Gotcha. This is a reasonable explanation for a potential problem, but I would 
also like to see experimental proof that DTLS implementation X, Y, Z have the 
problem. TLS implementations don't deal with big ClientHellos today so we could 
assume they would have a problem, but when tested they do OK for the most part.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: TLS <tls-boun...@ietf.org> On Behalf Of Ilari Liusvaara
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2022 10:42 AM
To: <tls@ietf.org> <tls@ietf.org>
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL][TLS] PQC key exchange sizes

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On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 02:27:12AM +0000, Kampanakis, Panos wrote:
> Hi Ilari,
>
> > - DTLS-level fragmentation. There are buggy implementations that
> >   break if one tries this.
>
> DTLS servers have been fragmenting and sending cert chains that don’t 
> fit in the MTU for a long time. Is this buggy on the TLS client side?

These problems are specific to fragmenting Client Hello. Handling fragmented 
DTLS Client Hello is different from handling fragmented DTLS Certificate (and 
even more so in DTLS 1.3). I think DTLS specification just pretends both cases 
are the same. They are not.


QUIC implementations could have similar issues with multiple initial packets, 
but operating QUIC with fast failure-independent fallback would make failures 
soft.


There is the general principle that if some protocol feature is not used in the 
wild, it tends to break, even if required part of the protocol. Either by 
implementation being poorly tested and buggy, assuming the feature does not 
exist, or being missing entierely.
Combine this with interop failures having outsize impact and old versions 
sticking around far longer than desriable. And I do not think fragmented Client 
Hellos in DTLS or multiple initials in QUIC are seen much.


One trick with DTLS would be sending client hello with no key shares. Causes 
extra round-trip, but any server that selects PQC causing fragmentation would 
presumably be capable of handling that.



-Ilari

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