Re: [HACKERS] SSL client crt verification

2005-08-29 Thread Knut P Lehre
 Server: 7.4.8 on Red Hat EL4. Client psql 8.0.3 on WinXP.  Using a
 test server.crt and server.key, as described in 8.0 docs 16.8, I can
 activate SSL encryption (WinXP 8.0.3 psql reports SSL Connection
 at connect), and as expected, the server log reports that root.crt
 is not found.  If I copy server.crt to root.crt and start up server
 again, the missing root.crt message disappears. But I can still
 connect with psql with no postgresql.crt on client (docs
 27.13). Apparently, the root.crt, which in this case is a copy of
 server.crt, is not interpreted as a CA crt, but how does the server
 know? Isn't a CA cert just a self signed crt? Why is there not a
 warning that client authentication will not take place, when it
 apparently does not? Does the server only check that a root.crt file
 is present, and not that is contains valid information?

 You really need a separate root CA cert and server key.  The server
 key should be signed by the root CA, which is self-signed.  The root
 CA private key should be kept secure somewhere else--the database
 server doesn't need access to it.

 I just went though the whole exercise of creating a CA and setting up
 an app for client cert authentication, so I am reasonably sure the
 above is your problem.

 For client auth to work, you need:

 * Root CA certificate available to both client and server
 * Server cert signed by root CA, with CN=server hostname
 * Client cert signed by root CA, available to client to present to
   server.

 -Doug


Thanks for your comments.
I seem to get SSL client authentication to work with a 8.0.3 server on win32
(a client crt needed for connection), but still not with the 7.4.8 server
on Red Hat EL4, even with separate root CA subject and server.crt subject,
as you suggest.
Interestingly, version 8 docs (16.8) mention the root.crt file needed for
client auth, while 7.4 docs do not mention it. Similarly, the 27.13 section
on libpq SSL support in 8 docs is not there in the 7.4 docs. Maybe my problem
is that 7.4.8 doesn't support client authentication? However, that doesn't
fit with the fact that the 7.4.8 server log reports that it will not verify
client certificates if the root.crt file is missing in the server data 
directory.
Have I missed some points regarding linux or 7.4 SSL setup? From docs I
understand that I only have to set SSL = true in postgresql.conf to switch
it on (in addition to providing the crt and key files).

KPL



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Re: [HACKERS] SSL client crt verification

2005-08-29 Thread Knut P Lehre
To the last sentence in my last post Re: SSL client crt verification:

From docs I understand that I only have to set SSL = true in postgresql.conf
to switch it on (in addition to providing the crt and key files).

I should have added:

...and using hostssl in pg_hba.conf (although host also works on my
8.0.3 server, presumably because of the default sslmode=prefer in libpq).

KPL



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Re: [HACKERS] SSL client crt verification

2005-08-29 Thread Tom Lane
Knut P Lehre [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
 Maybe my problem is that 7.4.8 doesn't support client authentication?

The code is there but it's pretty buggy, as I recall.  I'd suggest
updating to 8.0 if you want to use SSL for authentication.

regards, tom lane

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[HACKERS] SSL client crt verification

2005-08-26 Thread Knut P Lehre
Tried doc search, pgsql-general and #postgresql.

Server: 7.4.8 on Red Hat EL4. Client psql 8.0.3 on WinXP.
Using a test server.crt and server.key, as described in 8.0 docs 16.8, I
can activate SSL encryption (WinXP 8.0.3 psql reports SSL Connection at
connect), and as expected, the server log reports that root.crt is not found.
If I copy server.crt to root.crt and start up server again, the missing
root.crt message disappears. But I can still connect with psql with no 
postgresql.crt
on client (docs 27.13). Apparently, the root.crt, which in this case is
a copy of server.crt, is not interpreted as a CA crt, but how does the server
know? Isn't a CA cert just a self signed crt? Why is there not a warning
that client authentication will not take place, when it apparently does
not? Does the server only check that a root.crt file is present, and not
that is contains valid information?

Comments appreciated
KPL



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