Dear Qubes Community,
We have published [Qubes Canary
036](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack/blob/main/canaries/canary-036-2023.txt).
The text of this canary and its accompanying cryptographic signatures are
reproduced below. For an explanation of this announcement and instructions for
authenticating this canary, please see the end of this announcement.
## Qubes Canary 036
```
---===[ Qubes Canary 036 ]===---
Statements
-----------
The Qubes security team members who have digitally signed this file [1]
state the following:
1. The date of issue of this canary is September 4, 2023.
2. There have been 93 Qubes security bulletins published so far.
3. The Qubes Master Signing Key fingerprint is:
427F 11FD 0FAA 4B08 0123 F01C DDFA 1A3E 3687 9494
4. No warrants have ever been served to us with regard to the Qubes OS
Project (e.g. to hand out the private signing keys or to introduce
backdoors).
5. We plan to publish the next of these canary statements in the first
fourteen days of December 2023. Special note should be taken if no new
canary is published by that time or if the list of statements changes
without plausible explanation.
Special announcements
----------------------
None.
Disclaimers and notes
----------------------
We would like to remind you that Qubes OS has been designed under the
assumption that all relevant infrastructure is permanently compromised.
This means that we assume NO trust in any of the servers or services
which host or provide any Qubes-related data, in particular, software
updates, source code repositories, and Qubes ISO downloads.
This canary scheme is not infallible. Although signing the declaration
makes it very difficult for a third party to produce arbitrary
declarations, it does not prevent them from using force or other means,
like blackmail or compromising the signers' laptops, to coerce us to
produce false declarations.
The proof of freshness provided below serves to demonstrate that this
canary could not have been created prior to the date stated. It shows
that a series of canaries was not created in advance.
This declaration is merely a best effort and is provided without any
guarantee or warranty. It is not legally binding in any way to anybody.
None of the signers should be ever held legally responsible for any of
the statements made here.
Proof of freshness
-------------------
Mon, 04 Sep 2023 02:12:30 +0000
Source: DER SPIEGEL - International
(https://www.spiegel.de/international/index.rss)
An Oasis in the Middle of the Ukraine War: The Pike - and the Drones - Come at
Night
Spying and Sabotage at the OSCE: How Russia Is Paralyzing Europe's Peace
Organization
MIT Economist Daron Acemoğlu Takes on Big Tech: "Our Future Will Be Very
Dystopian"
BRICS and the emerging new world order: "Hypocrisy is fairly evenly distributed
in the North and the South"
Investigating the Nord Stream Attack: All the Evidence Points To Kyiv
Source: NYT > World News
(https://rss.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/nyt/World.xml)
Zelensky Says He’ll Replace Oleksii Reznikov as Ukraine’s Defense Minister
Parisian Pools, Up Close and Personal
Turkey’s Women’s Volleyball Team Inspires Pride
How the Khakova Dam Disaster Continues to Devastate Ukraine
In Italy, Rape Cases Seize Attention and Expose Cultural Rifts
Source: BBC News - World (https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/world/rss.xml)
Ukraine War: Counter-offensive troops punch through Russia line, generals claim
Ukraine's defence minister Oleksii Reznikov dismissed
Child labour at 'critical moment' as more pushed into work: ILO
Teacher suicide exposes parent bullying in S Korea
Burning Man: Police investigating death during heavy rain
Source: Blockchain.info
0000000000000000000459349c4d92e353d07dd3e11701d27f2c5c756e0a66be
Footnotes
----------
[1] This file should be signed in two ways: (1) via detached PGP
signatures by each of the signers, distributed together with this canary
in the qubes-secpack.git repo, and (2) via digital signatures on the
corresponding qubes-secpack.git repo tags. [2]
[2] Don't just trust the contents of this file blindly! Verify the
digital signatures! Instructions for doing so are documented here:
https://www.qubes-os.org/security/pack/
--
The Qubes Security Team
https://www.qubes-os.org/security/
```
Source:
<https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack/blob/main/canaries/canary-036-2023.txt>
## [Marek
Marczykowski-Górecki](https://www.qubes-os.org/team/#marek-marczykowski-górecki)'s
PGP signature
```
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----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=VY8Z
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
```
Source:
<https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack/blob/main/canaries/canary-036-2023.txt.sig.marmarek>
## [Simon Gaiser (aka
HW42)](https://www.qubes-os.org/team/#simon-gaiser-aka-hw42)'s PGP signature
```
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----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=2qMp
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
```
Source:
<https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack/blob/main/canaries/canary-036-2023.txt.sig.simon>
## What is the purpose of this announcement?
The purpose of this announcement is to inform the Qubes community that a new
Qubes canary has been published.
