ietf-dkim
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [ietf-dkim] Author Signature vs. Author Domain Signature / Internal vs External threats

2009-04-02 13:25:00

On Apr 2, 2009, at 8:15 AM, Dave CROCKER wrote:

I think there are two sources of confusion for this round of ADSP  
discussion.

The first is that the term "Author Signature" encourages one to  
think that DKIM is used to sign with the full author email address,  
rather than with the /domain/ of the author's address.  We fixed  
that error in the name of the document, but forgot to carry it  
through to the details of the spec.

Agreed. :^)

DKIM is about domains, not email addresses.  And that's all ADSP  
should be.  Using i= encourages this cofusion.  Using "Author  
Signature" rather than "Author Domain Signature" also encourages it.

Agreed.

----
Change:

1. Introduction:

This inquiry is called an Author Signing Practices check.

To:

This inquiry is called an Author Domain Signing Practices check.
----
Change:

Section 2.7 Author Signature.

To:

Section 2.7 Author Domain Signature.
----
Change:

An "author signature"

To:

An "Author Domain Signature"

Then:
s/author signature/Author Domain Signature/



The specification and semantics of ADSP get simpler, cleaner and  
properly scoped, when d= is used.  Using i= really does invite a  
complex of issues that should be outside the scope of DKIM and ADSP.

Within the Security Consideration section, mention use of the i= could  
be required to differentiate intra-domain sources that might otherwise  
confuse From header fields as the message source, such as a mailing- 
list sharing the same domain.

Append to the initial paragraph within the Security Considerations  
section:

Use of the i= value (AUID) may be necessary to disambiguate message  
sources, such as those messages handled by a mailing list sharing the  
same domain.


Use d=.

To determine ADSP compliance.  Agreed.

d/

ps.  That includes dropping the "ADSP is incompatible" note.

----
Strike the following in Section 2.7:

If the DKIM signing identity has a Local-part, it is be identical to  
the Local-part in the Author Address.  Following [RFC5321], Local-part  
comparisons are case sensitive, but domain comparisons are case  
insensitive.

For example, if a message has a Valid Signature, with the DKIM- 
Signature field containing "i=a(_at_)domain(_dot_)example", then domain.example 
  
is asserting that it takes responsibility for the message.  If the  
message's From: field contains the address "b(_at_)domain(_dot_)example", that  
would mean that the message does not have a valid Author Signature.  
Even though the message is signed by the same domain, it will not  
satisfy ADSP that specifies "dkim=all" or "dkim=discardable".

Note:   ADSP is incompatible with valid DKIM usage in which a signer  
uses "i=" with values that are not the same as addresses in mail  
headers.  In that case, a possible workaround could be to add a   
second DKIM signature a "d=" value that matches the Author  Address,  
but no "i=".
----

-Doug



_______________________________________________
NOTE WELL: This list operates according to 
http://mipassoc.org/dkim/ietf-list-rules.html

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>