On instruction from the WG chairs, or by acclamation, I will
approve this erratum. Silence OTOH means inaction:-)

S

On 16/01/17 01:00, Martin Thomson wrote:
> For those interested in the guts, this came up when discussing
> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1330618 where Hubert
> noted that NSS is not compliant with this requirement.
> 
> On 16 January 2017 at 13:51, RFC Errata System
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> The following errata report has been submitted for RFC7919,
>> "Negotiated Finite Field Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral Parameters for Transport 
>> Layer Security (TLS)".
>>
>> --------------------------------------
>> You may review the report below and at:
>> http://www.rfc-editor.org/errata_search.php?rfc=7919&eid=4908
>>
>> --------------------------------------
>> Type: Technical
>> Reported by: Martin Thomson <[email protected]>
>>
>> Section: 4
>>
>> Original Text
>> -------------
>>    If a compatible TLS server receives a Supported Groups extension from
>>    a client that includes any FFDHE group (i.e., any codepoint between
>>    256 and 511, inclusive, even if unknown to the server), and if none
>>    of the client-proposed FFDHE groups are known and acceptable to the
>>    server, then the server MUST NOT select an FFDHE cipher suite.  In
>>    this case, the server SHOULD select an acceptable non-FFDHE cipher
>>    suite from the client's offered list.  If the extension is present
>>    with FFDHE groups, none of the client's offered groups are acceptable
>>    by the server, and none of the client's proposed non-FFDHE cipher
>>    suites are acceptable to the server, the server MUST end the
>>    connection with a fatal TLS alert of type insufficient_security(71).
>>
>> Corrected Text
>> --------------
>>    If a compatible TLS server receives a Supported Groups extension from
>>    a client that includes any FFDHE group (i.e., any codepoint between
>>    256 and 511, inclusive, even if unknown to the server), and if none
>>    of the client-proposed FFDHE groups are known and acceptable to the
>>    server, then the server MUST NOT select an FFDHE cipher suite.  In
>>    this case, the server SHOULD select an acceptable non-FFDHE cipher
>>    suite from the client's offered list.
>>
>> Notes
>> -----
>> The text is overly prescriptive about the alert code that needs to used if 
>> there are no acceptable cipher suites available.  If the server is unable to 
>> pick a cipher suite, it can send a handshake_failure(40) alert, which this 
>> text would prohibit.  handshake_failure is at least equally valid in 
>> practice.
>>
>> This eliminates the prescriptive text about the alert type.
>>
>> Servers eliminate cipher suites from considerations in numerous ways.  Being 
>> able to definitively identify the reason as a (perceived) shortcoming in the 
>> strength of the offered security is actually quite challenging in practice.
>>
>> It's true that insufficient_security is perhaps a more desirable code to use 
>> in this case, but it's not generically possible to determine that the server 
>> configuration is "more secure" than the combinations on offer by the client. 
>>  Consider also the possibility that it's the server that is insecure because 
>> it doesn't some of the options offered by the client.  That's a general 
>> criticism of the value of insufficient_security, but it should at least 
>> motivate why insufficient_security should never be mandated in this way.
>>
>> Instructions:
>> -------------
>> This erratum is currently posted as "Reported". If necessary, please
>> use "Reply All" to discuss whether it should be verified or
>> rejected. When a decision is reached, the verifying party
>> can log in to change the status and edit the report, if necessary.
>>
>> --------------------------------------
>> RFC7919 (draft-ietf-tls-negotiated-ff-dhe-10)
>> --------------------------------------
>> Title               : Negotiated Finite Field Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral 
>> Parameters for Transport Layer Security (TLS)
>> Publication Date    : August 2016
>> Author(s)           : D. Gillmor
>> Category            : PROPOSED STANDARD
>> Source              : Transport Layer Security
>> Area                : Security
>> Stream              : IETF
>> Verifying Party     : IESG
> 

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