That¹s fine. If we as a group agree that this is not a threat that we need
to be concerned about, then we do not need a requirement for encryption of
the request/response messages.

-Raj

On 1/27/12 3:58 PM, "ext Joel M. Halpern" <[email protected]> wrote:

>It looks like we are creating a requirement where there isn't one.
>And if we can avoid mandating encryption, that would seem to make life
>simpler for all concerned.
>
>In fact, for an actual attacker, I think the information from the
>response is almsot useless.  After all, their goal is to interfere with
>actual use.  The numbers from the response presumably icnlude guard
>regions and safety margins.  The attacker is far more likely to be able
>to actually measure activity, observe multiple locations, and decide
>what trouble he wants to cause.  None of that requires eavesdropping.
>
>I would really prefer we as a group not invent requirements that do not
>respond to meaningful threats.
>Yours,
>Joel
>
>On 1/27/2012 4:48 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>>
>> Resultant harm from an eavesdropper capable of behaving as a master
>>device
>> is causing interference to the primary owner of the spectrum by
>> transmitting at power levels greater than what is authorized for
>>example.
>> Of course a malicious device could do that without necessarily
>> eavesdropping on the link between an authorized/valid master device and
>> database. But the information about available channels and allowed xmit
>> power limits for example can be used to fine-tune the attack.
>>
>> An unauthorized master device may offer service to other devices using
>>the
>> available channel information for example. This is another resultant
>>harm.
>>
>> It is indeed the case that the database is responding to a
>> valid/authorized master device but the response message is being
>> eavesdropped upon and hence IMO it does raise the requirement for
>>avoiding
>> eavesdropping.
>>
>> -Raj
>>
>> On 1/27/12 2:08 PM, "ext Joel M. Halpern"<[email protected]>  wrote:
>>
>>> can you please elaborate on the resultant harm if a non-authorized user
>>> receives a copy of the data?  Depending upon what that threat is, I can
>>> imagine a number of additional issues that would need to be elucidates.
>>>
>>> Note that if this is because the regulations say that the database must
>>> only respond to requests from authorized master, that does not actually
>>> lead to a requirement to prevent eavesdropping.  The database is still
>>> only responding to requests from authorized participants.
>>>
>>> Yours,
>>> Joel
>>>
>>> On 1/27/2012 3:01 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Joel,
>>>>
>>>> A white space database MUST respond with available channel information
>>>> only to a certified master device.
>>>> Threat 5 is about master devices which have not been
>>>>approved/certified
>>>> by
>>>> a regulatory body in a specific country.
>>>>
>>>> What threat 5 essentially implies in terms of security requirements is
>>>> the
>>>> need for the data to be encrypted. The response message MUST be
>>>> encrypted
>>>> by the white space database so that a MiTM cannot read the data and
>>>>use
>>>> that information.
>>>>
>>>> -Raj
>>>>
>>>> On 1/27/12 1:49 PM, "ext Joel M. Halpern"<[email protected]>
>>>>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Most of this looks good.
>>>>> The last one does not seem to make sense to me.
>>>>> I presume I am missing something.  What follows is why I am confused,
>>>>> with apologies if I have overlooked something.
>>>>>
>>>>> Given the nature of the system, the number of ways for a
>>>>> non-cooperative
>>>>> client to get the information about what the compliant clients are
>>>>> allowed to do seems myriad.  And the number of ways a non-compliant
>>>>> client can mis-behave is also myriad.
>>>>> So I do not actually understand the threat.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can imagine privacy-driven confidentiality with regard to requests.
>>>>> I
>>>>> hope we don't have to go there, but that would be a threat that I
>>>>>would
>>>>> think was more of an issue than receving a copy of a response.
>>>>>
>>>>> Yours,
>>>>> Joel M. Halpern
>>>>>
>>>>> On 1/27/2012 2:39 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> While discussing the requirements we concluded that it would be
>>>>>>useful
>>>>>> to
>>>>>> have a threat model for PAWS. Below is an initial writeup of the
>>>>>> threat
>>>>>> model. This threat model can be included in the Security
>>>>>> considerations
>>>>>> section of the Use-case and Requirements I-D. Security requirements
>>>>>> can
>>>>>> be
>>>>>> derived from this threat model.
>>>>>> Comments welcome.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Raj
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Threat model for the PAWS protocol
>>>>>> ----------------------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Assumptions:
>>>>>> ............
>>>>>>
