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Re: Last call comments: draft-williams-on-channel-binding-01.txt:EAP chann

2007-04-09 15:36:02
"Bernard" == Bernard Aboba <bernard_aboba(_at_)hotmail(_dot_)com> writes:

    >> The Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) [RFC3748] includes
    >> two facilities related to channel binding.  The first, called
    >> channel binding, is used to bind the lower-layer channel
    >> created between the peer and the authenticator to the
    >> authentication performed using EAP.

    Bernard> I think you need to be careful about the precise meaning
    Bernard> of "bind" and "lower layer channel" here.

I'm using them consistently with the rest of the document.

    Bernard> Properties of the lower layer channel such as ciphersuite
    Bernard> negotiation are determined during the Secure Association
    Bernard> Exchange.  During the SAP other parameters advertised or
    Bernard> negotiated between the peer and authenticator can be
    Bernard> cryptographically bound to the transient session keys
    Bernard> used between peer and authenticator.  For example, within
    Bernard> IEEE 802.11i, the peer and authenticator MAC address,
    Bernard> ciphersuite and capabilities are securely confirmed
    Bernard> during the 4-way handshake.

This is a true statement.

    Bernard> In contrast, Channel Bindings as defined in RFC 3748
    Bernard> occur during the EAP exchange.  Its purpose is to confirm
    Bernard> the consistency of channel properties advertised by the
    Bernard> authenticator to the peer and EAP server.  However,
    Bernard> negotiation of the lower layer channel properties occurs
    Bernard> during the SAP.

Understood and I believe that to be consistent with my text.

    >> Specific details of this facility have not been specified, but
    >> it is likely that this channel would use endpoint channel
    >> bindings carried in the EAP method exchange.

    Bernard> Secure Association Protocols are specified in
    Bernard> considerable detail within IEEE 802.11i, IEEE 802.16e and
    Bernard> IKEv2.  Also, both RFC 3748 and the EAP Key Management
    Bernard> Framework discuss Channel Bindings. So saying it is
    Bernard> "unspecified" doesn't seem accurate.

No one has defined the format of channel bindings and with the
possible exception of 802.11r I don't know of any lower layer that has
clearly defined what identity should be bound for that layer.

    >> The endpoint channel bindings would be defined for the specific
    >> lower layer.

    Bernard> EAP Channel Bindings can be supported by an EAP method
    Bernard> today without any modification to lower layer
    Bernard> specifications, so I don't think this is correct.


How do I know what the lower layer identity is unless the lower layer
spec tells me

    >> EAP also has a facility called cryptographic binding, which is
    >> another instance of channel binding.

    Bernard> Cryptographic binding as defined in RFC 3748 is used to
    Bernard> demonstrate that the endpoints of the EAP exchange
    Bernard> participated in all portions of that exchange. This does
    Bernard> not relate to lower layer channel properties, per se.

I did not claim that cryptographic binding was related to lower layer
channel properties in EAP's sense of lower layer.

    >> Cryptographic binding refers to binding the channel created by
    >> a tunneling EAP method to an inner authentication performed
    >> within that method.

    Bernard> This is correct.

    >> Cryptographic binding will likely use unique channel bindings.

    Bernard> Cryptographic binding doesn't ensure that the
    Bernard> authenticator provides the same information to both the
    Bernard> peer and server, so that it doesn't address the Channel
    Bernard> Binding problem.

This is a true statement; as best I can tell it is unrelated to
anything I've said.

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