## What is a Qubes canary?
A Qubes canary is a security announcement periodically issued by the [Qubes
security team](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/#qubes-security-team)
consisting of several statements to the effect that the signers of the canary
have not been compromised. The idea is that, as long as signed canaries
including such statements continue to be published, all is well. However, if
the canaries should suddenly cease, if one or more signers begin declining to
sign them, or if the included statements change significantly without plausible
explanation, then this may indicate that something has gone wrong. A list of
all canaries is available [here](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/canary/).
The name originates from the practice in which miners would bring caged
canaries into coal mines. If the level of methane gas in the mine reached a
dangerous level, the canary would die, indicating to miners that they should
evacuate. (See the [Wikipedia article on warrant
canaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary) for more information,
but bear in mind that Qubes Canaries are not strictly limited to legal
warrants.)
## Why should I care about canaries?
Canaries provide an important indication about the security status of the
project. If the canary is healthy, it's a strong sign that things are running
normally. However, if the canary is unhealthy, it could mean that the project
or its members are being coerced in some way.
## What are some signs of an unhealthy canary?
Here is a non-exhaustive list of examples:
- *Dead canary.* In each canary, we state a window of time during which you
should expect the next canary to be published. If no canary is published within
that window of time and no good explanation is provided for missing the
deadline, then the canary has died.
- *Missing statement(s).* Every canary contains the same set of statements
(sometimes along with special announcements, which are not the same in every
canary). If an important statement was present in older canaries but suddenly
goes missing from new canaries with no correction or explanation, then this may
be an indication that the signers can no longer truthfully make that statement.
- *Missing signature(s).* Qubes canaries are signed by the members of the
[Qubes security team](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/#qubes-security-team)
(see below). If one of them has been signing all canaries but suddenly and
permanently stops signing new canaries without any explanation, then this may
indicate that this person is under duress or can no longer truthfully sign the
statements contained in the canary.
## Does every unexpected or unusual occurrence related to a canary indicate
something bad?
No, there are many canary-related possibilities that should *not* worry you.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of examples:
- *Unusual reposts.* The only canaries that matter are the ones that are
validly signed in the [Qubes security pack
(qubes-secpack)](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/pack/). Reposts of canaries
(like the one in this announcement) do not have any authority (except insofar
as they reproduce validly-signed text from the qubes-secpack). If the actual
canary in the qubes-secpack is healthy, but reposts are late, absent, or
modified on the website, mailing lists, forum, or social media platforms, you
should not be concerned about the canary.
- *Last-minute signature(s).* If the canary is signed at the last minute but
before the deadline, that's okay. (People get busy and procrastinate sometimes.)
- *Signatures at different times.* If one signature is earlier or later than
the other, but both are present within a reasonable period of time, that's
okay. (For example, sometimes one signer is out of town, but we try to plan the
deadlines around this.)
- *Permitted changes.* If something about a canary changes without violating
any of statements in prior canaries, that's okay. (For example, canaries are
usually scheduled for the first fourteen days of a given month, but there's no
rule that says they have to be.)
- *Unusual but planned changes.* If something unusual happens, but it was
announced in advance, and the appropriate statements are signed, that's okay
(e.g., when Joanna left the security team and Simon joined it).
In general, it would not be realistic for an organization to exist that never
changed, had zero turnover, and never made mistakes. Therefore, it would be
reasonable to expect such events to occur periodically, and it would be
unreasonable to regard *every* unusual or unexpected canary-related event as a
sign of compromise. For example, if something usual happens with a canary, and
we say it was a mistake and correct it, you will have to decide for yourself
whether it's more likely that it really was just a mistake or that something is
wrong and that this is how we chose to send you a subtle signal about it. This
will require you to think carefully about which among many possible scenarios
is most likely given the evidence available to you. Since this is fundamentally
a matter of judgment, canaries are ultimately a *social* scheme, not a
technical one.
## What are the PGP signatures that accompany canaries?
A [PGP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy) signature is a
cryptographic [digital
signature](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signature) made in accordance
with the [OpenPGP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy#OpenPGP)
standard. PGP signatures can be cryptographically verified with programs like
[GNU Privacy Guard (GPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Privacy_Guard). The
Qubes security team cryptographically signs all canaries so that Qubes users
have a reliable way to check whether canaries are genuine. The only way to be
certain that a canary is authentic is by verifying its PGP signatures.
## Why should I care whether a canary is authentic?
If you fail to notice that a canary is unhealthy or has died, you may continue
to trust the Qubes security team even after they have signaled via the canary
(or lack thereof) that they been compromised or coerced. Falsified canaries
could include manipulated text designed to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt
about the security of Qubes OS or the status of the Qubes OS Project.
## How do I verify the PGP signatures on a canary?
The following command-line instructions assume a Linux system with `git` and
`gpg` installed. (See
[here](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/verifying-signatures/#openpgp-software)
for Windows and Mac options.)
