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Re: [ietf-dkim] SSP-02: Policy Scope // defaults

2008-02-22 11:21:09

On Feb 22, 2008, at 5:00 AM, Charles Lindsey wrote:

On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:00:47 -0000, Douglas Otis <dotis(_at_)mail- 
abuse.org>
wrote:

On Feb 21, 2008, at 4:01 AM, Charles Lindsey wrote:

But if they publish "s=SMTP" and something leaves their domain via  
UUCP/NNTP/whatever-else, then they are saying it is OK not to be  
signed.

When messages enter into infrastructure supporting messages  
normally carried by SMTP, then the policy defined for SMTP should  
be used.  This may block messages from other transports integrated  
into SMTP related infrastructure.  When NTTP messages never touch  
SMTP infrastructure, and the policy scope is s=SMTP, then NTTP  
messages are excluded from assertions of being signed.  This  
default would create less astonishment, and not affect NTTP  
messages that are handled separately from those related to SMTP.

I can think of nothing more astonishing to the readers of some  
newsgroup and of its associated mailing lists that to have some  
messages propagating freely within the newsgroup but not being  
visible within the mailing list.

Regardless of the scope parameter, SSP policy will potentially create  
a problem for messages introduced into SMTP.  Limitation of such  
abilities is a completely separate issue.  Nevertheless SSP policy  
scope would be able to establish explicit requirements at protocol  
bridges, and within the separate protocol itself, through assertions  
such as:

1) Both NTTP and SMTP are "all" signed
2) SMTP is "all" signed, excluding NTTP from the "all" signed assertion
3) Use of NTTP is disavowed by the domain.
4) Use of SMTP and NTTP are disavowed by the domain.

The more you try to justify this "s=" tag, the deeper into the pit  
you dig yourself. It is evident to me that the whole idea is utterly  
indefensible.

There is nothing wrong with declaring SSP policy as pertaining to  
messages handled by SMTP related protocols and could be defined as  
such.  The "s=" tag could also allow a domain to could forgo NTTP to  
ensure NNTP messages are not passed into SMTP as being from their  
domain, such as "s=SMTP:!* to where all different message protocols  
are disavowed.  Perhaps the most useful declaration would be for  
existing domains containing address records, but that wish to disavow  
use of even SMTP.  "s=!*" would avoid subsequent queries for key  
records referenced from the domain, and prevent the continuation of  
queries into the parent domain.  "s=*!" would be more effective than  
an invalid signature and an "all" or "repudiate-able" assertion.

-Doug




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