Using DNS to Securely Publish Secure Shell (SSH) Key Fingerprints
draft-ietf-secsh-dns-05
Note: This ballot was opened for revision 05 and is now closed.
Randy Bush Former IESG member
Discuss
Discuss
[Treat as non-blocking comment]
(2003-07-30)
Unknown
1. Introduction The SSH [5] protocol provides secure remote login and other secure network services over an insecure network. The security of the connection relies on the server authenticating itself to the client. it also relies on the user on the client host authenticating themself to the server. though this is not germane to this document, the above statement could be dangerous out of context. --- Server authentication is normally done by presenting the fingerprint of an unknown public key to the user for verification. the public key is not unknown, in fact the opposite. if it was unknown, then all ssh would offer is being able to talk to the same liar all the time. :-) perhaps "unique" is what was meant? --- 2.4 Authentication A public key verified using this method MUST only be trusted if the SSHFP resource record (RR) used for verification was authenticated by a trusted SIG RR. may want to say that the trust must either come from a validated trust descent from the root or from a validated descent from a zone trusted because of a locally known association. --- The overall security of using SSHFP for SSH host key verification is dependent on detailed aspects of how verification is done in SSH implementations. and of the practices of securing the data inserted in the SSHFP RR in the dns and in the client host's diligence in accessing those data securely. c.f. the discussion on draft-ietf-dnsext-ad-is-secure-06.txt --- nits: fingerprint out-of-band before accepting the key, many users blindly accepts the presented key. ^ - algorithm and fingerprint of the key received from the SSH server matches the algorithm and fingerprint of one of the SSHFP resource ^^ - A message digest of the public key, using the message digest algorithm specified in the SSHFP fingerprint type, MUST match the SSH FP fingerprint. ^ - 3.2 Presentation Format of the SSHFP RR The presentation format of the SSHFP resource record consists of two numbers (algorithm and fingerprint type) followed by the fingerprint itself presented in hex, e.g: host.example. SSHFP 2 1 123456789abcdef67890123456789abcdef67890 well bad wording, actually, as the example shows, the presentation format consists of the label, the RR type, SSHFP, and ... randy
Russ Housley Former IESG member
Yes
Yes
()
Unknown
Steven Bellovin Former IESG member
Yes
Yes
()
Unknown
Ted Hardie Former IESG member
No Objection
No Objection
(2003-08-05)
Unknown
In the text: While some security-conscious users verify the fingerprint out-of-band before accepting the key, many users blindly accepts the presented key. accepts should probably be accept. In the references, this refers to RFC 2535 and nothing else; an updated reference would be good.