Re: ACTION-306: Trust anchors

I was not suggesting that we should mandate X509Data (or anything like  
it).

The point I was getting at was, that along with our using of X509  
certificates, people really ought to use basic path validation as  
specified in 5280 -- no matter where the certificate comes from.  I  
think your change is fine.
--
Thomas Roessler, W3C  <tlr@w3.org>







On 25 Feb 2009, at 23:55, Frederick Hirsch wrote:

> Thanks for the proposal Thomas.
>
> This proposal requiring Basic Path Validation seems to conflict with  
> X509Data being optional, the current language that I think we  
> discussed during the meeting:
>
> Generation:
> 5c) The ds:KeyInfo element MAY be included and MAY include  
> certificate, CRL and/or OCSP information. If so, it MUST be  
> compliant with the[XMLDSIG11] specification. If certificates are  
> used they MUST conform to the mandatory certificate format.
>
> Validation:
> If a ds:KeyInfo element is present then it MUST conform to the  
> [XMLDSIG11]specification. If present then any certificate chain  
> SHOULD be validated and any CRL or OCSP information may be used as  
> appropriate [RFC5280]..
>
> I suggest we could also adopt your text by changing the final  
> sentence above  to
>
> If present then user agents MUST perform Basic Path
> Validation [RFC 5280] on the signing key and SHOULD perform  
> revocation checking as appropriate.  The set of acceptable
> trust anchors, and policy decisions based on the signer's identity
> are established through a security-critical out-of-band mechanism.
>
> Question:
> Should re require use of X509Data to convey certificates?
>
> I was suggesting not, since this could be conveyed out of band and  
> it might not always be appropriate to include in every signature.
>
> Thoughts on this one?
>
> regards, Frederick
>
> Frederick Hirsch
> Nokia
>
>
>
> On Feb 25, 2009, at 9:23 AM, ext Thomas Roessler wrote:
>
>> I propose that we add te following text in the beginning of 6.2:
>>
>>> The validation procedure given in this section describes extensions
>>> to XML Signature Core Validation.  In addition to the steps defined
>>> in these two specifications, user agents MUST perform Basic Path
>>> Validation [RFC 5280] on the signing key.  The set of acceptable
>>> trust anchors, and policy decisions based on the signer's identity
>>> are established through a security-cirtical out-of-band mechanism.
>>
>> (If somebody can think of something nicer to say, that's fine as
>> well.  Note that the Basic Path Validation requirement isn't really
>> new -- it's implicit to our use of X.509, if done properly.
>> Nevertheless, worth calling out properly.)
>>
>> --
>> Thomas Roessler, W3C  <tlr@w3.org>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>

Received on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 22:59:11 UTC