> * Aaron Gable commented in the PR with a suggestion that we require CAs to 
> reject any key found in Hanno Bock's repository at 
> https://github.com/badkeys/debianopenssl. This includes RSA 
> 1024/2048/3072/4096 and EC P256/P384 keys.

Some of the EC key files in Hanno's repository have ASN.1 encoding issues (see 
https://www.mail-archive.com/dev-security-policy@mozilla.org/msg00911.html); 
whereas the equivalent files in https://github.com/CVE-2008-0166/private_keys 
are correctly encoded.

> * Roman Fischer suggested that we limit the requirement to check Debian weak 
> keys only with sizes up to RSA 4096 under the logic that no one would 
> “accidentally” create an 8192 bit RSA key on a system vulnerable to Debian 
> Weak keys

FWIW, https://github.com/CVE-2008-0166/private_keys already has all of the 
possible 8192-bit RSA Debian weak keys.

________________________________
From: Servercert-wg <servercert-wg-boun...@cabforum.org> on behalf of Wayne 
Thayer via Servercert-wg <servercert-wg@cabforum.org>
Sent: 05 April 2024 23:47
To: CA/B Forum Server Certificate WG Public Discussion List 
<servercert-wg@cabforum.org>
Subject: Re: [Servercert-wg] Compromised/Weak Keys Ballot Proposal

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click 
links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content 
is safe.

Two new alternatives have been proposed in addition to the one I proposed below:

* Aaron Gable commented in the PR with a suggestion that we require CAs to 
reject any key found in Hanno Bock's repository at 
https://github.com/badkeys/debianopenssl. This includes RSA 1024/2048/3072/4096 
and EC P256/P384 keys. We might prefer to reference a clone in the CAB Forum 
GitHub org (or some other source of the actual generated weak keys) but that's 
a detail we can work out if others like this approach.
* Roman Fischer suggested that we limit the requirement to check Debian weak 
keys only with sizes up to RSA 4096 under the logic that no one would 
“accidentally” create an 8192 bit RSA key on a system vulnerable to Debian Weak 
keys

Each of these methods has the benefit of adding clarity to the Debian 
requirement rather than just maintaining the existing language, but they also 
[arguably] allow CAs to issue certs containing abnormally sized Debian weak 
keys.

I would like to hear from other members (especially Apple) if you prefer or 
object to either of these alternatives?

Thanks,

Wayne

On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 4:13 PM Wayne Thayer via Servercert-wg 
<servercert-wg@cabforum.org<mailto:servercert-wg@cabforum.org>> wrote:
There was further discussion of this ballot proposal on today's teleconference. 
It was suggested that rather than omitting any reference to Debian weak keys, 
the ballot should retain the current language. Unfortunately, the ballot 
restructures the language in such a way that this is challenging. My new 
proposal is that TLS BR Section 6.1.1.3(5) be updated to read as follows 
(https://github.com/wthayer/servercert/pull/1/files):
=====
5. The Public Key corresponds to an industry-demonstrated weak Private Key. For 
requests submitted on or after November 15, 2024, at least the following 
precautions SHALL be implemented:
    1. The CA SHALL reject Debian weak keys (https://wiki.debian.org/SSLkeys).
    2. In the case of ROCA vulnerability, the CA SHALL reject keys identified 
by the tools available at https://github.com/crocs-muni/roca or equivalent.
    3. In the case of Close Primes vulnerability 
(https://fermatattack.secvuln.info/), the CA SHALL reject weak keys which can 
be factored within 100 rounds using Fermat’s factorization method.

    Suggested tools for checking for weak keys can be found here: 
https://cabforum.org/resources/tools/
=====
I would greatly appreciate feedback from any member that finds this language 
unacceptable, or that has suggestions to improve it.

Thanks,

Wayne


On Fri, Mar 15, 2024 at 11:19 AM Wayne Thayer via Servercert-wg 
<servercert-wg@cabforum.org<mailto:servercert-wg@cabforum.org>> wrote:
On yesterday's SCWG teleconference, Mads suggested that a way forward would be 
to leave the existing requirements in place for Debian weak keys. I've 
interpreted that to mean that we would just remove references to Debian, 
resulting in this: https://github.com/wthayer/servercert/pull/1/files

I'm not satisfied by this approach because it doesn't achieve the clarity 
intended to result from the original weak keys ballot and will seemingly result 
in CAs continuing to have varying interpretations of the specific requirements 
for rejecting Debian weak keys, but perhaps this is the best we can all agree 
to.

