Thanks for the review. I will add these points to the security consideration section, but will keep it as a host level document, not service level. This well-known document is appropriate when looking for host metadata, and application choosing to use it, must consider the implications. By itself, host-meta means very little. Applications need to "buy-into" the document (and spell out how to use it) in order for it to have meaning. When doing so, they must consider its implications. EHL > -----Original Message----- > From: Kurt Zeilenga [mailto:Kurt.Zeilenga@xxxxxxxxx] > Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 7:18 AM > To: IETF > Cc: draft-hammer-hostmeta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Security Area Directorate; IESG > IESG > Subject: SECDIR review: draft-hammer-hostmeta > > I have reviewed this document as part of the security directorate's ongoing > effort to review all IETF documents being processed by the IESG. These > comments were written primarily for the benefit of the security area > directors. Document editors should treat these comments just like any other > last call comments. > > I have a number of security-related concerns with this specification. > > First, I'm concerned by assumptions in the document that each of: > http://example.com > http://example.com:8080 > https://example.com > https://example.com:8443 > > identify resources under the control of same entity. It is fairly common to > there to be multiple http/https services running on a single host, each service > possibly operated by different entities as delegated by the "host" > administrator. I think it would be better (from a security perspective) to > have "service"-level metadata, not "host" level meta data. That is, make no > assumption that the above URIs are under control of the same entity, or > even if so, that it desirable to a single policy/metadata covering multiple > services. > > And I think it very important to always fetch the meta data from the service > one is accessing. The document calls for client to fetch > https://example.com/.well-known/host-meta even when > https://example.com:8443 is URI wants policy for. > > Even worse, the document calls for the client to, if the above fetch does not > produce a "valid" hostmeta document, for the client to fetch > http://example.com/.well-known/host-meta. An attacker could easily cause > https://example.com/.well-known/host-meta to fail to produce a "valid" > hostmeta document, and serve its own hostmeta document in response to > the client's http://example.com/.well-known/host-meta, without > supplanting the https://example.com:8443 service. > > The document fails to discuss such attacks. > > I recommend reworking this document to provide service-level, not host- > level, metadata. In particular, the metadata document should always be > retrieved through the service the client is interested in using, such as by > fetching "/.well-known/metadata". > > If the authors rather continue pursuing a "host-based" solution, the security > considerations should include a discussion of the above issues. > > Regards, Kurt _______________________________________________ Ietf mailing list Ietf@xxxxxxxx https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf