I don't think we have a use case that would have such a requirement, but I'd 
like to make sure we don't preclude it.

Here is a use case:

Law Enforcement or other security people on an ad-hoc network.  Any 
communication would provide information useful to an eavesdropper.

I don't think we should add that use case, just to get the encryption 
requirement.  What we have is a authentication and integrity protection 
requirement.  The solutions we have for those also allow encryption (like 
TLS/DTLS).

Brian

On Jan 27, 2012, at 5:10 PM, <[email protected]> 
<[email protected]> wrote:

> 
> 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
>>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
> 
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