1. Obtain the Qubes Master Signing Key (QMSK), e.g.:
```shell_session
$ gpg --fetch-keys
https://keys.qubes-os.org/keys/qubes-master-signing-key.asc
gpg: directory '/home/user/.gnupg' created
gpg: keybox '/home/user/.gnupg/pubring.kbx' created
gpg: requesting key from
'https://keys.qubes-os.org/keys/qubes-master-signing-key.asc'
gpg: /home/user/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key DDFA1A3E36879494: public key "Qubes Master Signing Key" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1
```
(See
[here](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/verifying-signatures/#how-to-import-and-authenticate-the-qubes-master-signing-key)
for more ways to obtain the QMSK.)
2. View the fingerprint of the PGP key you just imported. (Note: `gpg>`
indicates a prompt inside of the GnuPG program. Type what appears after it when
prompted.)
```shell_session
$ gpg --edit-key 0x427F11FD0FAA4B080123F01CDDFA1A3E36879494
gpg (GnuPG) 2.2.27; Copyright (C) 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494
created: 2010-04-01 expires: never usage: SC
trust: unknown validity: unknown
[ unknown] (1). Qubes Master Signing Key
gpg> fpr
pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494 2010-04-01 Qubes Master Signing Key
Primary key fingerprint: 427F 11FD 0FAA 4B08 0123 F01C DDFA 1A3E 3687 9494
```
3. *Important*: At this point, you still don't know whether the key you just
imported is the genuine QMSK or a forgery. In order for this entire procedure
to provide meaningful security benefits, you *must* authenticate the QMSK
out-of-band. *Do not skip this step*! The standard method is to obtain the QMSK
fingerprint from *multiple independent sources in several different ways* and
check to see whether they match the key you just imported. See
[here](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/verifying-signatures/#how-to-import-and-authenticate-the-qubes-master-signing-key)
for more details and ideas for how to do that.
*Tip*: Record the genuine QMSK fingerprint in a safe place (or several) so
that you don't have to repeat this step in the future.
4. Once you are satisfied that you have the genuine QMSK, set its trust level
to 5 ("ultimate"), then quit GnuPG with `q`.
```shell_session
gpg> trust
pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494
created: 2010-04-01 expires: never usage: SC
trust: unknown validity: unknown
[ unknown] (1). Qubes Master Signing Key
Please decide how far you trust this user to correctly verify other users'
keys
(by looking at passports, checking fingerprints from different sources, etc.)
1 = I don't know or won't say
2 = I do NOT trust
3 = I trust marginally
4 = I trust fully
5 = I trust ultimately
m = back to the main menu
Your decision? 5
Do you really want to set this key to ultimate trust? (y/N) y
pub rsa4096/DDFA1A3E36879494
created: 2010-04-01 expires: never usage: SC
trust: ultimate validity: unknown
[ unknown] (1). Qubes Master Signing Key
Please note that the shown key validity is not necessarily correct
unless you restart the program.
gpg> q
```
5. Use Git to clone the qubes-secpack repo.
```shell_session
$ git clone https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-secpack.git
Cloning into 'qubes-secpack'...
remote: Enumerating objects: 4065, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (1474/1474), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (742/742), done.
remote: Total 4065 (delta 743), reused 1413 (delta 731), pack-reused 2591
Receiving objects: 100% (4065/4065), 1.64 MiB | 2.53 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (1910/1910), done.
```
6. Import the included PGP keys. (See our [PGP key
policies](https://www.qubes-os.org/security/pack/#pgp-key-policies) for
important information about these keys.)
```shell_session
$ gpg --import qubes-secpack/keys/*/*
gpg: key 063938BA42CFA724: public key "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes OS
signing key)" imported
gpg: qubes-secpack/keys/core-devs/retired: read error: Is a directory
gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found.
