- From: Blair Dillaway <blaird@microsoft.com>
- Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 09:34:54 -0800
- To: <xml-encryption@w3.org>
- Message-ID: <AA19CFCE90F52E4B942B27D42349637902CDCF7B@red-msg-01.redmond.corp.microsoft.com>
While it might be nice to have a consistent treatment of EncryptionMethod and SignatureMethod in the schemas, I think its more important to have stable specifications for XML Signature and XML Encryption at this point. So I am not in favor of changing the schema for either of these elements. I do agree with Merlin's argument about fragility of signed or encrypted documents when the algorithms are omitted. I expect most applications will include the xxxMethod element to explicitly identify the algorithm. Still, there are folks who will use these for applications (like messaging systems) where they will be concerned about how many bytes of overhead are required. So I lean toward having these be optional. Blair ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- To: Christian Geuer-Pollmann <&References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>">g euer-pollmann@nue.et-inf.uni-siegen.de <mailto:geuer-pollmann@nue.et-inf.uni-siegen.de?Subject=Re:%20Encryption Method%20in%20XMLEnc%20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To= <20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> > Cc: Karel Wouters <&References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>">K arel.Wouters@esat.kuleuven.ac.be <mailto:Karel.Wouters@esat.kuleuven.ac.be?Subject=Re:%20EncryptionMethod %20in%20XMLEnc%20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To=<20020 402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> >, Aleksey Sanin <&References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>">a leksey@aleksey.com <mailto:aleksey@aleksey.com?Subject=Re:%20EncryptionMethod%20in%20XMLEnc %20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To=<20020402155925.86AB B43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> >, &References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>">xm l-encryption@w3.org <mailto:xml-encryption@w3.org?Subject=Re:%20EncryptionMethod%20in%20XMLE nc%20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To=<20020402155925.86 ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> From: merlin <&References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>">m erlin@baltimore.ie <mailto:merlin@baltimore.ie?Subject=Re:%20EncryptionMethod%20in%20XMLEnc %20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To=<20020402155925.86AB B43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> > Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 16:59:25 +0100 Message-Id: <20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> Subject: Re: EncryptionMethod in XMLEnc and SignatureMethod in XMLDSig [ I believe I mis-sent the last copy of this. ] The attack is to break a message digest algorithm, and to replace the signed data with text indicating that the broken digest is to be used, such that the new signed data under the broken message digest algorithm has the same hash as the original signed data under the original message digest algorithm. If the digest algorithm isn't in the signed text, just change its setting in the appropriate place; possibly the application's configuration file. This isn't practical against DSA because its use of SHA-1 is currently fixed. Under RSA, the solution (that we also inherit) is to include the signature OID within the RSA ciphertext. The attacker cannot replace this instance of the algorithm specifier, and so this attack will be readily apparent. Given our current signature algorithm support, SignatureMethod may safely be omitted. However, the dsig spec is beyond change so a discussion to make it optional is somewhat fruitless. Personally, I don't see the benefit of the optionality of these algorithm identifiers. It doesn't seriously save much space, it doesn't add security, it makes the long-term durability of documents much more fragile, and it makes it more difficult to design a friendly API that exposes the full capabilities of the specification. Merlin r/&References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>"> geuer-pollmann@nue.et-inf.uni-siegen.de <mailto:geuer-pollmann@nue.et-inf.uni-siegen.de?Subject=Re:%20Encryption Method%20in%20XMLEnc%20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To= <20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> /2002.04.02/15:39:21 >Hi Karel, > >but this attack is always possible, isn't it? If the verifying application >allows (accepts) weak signature methods, an attacker can change the >ds:SignatureMethod/@Algorithm value and the ds:SignatureValue . This attack >does not depend on whether the SignatureMethod is optional or not. > >Or am I completely on the wrong track. > >Regards, >Christian > >--On Dienstag, 2. April 2002 16:00 +0200 Karel Wouters ><&References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>"> Karel.Wouters@esat.kuleuven.ac.be <mailto:Karel.Wouters@esat.kuleuven.ac.be?Subject=Re:%20EncryptionMethod %20in%20XMLEnc%20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To=<20020 402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> > wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> I think that SignatureMethod in ds:SignedInfo should be present in >> each signature, because it restricts the attacker: >> If I leave out SignatureMethod, the attacker might be able to come up with >> a weaker SignatureMethod, tamper with the references and claim that the >> signature was produced with this method. >> RSA with a weak hash algorithm would suffice. >> (actually, he might produce 'any' signature if the hash function is weak >> enough) >> >> So specifying the SignatureMethod ensures the verifier that this signature >> is generated with a solid technique. >> >> (mailinglist, correct me if I'm wrong) >> >> Karel. >> >> On Mon, 1 Apr 2002, Aleksey Sanin wrote: >> >>> Sorry for mistype, actually Imeant SignatureMethod in XMLDSig: >>> >>> A minor issue but probably it's worth to fix it: the EncryptionMethod >>> in XMLEncryption and SignatureMethod in XMLDSig both have the same >>> meaning: algorithm selection. However, EncryptionMethod is *optional* >>> element and SignatureMethod is *required*. From my point of view it is >>> inconsistent. Either both should be required or both should be optional. >>> I would prefer the second (both optional) since application can have this >>> information from the context. >>> >>> >>> Aleksey Sanin <&References=<20020402155925.86ABB43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com>">a leksey@aleksey.com <mailto:aleksey@aleksey.com?Subject=Re:%20EncryptionMethod%20in%20XMLEnc %20and%20SignatureMethod%20in%20XMLDSig&In-Reply-To=<20020402155925.86AB B43BEA@yog-sothoth.ie.baltimore.com> > >>> http://www.aleksey.com/xmlsec
Received on Friday, 5 April 2002 12:35:26 UTC