C14N Argument

Hello All,

There is something that I have been pondering about XML Signatures.
Specifically, the current Candidate Rec allows for the use of Canonical XML
as a transform in the "transformation pipeline" above and beyond the use of
C14N to convert any node-set to octets. 

Consider this Argument:

1. If a Reference is to be processed as "XML" (node-set), it will be
canonicalized implicitly when the node-set is converted to octets at the end
of the transformation pipeline. 

2. If a Reference is to be processed as octets, canonicalization is
meaningless, since we don't know what the file format is anyhow

3. C14N, when used as a part of the transformation pipeline is redundant.

Is there some exception to my argument here? What is missing?

Kind Regards,


Blake Dournaee
Toolkit Applications Engineer
RSA Security
 
"The only thing I know is that I know nothing" - Socrates