Wang Xi <[email protected]> wrote:
    > Thanks for the insights. Glad to hear we are aligned on keeping this
    > purely within the application layer

    > If we strictly wait for the response to arrive as per RFC 7296, the
    > responder (the loser) is still forced to execute the heavy PQC signing
    > just to generate that doomed response. This completely defeats the
    > purpose of mitigating PQC overhead.

Yes, this is a problem for a responder that sees that the SA in question will
not be the winning SA.  If the initiator doesn't implement the sensible
heuristic I am proposing, the responders only real choice here is to discard
the packet, and risk retransmission.

(If the SA *would* be the winning SA, then the responder should stop/delay the 
SA
it is initiating, and it should do the signature...)

    > To solve this without breaking the state machine or risking a spoofing
    > DoS, I am NOT suggesting a standard DELETE payload. Instead, once the
    > responder verifies the collision via local identity checks, it should
    > reply with an encrypted, lightweight COLLISION_ABORT Notify Payload
    > using the IKE_SA_INIT keys, and instantly tear down the state.

How can it do that when it hasn't got an encrypted SA?
To get encrypted, you have to do the KEM too.

    > To be precise, this mechanism does not eliminate 100% of the PQC
    > overhead, as the initiator has already computed and sent its initial
    > IKE_AUTH request. However, it completely saves the responder from
    > running the heavy asymmetric PQC signing for the response. Since the
    > reply comes from the responder, it perfectly honors the standard
    > Request-Response flow, while successfully shielding the responder's
    > CPU.

I think, responsder can just unilaterally protect its CPU by dropping traffic.
Maybe it's time for the puzzles to return.
A long time ago, that's how FreeS/WAN protected itself against IKEv1
aggressive mode.

--
Michael Richardson <[email protected]>   . o O ( IPv6 IøT consulting )
           Sandelman Software Works Inc, Ottawa and Worldwide

**       My working hours and your working hours may be different.         **
** Please do not feel obligated to reply outside your normal working hours **




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