>
> I am assuming you mean [0].

Yes.


> Let's start with two fully migrated endpoints:
>
> Assume each CA, CAi, is today using a traditional algorithm Ti and is now
> planning to use a post-quantum algorithm PQi. Thealgorithms may obviously
> overlap for different CAs. Call this plan 1.
>
> Now plan 2: Instead, CAi switches to the composite PQi+Ti (made up of the
> same algorithms it would have used, it just keeps using the old algorithm
> it has experience with in the composite).
>
> Assume we use plan 2 and a client implementing the cross product of its
> chosen algorithms, while connecting to some server, fails to validate a
> certificate issued by (say) CAi. By deduction, it cannot validate PQi+Ti,
> so it either cannot validate PQi (meaning this connection would have also
> failed, had we followed plan 1) or it cannot validate Ti (meaning this
> connection would have failed now).
>

This sounds like you suggest combining the classical chain for a legacy
client with the post-quantum chain. How do you address the problem I
pointed out that you don't want upgraded clients to accept the classical
chain for the legacy client?

So that leaves us with the somewhat orthogonal problem we are facing every
> time we add a new signature algorithm: Legacy software (whether at the
> client or server) doesn't know it and will break. Note that this applies to
> both ML-DSA as well as all ML-DSA composites, so I had disregarded it as a
> separate challenge outside the discussion of PQ-only vs. PQ+T-hybrids.
> In other words, we will be tackling this problem either way in our
> PQ-migration efforts.
>

To wit: the classical certificate for a legacy server obviously has a
classical leaf, but a post-quantum chain. That could be composite. The
present proposal does not recover composites there as that would require a
server upgrade. If there isn't a way to do that, then the present proposal
has no value, as clients are only as secure as the weakest thing they
accept.

Best,

 Bas
_______________________________________________
TLS mailing list -- [email protected]
To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]

Reply via email to