RE: EAP applicability (Was: Re: IETF Last Call on Walled Garden Standard for the Internet)

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FYI. In WiMAX we derive keys directly from EMSK.  We don't use the MOARKs ;-)

It maybe a good idea or a bad idea -- we haven't had a chance to look at it because we did our stuff before the MOARK was conceived. We did align at one point with Joe's draft.

I am not sure whether defining a MOARK is the root of all evil.  It maybe a good idea to derive keys from it in general or it maybe a good idea for HOAKEY to derive its keys from it.

Simply removing MOARK is not sufficient to prevent the EMSK to be missused.  I think we need to provide the text to describe the pitfalls of EMSK missuse.

Also to note, in WiMAX the keys we derive from EMSK are for MIP and other network centric applications such as over the air provisioning.  I don't want to give the impression that in WiMAX we are using the EMSK for anything and everything.  At the same time, I don't want to give the impression that that is all that WiMAX will use the EMSK for in the future.  To be sure it is very tempting indeed to have a source of keying material that is known at the mobile and at the network.  That is why I look forward to *constructive* instructions from the IETF.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Harkins [mailto:dharkins@xxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 4:52 PM
> To: Jari Arkko
> Cc: Avi Lior; ietf@xxxxxxxx; Bernard Aboba
> Subject: Re: EAP applicability (Was: Re: IETF Last Call on
> Walled Garden Standard for the Internet)
>
>
>   Hi Jari,
>
> On Thu, March 13, 2008 8:49 pm, Jari Arkko wrote:
> > Avi,
> >
> >>> For what it is worth, this ex-EAP co-chair also thinks
> that the use
> >>> of EAP keys for applications is a very bad idea.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Why?
> >>
> >
> > For a number of reasons. Take this from someone who has
> actually tried
> > to do this in the distant past and has realized that it was
> a bad idea.
> >
> > But first let me clarify that I'm not criticizing HOKEY for
> EAP keys
> > in any way; HOKEY is a fine application for EAP keys. The document
> > that started this thread can be fixed by better IANA and
> applicability
> > sections. I've also changed the subject to reflect the new topic.
>
>   Actually I think it's a little more technical than
> editorial. This problem is due to the fact that HOKEY is
> extracting a key derived from the EMSK and making that "The
> Mother Of All Root Keys" (MOARK), which can be used to derive
> all keys for all purposes to solve all problems in the world.
>
>   The document can be fixed by removing the MOARK from the
> draft and having HOKEY define a _HOKEY-specific_ key derived
> from the EMSK. That HOKEY-specific key is used for HOKEY and
> HOKEY only. If some other key usage is needed then it can
> define another way to extract it's needed keying material
> from the EMSK, and hopefully that process would be done in
> the IETF (at least the chances are greater that it would be
> done in the IETF if it's based on the EMSK and not the MOARK).
>
>   This has the added benefit of simplifying the key hierarchy.
>
>   regards,
>
>   Dan.
>
>
>
>
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