What  do others think? Should we proceed with this approach?

Thanks,

Wayne

On Sat, Mar 9, 2024 at 9:15 AM Dimitris Zacharopoulos (HARICA) via 
Servercert-wg <servercert-wg@cabforum.org<mailto:servercert-wg@cabforum.org>> 
wrote:
FWIW, I think in the recent years, it was mostly security researchers that 
attempted to request certificates with Debian weak keys to test if a CA was 
properly blocking them.

If an Applicant uses an outdated OS that generates weak keys, imagine the 
actual web server or other software that runs on that server, putting Relying 
Parties at risk. CAs don't have control over that but they could have control 
over a common set of weak keys using common parameters/algorithms which could 
be enforced by all CAs.

Dimitris.

On 9/3/2024 12:05 π.μ., Wayne Thayer via Servercert-wg wrote:
Hi Clint,

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, it leads me to the conclusion that 
there is not a path forward and we're stuck with the status quo. Having said 
that, I'll reply to a few of your points below and encourage others to do the 
same if there is a desire to move forward with an update to our weak keys 
requirements.

On Thu, Mar 7, 2024 at 12:59 AM Clint Wilson 
<cli...@apple.com<mailto:cli...@apple.com>> wrote:
Hi Wayne,

Thank you for carrying this work item forward. I have a few concerns regarding 
the proposed removal of Debian weak key checking, outlined below.

I don’t believe there has been sufficient explanation or data presented to 
justify the removal of the requirement to check for Debian weak keys. It seems 
to me there are feasible methods for CAs to continue performing this check. 
Similar to what Martijn has pointed out, the reasoning provided is lacking 
(hasty generalization, fallacy of composition, etc.).

The argument that I find compelling is that any system capable of generating a 
Debian weak key in 2024 is also riddled with a decade of vulnerabilities, so 
preventing the use of said weak key in a certificate is security theater. In 
what scenario do you envision the rejection of a Debian weak key having a 
meaningful impact on the security of a service that relies on it? It's just not 
obvious to me that these checks continue to provide any practical value at this 
point in time.

I don’t believe a compromise where Debian weak keys only need be checked for 
specific key sizes addresses the core issue, unless tied together with a 
restriction from accepting key sizes which are not included in such a list 
(which I do see as reasonable and something I’m under the impression is already 
being done by some CAs).

My understanding is that the objections some CAs had to the original ballot was 
the requirement to maintain a sizable database of Debian weak keys for every 
key size they support. Limiting the requirement to the most popular key sizes 
would resolve that issue and be more inline with my understanding of some 
current practices. This approach would also greatly reduce the threat of the 
accidental use of a Debian weak key.

The removal of this check seems to shift a burden currently placed on CAs to a 
risk (long assumed resolved) for Relying Parties and Subscribers. From my 
reading of the ballot, the requirement that a CA revoke Certificates with 
Debian weak keys remains in effect, serving only to remove the pre-issuance 
“blocking” requirement, but retaining an expectation that certificates are 
checked post-issuance based on the CA’s awareness of this method of 
compromising a Private Key; this generally seems a significantly worse 
experience for Subscribers. Have I missed something regarding the intent of the 
changes in this regard?

This is a great point. It makes no sense to allow a CA to issue a cert that is 
then immediately subject to a revocation requirement. I am open to either 
exempting Debian weak keys from BR 4.9.1.1(4) or for CAs to be required to 
revoke a certificate containing a Debian weak key only if they are "made aware" 
using the mechanism specified in 4.9.3.

Thanks,

Wayne


There have been incidents involving certificates issued to Debian weak keys in 
recent years; some CAs have indicated that they don’t receive Debian weak keys 
in requests, but evidence exists to the contrary for the ecosystem as a whole.

Thank you!
-Clint




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