>>>>>> o It is assumed that an attacker has full access to the network
>>>>>>medium
>>>>>>      between the master device and the white space database. The
>>>>>> attacker
>>>>>>      may be able to eavesdrop on any communications between these
>>>>>>      entities. The link between the master device and the white
>>>>>>space
>>>>>>      database can be wired or wireless and provides IP connectivity.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> o It is assumed that the master device or the white space database
>>>>>>      have NOT been compromised from a security standpoint.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Threat 1: Obtain master device authentication/authorization secrets
>>>>>>           The master device needs to authenticate itself with the
>>>>>>white
>>>>>>           space database prior to requesting channel information.
>>>>>>The
>>>>>>           attacker may try to get access to the secrets of the
>>>>>>master
>>>>>>           device which can be used maliciously. The effect of such
>>>>>>an
>>>>>>           attack being successful would result in a malicious client
>>>>>>           replaying the stolen authentication/authorization secrets
>>>>>>to
>>>>>> a
>>>>>>           white space database.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Threat 2: Spoofed white space database
>>>>>>           A master device discovers a white space database(s) thru
>>>>>> which
>>>>>>           it can query for channel information. The master device
>>>>>>needs
>>>>>>           to ensure that the white space database with which it
>>>>>>           communicates with is an authentic entity. The white space
>>>>>>           database needs to provide its identity to the master
>>>>>>device
>>>>>>           which can confirm the validity/authenticty of the
>>>>>>database.
>>>>>> An
>>>>>>           attacker may attempt to spoof a white space database and
>>>>>>           provide responses to a master device which are malicious
>>>>>>and
>>>>>>           result in the master device causing interference to the
>>>>>> primary
>>>>>>           user of the spectrum.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Threat 3: Modifying a query request
>>>>>>           An attacker may modify the query request sent by a master
>>>>>>           device to a white space database. The attacker may change
>>>>>>the
>>>>>>           location of the device or the capabilities in terms of its
>>>>>>           transmit power or antenna height etc. which could result
>>>>>>in
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>           database responding with incorrect information about
>>>>>> available
>>>>>>           channels or max transmit power allowed. The result of
>>>>>>such an
>>>>>>           attack is that the master device would cause
>>>>>>intereference to
>>>>>>           the primary user of the spectrum. It could also result in
>>>>>>a
>>>>>>           denial of service to the master device by indicating that
>>>>>>no
>>>>>>           channels are available.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Threat 4: Modifying a query response
>>>>>>           An attacker could modify the query response sent by the
>>>>>>white
>>>>>>           space database to a master device. The channel
>>>>>>information or
>>>>>>           transmit power allowed type of parameters carried in the
>>>>>>           response could be modified by the attacker resulting in
>>>>>>the
>>>>>>           master device using channels that are not available at a
>>>>>>           location or transmitting at a greater power level than
>>>>>> allowed
>>>>>>           resulting in interference to the primary user of that
>>>>>>           spectrum. Alternatively the attacker may indicate no
>>>>>>channel
>>>>>>           availability at a location resulting in a denial of
>>>>>>service
>>>>>> to
>>>>>>           the master device.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Threat 5: Using query response information
>>>>>>           An attacker may be a master device which is not certified
>>>>>>for
>>>>>>           use by the relevant regulatory body. The attacker may
>>>>>>listen
>>>>>> to
>>>>>>           the communication between a valid master device and white
>>>>>> space
>>>>>>           database and utilize the information about available
>>>>>>channels
>>>>>>           in the response message by utilizing those channels. The
>>>>>> result
>>>>>>           of such an attack is unauthorized use of channels by a
>>>>>>master
>>>>>>           device which is not certified to operate.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> paws mailing list
>>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>>> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/paws
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>

_______________________________________________
paws mailing list
[email protected]
https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/paws

Reply via email to