that means that calling out the more likely reason is perhaps
> a better plan.
> 
> In addition, (and this is the bit I need to ponder), if the
> lifetime of a root key associated with one of these hashes
> (or commitments/pins) is say 10 years, then I'd say that may
> make a HSM muck-up sufficiently likely that more than just
> clarifying text might be needed. For example, perhaps one
> might say that this extension SHOULD only be used if a new
> key will go live within a couple of years or something like
> that. As I said, I'll re-read the latest draft and see if
> I can suggest some text. (Separately, if anyone has some
> experience of the relative (in)stability of backup CA keys
> over that kind of duration, then that'd be useful information.)
> 
> Cheers,
> S.
> 
> On 06/01/2019 19:25, Russ Housley wrote:
>> Joel:
>> 
>> I propose a replacement paragraph.  I hope it is more clear on the points 
>> raised on this thread:
>> 
>>   The Root CA needs to ensure that the public key in the next
>>   generation certificate is as strong or stronger than the key that it
>>   is replacing.  Of course, a significant advance in cryptoanalytic
>>   capability can break the yet-to-be-deployed key pair.  Such advances
>>   are rare and difficult to predict.  If such an advance occurs, the
>>   Root CA remains committed to the now broken key.  This leaves the
>>   Root CA with no alternative but to deploy a new self-signed
>>   certificate that contains a newly-generated key pair, most likely
>>   using a different signature algorithm, in the same manner as the
>>   initial self-signed certificate, thus losing the benefits of the Hash
>>   Of Root Key certificate extension altogether.
>> 
>> Let me know if this helps...
>> 
>> Russ
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jan 6, 2019, at 12:27 PM, Joel M. Halpern <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Maybe I am missing something simple, but I do not see where the text in 
>>> section 5 on dealing with a lost promised key says anything about the need 
>>> to "go through the process that was used to set up the initial trust 
>>> anchor."  All it seems to say is "to deploy a new self-signed certificate." 
>>>  Maybe what is needed is a little elaboration on what that deployment is to 
>>> be, as it is not the same as deploying a properly promised new key pair.
>>> 
>>> Yours,
>>> Joel
>>> 
>>> On 1/6/19 12:09 PM, Russ Housley wrote:
>>>> Joel:
>>>> As the text already says, the Root CA will need to go through the process 
>>>> that was used to set up the initial trust anchor.  The relying party will 
>>>> not accept the new self-signed certificate until that is done, and that 
>>>> process is completely disconnected from the previous certificate.
>>>> The paragraph we are discussing is all about handling a failure, and the 
>>>> new certificate extension is not offering any assistance if the failure 
>>>> occurs.  That is what the paragraph is trying to say.
>>>> Russ
>>>>> On Jan 4, 2019, at 10:10 PM, Joel M. Halpern <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> I understand that the issuer has no choice.
>>>>> What I can't see is how any validator will accept the new certificate.
>>>>> The new cert will fail the validation check required by the field in the 
>>>>> existing certificate.
>>>>> So it seems that the only remedy is to wait until the exist certificate 
>>>>> expires, so that the hash is no longer valid, and then a new cleann cert 
>>>>> can be issued that will be accepted.
>>>>> 
>>>>> But there is no reference in the "remedy" to waiting for the expiration.
>>>>> In fact, it is only imiplictly stated that the hash expectation is no 
>>>>> longer valid once the certificate is expired.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Another possibility is that I am completely missing the point of the new 
>>>>> field.  If the new clean unexpected cert will be accepted, what behavior 
>>>>> is improved by having the hash in the current cert.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Yours,
>>>>> Joel
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 1/4/19 9:41 PM, Russ Housley wrote:
>>>>>> Joel:
>>>>>> If access to the key is lost, the commitment is broken, so the Root CA 
>>>>>> must make a fresh start using a completely unrelated key.  Maybe the 
>>>>>> word "remedy" is creating the wrong impression for you.
>>>>>> Russ
>>>>>>> On Jan 4, 2019, at 6:42 PM, [email protected] 
>>>>>>> <mailto:[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> If the new self-signed cert uses a new key, wouldn't that be rejected 
>>>>>>> as violating the promise in the current cert?  I am missing something.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>> Joel
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S7, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> -------- Original message --------
>>>>>>> From: Russ Housley <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
>>>>>>> Date: 1/4/19 17:57 (GMT-05:00)
>>>>>>> To: Joel Halpern <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
>>>>>>> Cc: IETF Gen-ART <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>, 
>>>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>, 
>>>>>>> [email protected] 
>>>>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>, IETF 
>>>>>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: Genart last call review of   
>>>>>>> draft-ietf-lamps-hash-of-root-key-cert-extn-03
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Joel:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Thanks for the review.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Document: draft-ietf-lamps-hash-of-root-key-cert-extn-03
>>>>>>>> Reviewer: Joel Halpern
>>>>>>>> Review Date: 2019-01-04
>>>>>>>> IETF LC End Date: 2019-01-10
>>>>>>>> IESG Telechat date: Not scheduled for a telechat
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Summary: This draft is nearly ready for publication as an 
>>>>>>>> Informational RFC.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Major issues: N/A
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Minor issues:
>>>>>>>>   The explanation at the end of section 5 about the remedy for losing 
>>>>>>>> access
>>>>>>>>   to the new root key left me confused.
>>>>>>>> It looks like the situation is that there is a certificate out there, 
>>>>>>>> with the
>>>>>>>> hash of root key extensions. The certificate owner loses access to the 
>>>>>>>> new key
>>>>>>>> pair underlying the hash. The certificate owner clearly has to issue a 
>>>>>>>> new key
>>>>>>>> pair.  So far, so good.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> What the text seems to say is to simply issue a new self-signed 
>>>>>>>> certificate.
>>>>>>>> There are two possibilities for what is intended. I think the idea is 
>>>>>>>> that the
>>>>>>>> new certificate will use the existing key pair (not the promised one, 
>>>>>>>> nor
>>>>>>>> another new one) for its own signature, and include a new hash of root 
>>>>>>>> key for
>>>>>>>> the newly generated pair.  If the certificate owner can do that (I 
>>>>>>>> have not
>>>>>>>> dived into the rest of the certificate operations to figure out if 
>>>>>>>> that is
>>>>>>>> legal) then it works.  Please add some words explaining that better. 
>>>>>>>> If the
>>>>>>>> certificate owner can not simply issue a new self-signed certificate 
>>>>>>>> with the
>>>>>>>> existing key pair, then I am lost.  It appears that the text says that 
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> certificate owner issues a new self-signed certificate using a new key 
>>>>>>>> pair.
>>>>>>>> But that will fail the check against the previous certificate hash of 
>>>>>>>> root key.
>>>>>>>> I am hoping that it is the first of these alternatives, and all that 
>>>>>>>> is needed
>>>>>>>> is clearer explanatory text stating that the new cert uses the 
>>>>>>>> existing key
>>>>>>>> pair, and includes a new hash of root key promise.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Joel, the Root CA want to start using a different key par, but they 
>>>>>>> have lost access to the one that was previously generated for that 
>>>>>>> purpose.  So, the remedy is to create a new self-signed certificate 
>>>>>>> with a newly generated key.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Does that help?  If so, what would make the paragraph more clear?
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Russ
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Spasm mailing list
>>>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>>>>>> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/spasm
>> 
>> 
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