gpg: key 8C05216CE09C093C: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key
gpg: key 8C05216CE09C093C: public key "HW42 (Qubes Signing Key)" imported
gpg: key DA0434BC706E1FCF: public key "Simon Gaiser (Qubes OS signing key)"
imported
gpg: key 8CE137352A019A17: 2 signatures not checked due to missing keys
gpg: key 8CE137352A019A17: public key "Andrew David Wong (Qubes
Documentation Signing Key)" imported
gpg: key AAA743B42FBC07A9: public key "Brennan Novak (Qubes Website &
Documentation Signing)" imported
gpg: key B6A0BB95CA74A5C3: public key "Joanna Rutkowska (Qubes Documentation
Signing Key)" imported
gpg: key F32894BE9684938A: public key "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes
Documentation Signing Key)" imported
gpg: key 6E7A27B909DAFB92: public key "Hakisho Nukama (Qubes Documentation
Signing Key)" imported
gpg: key 485C7504F27D0A72: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key
gpg: key 485C7504F27D0A72: public key "Sven Semmler (Qubes Documentation
Signing Key)" imported
gpg: key BB52274595B71262: public key "unman (Qubes Documentation Signing
Key)" imported
gpg: key DC2F3678D272F2A8: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key
gpg: key DC2F3678D272F2A8: public key "Wojtek Porczyk (Qubes OS
documentation signing key)" imported
gpg: key FD64F4F9E9720C4D: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key
gpg: key FD64F4F9E9720C4D: public key "Zrubi (Qubes Documentation Signing
Key)" imported
gpg: key DDFA1A3E36879494: "Qubes Master Signing Key" not changed
gpg: key 1848792F9E2795E9: public key "Qubes OS Release 4 Signing Key"
imported
gpg: qubes-secpack/keys/release-keys/retired: read error: Is a directory
gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found.
gpg: key D655A4F21830E06A: public key "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes
security pack)" imported
gpg: key ACC2602F3F48CB21: public key "Qubes OS Security Team" imported
gpg: qubes-secpack/keys/security-team/retired: read error: Is a directory
gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found.
gpg: key 4AC18DE1112E1490: public key "Simon Gaiser (Qubes Security Pack
signing key)" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 17
gpg: imported: 16
gpg: unchanged: 1
gpg: marginals needed: 3 completes needed: 1 trust model: pgp
gpg: depth: 0 valid: 1 signed: 6 trust: 0-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 1u
gpg: depth: 1 valid: 6 signed: 0 trust: 6-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 0u
```
7. Verify signed Git tags.
```shell_session
$ cd qubes-secpack/
$ git tag -v `git describe`
object 266e14a6fae57c9a91362c9ac784d3a891f4d351
type commit
tag marmarek_sec_266e14a6
tagger Marek Marczykowski-Górecki 1677757924 +0100
Tag for commit 266e14a6fae57c9a91362c9ac784d3a891f4d351
gpg: Signature made Thu 02 Mar 2023 03:52:04 AM PST
gpg: using RSA key 2D1771FE4D767EDC76B089FAD655A4F21830E06A
gpg: Good signature from "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes security pack)"
[full]
```
The exact output will differ, but the final line should always start with
`gpg: Good signature from...` followed by an appropriate key. The `[full]`
indicates full trust, which this key inherits in virtue of being validly signed
by the QMSK.
8. Verify PGP signatures, e.g.:
```shell_session
$ cd QSBs/
$ gpg --verify qsb-087-2022.txt.sig.marmarek qsb-087-2022.txt
gpg: Signature made Wed 23 Nov 2022 04:05:51 AM PST
gpg: using RSA key 2D1771FE4D767EDC76B089FAD655A4F21830E06A
gpg: Good signature from "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes security pack)"
[full]
$ gpg --verify qsb-087-2022.txt.sig.simon qsb-087-2022.txt
gpg: Signature made Wed 23 Nov 2022 03:50:42 AM PST
gpg: using RSA key EA18E7F040C41DDAEFE9AA0F4AC18DE1112E1490
gpg: Good signature from "Simon Gaiser (Qubes Security Pack signing key)"
[full]
$ cd ../canaries/
$ gpg --verify canary-034-2023.txt.sig.marmarek canary-034-2023.txt
gpg: Signature made Thu 02 Mar 2023 03:51:48 AM PST
gpg: using RSA key 2D1771FE4D767EDC76B089FAD655A4F21830E06A
gpg: Good signature from "Marek Marczykowski-Górecki (Qubes security pack)"
[full]
$ gpg --verify canary-034-2023.txt.sig.simon canary-034-2023.txt
gpg: Signature made Thu 02 Mar 2023 01:47:52 AM PST
gpg: using RSA key EA18E7F040C41DDAEFE9AA0F4AC18DE1112E1490
gpg: Good signature from "Simon Gaiser (Qubes Security Pack signing key)"
[full]
```
Again, the exact output will differ, but the final line of output from each
`gpg --verify` command should always start with `gpg: Good signature from...`
followed by an appropriate key.
For this announcement (Qubes Canary 036), the commands are:
```
$ gpg --verify canary-036-2023.txt.sig.marmarek canary-036-2023.txt
$ gpg --verify canary-036-2023.txt.sig.simon canary-036-2023.txt
```
You can also verify the signatures directly from this announcement in addition
to or instead of verifying the files from the qubes-secpack. Simply copy and
paste the Qubes Canary 036 text into a plain text file and do the same for both
signature files. Then, perform the same authentication steps as listed above,
substituting the filenames above with the names of the files you just created.
This announcement is also available on the Qubes website:
https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2023/09/12/canary-036/
--
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