ietf-dkim
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Re: [ietf-dkim] Ticket #17

2011-04-27 13:19:37
On 4/27/11 2:21 AM, SM wrote:
 Hi Doug, At 18:43 26-04-2011, Douglas Otis wrote:
Not validating input creates a bigger mess when used in conjunction
with RFC5336bis. As such, it seems unfair for the DKIM WG
operating within the Security area to close and then hand a mess
over to the Applications area EAI WG.

 I thought that the advancement of the specifications from Proposed to
 Draft would not be too much of an effort as there are existing
 implementations of RFC 4871. But then, this is the DKIM WG.

DKIM represents a security measure intended to have minimal impact on 
existing email infrastructure.  When moving to draft collides with 
repairing deficiencies found, whether due to DKIM errors, unanticipated 
encoding changes, or unexpected deficiencies with dependent protocols, 
then this move is clearly premature.  The substantially greater 
resources expended to support DKIM overwhelmingly justify minor 
adjustments necessary to better restore security.  Whether this might 
mean incrementing singleton header counts, or detecting Fake A-Labels by 
checking symmetry with existing libraries.  IMHO, it would also improve 
security by indicating these additional checks are in place.  When doing 
what is best is hindered by being associated with a "standard", then 
something has gone wrong.

 I don't see any issue between the Security Area and the Applications
 Area. I don't recall DKIM being discussed in the EAI WG. I read
 draft-ietf-dkim-rfc4871bis during the last WGLC in October 2010 and
 commented on the draft (
 http://mipassoc.org/pipermail/ietf-dkim/2010q4/014696.html ).

DKIM is briefly discussed in the Framework document where it indicates 
DKIM is an open issue for both groups where changes ARE needed.

 IDNA and EAI are not the same. You are going to break stuff if you
 want to DKIM support for RFC5336bis. It's up to the DKIM WG to see
 whether it wants to do that or not.

DKIM would be deficient blaming deceptive output on name or transport 
services.  DKIM binds elements of the message with a recognizable domain 
contained within the DKIM-Signature "d=" parameter.  When recipients are 
expected to compare the output of a Punycode algorithm against the UTF-8 
IDNs, then clearly DKIM will have failed.  When DKIM does not ensure 
resources are only obtained from DNS using NR-LDH or Valid A-Labels, 
then clearly DKIM will have failed.  When the only header field required 
to be signed is not guarded against deceptive pre-pended header fields 
(by incrementing the signed header count), then clearly DKIM has failed.

-Doug
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