OSPFv2 HMAC-SHA Cryptographic Authentication
RFC 5709

• Status
• IESG evaluation record
• IESG writeups
• Email expansions
• History

• Versions
• 07

Network Working Group                                          M. Bhatia
Request for Comments: 5709                                Alcatel-Lucent
Updates: 2328                                                  V. Manral
Category: Standards Track                                    IP Infusion
                                                                M. Fanto
                                                     Aegis Data Security
                                                                R. White
                                                               M. Barnes
                                                           Cisco Systems
                                                                   T. Li
                                                                Ericsson
                                                             R. Atkinson
                                                        Extreme Networks
                                                            October 2009

              OSPFv2 HMAC-SHA Cryptographic Authentication

Abstract

   This document describes how the National Institute of Standards and
   Technology (NIST) Secure Hash Standard family of algorithms can be
   used with OSPF version 2's built-in, cryptographic authentication
   mechanism.  This updates, but does not supercede, the cryptographic
   authentication mechanism specified in RFC 2328.

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright and License 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
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
   publication of this document.  Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the BSD License.

Bhatia, et al.              Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 5709                    OSPFv2 HMAC-SHA                 October 2009

   This document may contain material from IETF Documents or IETF
   Contributions published or made publicly available before November
   10, 2008.  The person(s) controlling the copyright in some of this
   material may not have granted the IETF Trust the right to allow
   modifications of such material outside the IETF Standards Process.
   Without obtaining an adequate license from the person(s) controlling
   the copyright in such materials, this document may not be modified
   outside the IETF Standards Process, and derivative works of it may
   not be created outside the IETF Standards Process, except to format
   it for publication as an RFC or to translate it into languages other
   than English.

1.  Introduction

   A variety of risks exist when deploying any routing protocol
   [Bell89].  This document provides an update to OSPFv2 Cryptographic
   Authentication, which is specified in Appendix D of RFC 2328.  This
   document does not deprecate or supercede RFC 2328.  OSPFv2, itself,
   is defined in RFC 2328 [RFC2328].

   This document adds support for Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA) defined
   in the US NIST Secure Hash Standard (SHS), which is defined by NIST
   FIPS 180-2.  [FIPS-180-2] includes SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384,
   and SHA-512.  The Hashed Message Authentication Code (HMAC)
   authentication mode defined in NIST FIPS 198 is used [FIPS-198].

   It is believed that [RFC2104] is mathematically identical to
   [FIPS-198] and it is also believed that algorithms in [RFC4634] are
   mathematically identical to [FIPS-180-2].

   The creation of this addition to OSPFv2 was driven by operator
   requests that they be able to use the NIST SHS family of algorithms
   in the NIST HMAC mode, instead of being forced to use the Keyed-MD5
   algorithm and mode with OSPFv2 Cryptographic Authentication.
   Cryptographic matters are discussed in more detail in the Security
   Considerations section of this document.

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].

2.  Background

   All OSPF protocol exchanges can be authenticated.  The OSPF packet
   header (see Appendix A.3.1 of RFC 2328) includes an Authentication
   Type field and 64 bits of data for use by the appropriate