ietf-dkim
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [ietf-dkim] detecting header mutations after signing

2010-10-19 17:30:12
On 10/19/10 1:45 PM, Dave CROCKER wrote:
 On 10/19/2010 1:33 PM, John R. Levine wrote:
Re Security Considerations, it's better than nothing,

 Not necessarily.

 The current issue is part of a much larger one. We will not be
 dealing with that larger set of security details because it is out
 of scope. Dealing with a narrow piece of it, in a very narrow
 specification, gives the patina of dealing with something, without
 the substance.

 So it establishes a false sense of resolving a security issue.

Ignoring pre-pended From headers in DKIM's verification process has 
demonstrated trust established by a DKIM signature can then be 
exploited.  This ONLY affects the DKIM trust being established.  While 
this issue should not be resolved with /just/ changes to Security 
Considerations, any update to DKIM must correct this serious deficiency.

DKIM does not permit assignment of negative reputations for undesired 
messages when RCPT TO parameters are not apparent within the message.  
This leaves the narrow use of DKIM being for establishing trust from 
known good sources.   This trust MUST NOT be extended to messages having 
pre-pended From header fields,  where the wrong field might be selected 
for filtering or display.  After all, ONLY the From header field is 
assured by DKIM as being bound to the message.  Consumers of DKIM 
results should not need to understand the intricacies of the DKIM 
process with respect to the From header field.

In addition, the Subject of this thread is not correct.  The issue is 
not related to either header or body mutations.  The issue is related to 
a From header fields being pre-pended to a signed message, where 
evaluations of such a message can ONLY safely return PERMFAIL.  
Returning anything else is likely to provide recipients a false sense of 
security.

-Doug







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