> From: Jeffrey Hutzelman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 

> 
> On Thursday, September 07, 2006 08:12:44 PM -0700 
> "Hallam-Baker, Phillip" 
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> > The solution to this particular problem is to use SSL as 
> the transport.
> > IMAP and POP both support this use. It is a trivial matter 
> to discover 
> > that IMAPS is supported using an SRV record.
> 
> Of course, if you depend on this technique to determine 
> whether TLS should be used, you are subject to a downgrade 
> attack which not only exposes your password to a dictionary 
> attack, but also makes it fairly simple for an attacker to 
> gain access to the server as you _without_ carrying out such 
> an attack.

How so?

The attacker cannot downgrade the server security, particularly if the server 
does not support unencrypted IMAP or POP.

If you deploy DNSSEC the downgrade attack can be eliminated.


_______________________________________________
Ietf mailing list
[email protected]
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf

Reply via email to