Identity-Based Encryption Architecture and Supporting Data Structures
RFC 5408

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Network Working Group                                     G. Appenzeller
Request for Comments: 5408                           Stanford University
Category: Informational                                        L. Martin
                                                        Voltage Security
                                                            M. Schertler
                                                                   Axway
                                                            January 2009

 Identity-Based Encryption Architecture and Supporting Data Structures

Status of This Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2009 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
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Abstract

   This document describes the security architecture required to
   implement identity-based encryption, a public-key encryption
   technology that uses a user's identity as a public key.  It also
   defines data structures that can be used to implement the technology.

Appenzeller, et al.          Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 5408                    IBE Architecture                January 2009

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................3
      1.1. Terminology ................................................3
   2. Identity-Based Encryption .......................................3
      2.1. Overview ...................................................3
      2.2. Sending a Message That Is IBE-Encrypted ....................5
           2.2.1. Sender Obtains Public Parameters ....................5
           2.2.2. Construct and Send an IBE-Encrypted Message .........6
      2.3. Receiving and Viewing an IBE-Encrypted Message .............6
           2.3.1. Recipient Obtains Public Parameters .................7
           2.3.2. Recipient Obtains IBE Private Key ...................8
           2.3.3. Recipient Decrypts IBE-Encrypted Message ............8
   3. Identity Format .................................................9
   4. Public Parameter Lookup .........................................9
      4.1. Request Method ............................................10
      4.2. Parameter and Policy Format ...............................11
      4.3. The application/ibe-pp-data MIME Type .....................14
   5. Private Key Request Protocol ...................................15
      5.1. Overview ..................................................15
      5.2. Private Key Request .......................................15
      5.3. Request Structure .........................................16
      5.4. The application/ibe-key-request+xml MIME type .............17
      5.5. Authentication ............................................18
      5.6. Server Response Format ....................................18
           5.6.1. The IBE100 responseCode ............................19
           5.6.2. The IBE101 responseCode ............................20
           5.6.3. The IBE201 responseCode ............................20
           5.6.4. The IBE300 responseCode ............................21
           5.6.5. The IBE301 responseCode ............................21
           5.6.6. The IBE303 responseCode ............................21
           5.6.7. The IBE304 responseCode ............................22
      5.7. The application/ibe-pkg-reply+xml MIME type ...............22
   6. ASN.1 Module ...................................................23
   7. Security Considerations ........................................25
      7.1. Attacks outside the Scope of This Document ................25
      7.2. Attacks within the Scope of This Document .................26
           7.2.1. Attacks on the Protocols Defined in This Document ..26
   8. IANA Considerations ............................................27
      8.1. Media Types ...............................................27
      8.2. XML Namespace .............................................27
   9. References .....................................................28
      9.1. Normative References ......................................28
      9.2. Informative References ....................................29

Appenzeller, et al.          Informational                      [Page 2]
RFC 5408                    IBE Architecture                January 2009

1. Introduction

   This document describes the security architecture required to