Hi,

Technically, everything is fine.  The right things are specified so that ML-DSA 
and SLH-DSA can be used in IKEv2.

But I'm confused about why this draft needs to claim that it "specifies a 
generic mechanism for integrating post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) digital 
signature algorithms into the IKEv2 protocol" and that it "enables the use of 
any PQC digital signature algorithm without modifying core IKEv2 operations".

The generality seems unnecessary.  The important thing in this document is that 
it specifies the use of ML-DSA and SLH-DSA for IKEv2.  We don't know for sure 
what future PQC signature algorithms will look like, and frankly even if they 
were exactly like ML-DSA and SLH-DSA, we wouldn't need a generic mechanism for 
integrating them, because future drafts for those algorithms would still end up 
specifying the same information, namely:
- use the "Digital Signature" authentication method with these particular OIDs
- hedged vs deterministic signing doesn't affect interoperability
- set the context parameter to the empty string
- use the "pure" mode of the algorithm.

The "PQC" TLA appears 56 times in the draft, and while "PQC" is nice and short, 
most of the times it is used it could equally say "ML-DSA and SLH-DSA" or "the 
algorithms in this draft" or something else that doesn't imply that this draft 
should cover future unknown PQC algorithms as well.

I wouldn't personally try to hold up WGLC over these concerns, I just think 
that it would be a cleaner and clearer document if it just stuck to the ML-DSA 
and SLH-DSA in IKEv2 specifics and didn't try to claim to be generic.

Daniel


On 2025-10-08 8:44 a.m., Tero Kivinen via Datatracker wrote:


Subject: WG Last Call: draft-ietf-ipsecme-ikev2-pqc-auth-04 (Ends 2025-10-22)

This message starts a 2-week WG Last Call for this document.

Abstract:
   Signature-based authentication methods are utilized in IKEv2
   [RFC7296].  The current version of the Internet Key Exchange Version
   2 (IKEv2) protocol supports traditional digital signatures.

   This document specifies a generic mechanism for integrating post-
   quantum cryptographic (PQC) digital signature algorithms into the
   IKEv2 protocol.  The approach allows for seamless inclusion of any
   PQC signature scheme within the existing authentication framework of
   IKEv2.  Additionally, it outlines how Module-Lattice-Based Digital
   Signatures (ML-DSA) and Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signatures (SLH-
   DSA), can be employed as authentication methods within the IKEv2
   protocol, as they have been standardized by NIST.

File can be retrieved from:
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-ipsecme-ikev2-pqc-auth/

Please review and indicate your support or objection to proceed with the
publication of this document by replying to this email keeping 
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
in copy. Objections should be motivated and suggestions to resolve them are
highly appreciated.

Authors, and WG participants in general, are reminded again of the
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) disclosure obligations described in BCP 79
[1]. Appropriate IPR disclosures required for full conformance with the
provisions of BCP 78 [1] and BCP 79 [2] must be filed, if you are aware of
any. Sanctions available for application to violators of IETF IPR Policy can
be found at [3].

Thank you.

[1] https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/bcp78/
[2] https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/bcp79/
[3] https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc6701/



_______________________________________________
IPsec mailing list -- [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
To unsubscribe send an email to 
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>

_______________________________________________
IPsec mailing list -- [email protected]
To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]

Reply via email to