Yes, I like Bruce’s rewrite better.

 

Using MAY to describe exceptions to MUST is common in some standards (including 
the BRs in places), but strictly speaking it’s a violation of RFC 2119 and we 
should (MUST? 😊) fix them when we find them.  “MUST do X and MAY do Y instead” 
is just wrong.

 

A MUST requirement is an absolute requirement.  Providing a MAY for a 
replacement option introduces a contradiction, not an exception.

 

-Tim

 

From: Cscwg-public <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Bruce 
Morton via Cscwg-public
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 12:03 PM
To: Martijn Katerbarg <[email protected]>; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Cscwg-public] MUST overridden by a MAY - Subordinate CA policies

 

Hi Martijn,

 

I agree that the language needs improvement. It might be better if the 
requirement was:

 

A Certificate issued after 31 March 2022 to a Subordinate CA that issues 
Timestamp Certificates and is an Affiliate of the Issuing CA MUST include one 
of the following:

1.      The CA/Browser Forum reserved identifier (2.23.140.1.4.2) to indicate 
the Subordinate CA’s compliance with these Requirements; OR
2.      The “anyPolicy” identifier (2.5.29.32.0).

 

Does that work? If so, then maybe we should also cleanup the whole section. 
Also, we might also consider deleting “to indicate the Subordinate CA’s 
compliance with these Requirements”.

 

 

Thanks, Bruce.

 

From: Cscwg-public <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf Of Martijn Katerbarg via 
Cscwg-public
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 11:07 AM
To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Cscwg-public] MUST overridden by a MAY - Subordinate CA 
policies

 

All,

 

CSBR section 7.1.6.3 states:

”A Certificate issued to a Subordinate CA that issues Code Signing Certificates 
and is an Affiliate of the Issuing CA:

1.      MUST include the CA/Browser Forum reserved identifier specified in 
Section 7.1.6.1 
<https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/github.com/cabforum/code-signing/blob/main/docs/CSBR.md%237161-reserved-certificate-policy-identifiers___.YXAzOmRpZ2ljZXJ0OmE6bzphZDZmYjdhNGUxNjE2YWYzMGY3MmJkNzdjOGUyMTNlMTo2OmZiZWE6ZmFkNDJkNDllOWM5ZTVjNjVmNmJkY2RkMzQyY2YyMmFiZjJmODJhOTFhYzY5YzNiY2VhMjZiNjQ2ZGNlMjU4MzpoOkY>
  to indicate the Subordinate CA's compliance with these Requirements, and
2.      MAY contain the "anyPolicy" identifier (2.5.29.32.0) in place of an 
explicit policy identifier.

A Certificate issued after 31 March 2022 to a Subordinate CA that issues 
Timestamp Certificates and is an Affiliate of the Issuing CA:

1.      MUST include the CA/Browser Forum reserved identifier specified in 
Section 7.1.6.1 
<https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/github.com/cabforum/code-signing/blob/main/docs/CSBR.md%237161-reserved-certificate-policy-identifiers___.YXAzOmRpZ2ljZXJ0OmE6bzphZDZmYjdhNGUxNjE2YWYzMGY3MmJkNzdjOGUyMTNlMTo2OmQzYjQ6NGQzNTc4ZDUxOWExZDZlOTQ3M2M2YWM2MjQxMjBjZDZjMzBlOWNiODA4MDZhODNiYmYzZTM1YmQ5NWJiNDY3NjpoOkY>
  to indicate the Subordinate CA’s compliance with these Requirements, and
2.      MAY contain the “anyPolicy” identifier (2.5.29.32.0) in place of an 
explicit policy identifier.”

I find there’s a few issues with this:

*       “MUST include the CA/Browser Forum reserved identifier specified in 
Section 7.1.6.1 
<https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/github.com/cabforum/code-signing/blob/main/docs/CSBR.md%237161-reserved-certificate-policy-identifiers___.YXAzOmRpZ2ljZXJ0OmE6bzphZDZmYjdhNGUxNjE2YWYzMGY3MmJkNzdjOGUyMTNlMTo2OjhiNjM6MzI3NzY3ZjlhMDc3YTIyNzZjOWY3MjgxNjA1YjVjZDFhODk4Y2NmNzBkYzA1MTdiNThkNTgxOGY3ZmE2MTliYTpoOkY>
 ”, seems to state there’s only one policy OID to use, while in fact there are 
3 in the named section, 2 which are for code signing certificates. This is a 
minor issue though and could be fixed in a cleanup ballot.
*       More concerning I find the MUST and MAY language. If we take the 
language related to CA Certificates for Code Signing Certificates, what does 
this language actually state? Should this be interpreted as:

*       MUST include a CABF OID and MAY additionally contain the “anyPolicy” 
OID.
or does it state:
*       MUST include either a CABF OID or the “anyPolicy” OID?

I would like to think the intent here is to allow CA Certificates with just the 
“anyPolicy” OID, but at the same time, a MAY overriding a MUST, seems 
counterproductive.

Any thoughts on this?

Regards,

Martijn

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