Last Modified: 2004-05-18
The Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) (RFC 3369) is cryptographic algorithm independent, yet there is always more than one way to use any algorithm. To ensure interoperability, each algorithm should have a specification that describes its use with CMS. Specifications for the use of additional cryptographic algorithms will be developed.
As part of the specification update, a new suite of "mandatory to implement" algorithms will be selected. These algorithms will be reflected in updates to CERT and MSG (RFC 2632 and RFC 2633). Building on the CMS CompressedData content type specified in RFC 3274, the update to MSG will specify conventions for message compression, in addition to message signature and encryption.
To aid implementers, documents containing example output for CMS will be collected and published. Some of the examples will include structures and signed attributes defined in the Enhanced Security Services (ESS) (RFC 2634) document.
CMS, and thus S/MIME version 3 and later, permit the use of previously distributed symmetric key-encryption keys. Specifications for the distribution of symmetric key-encryption keys to multiple message recipients will be developed. Mail List Agents (MLAs) are one user of symmetric key-encryption keys. The specification will be algorithm independent.
In S/MIME version 3 and later, CMS is used to provide security to the message content if an Internet mail message. However, CMS can also be employed in an X.400 electronic messaging envionments. Specifications will be developed allowing this to be done in an interoperable manner.
The working group will perform necessary interoperability testing to progress the S/MIME specifications to Draft Standard. The CMS specification depends on the RFC 3280, the PKIX certificate and CRL profile. This profile must progress to Draft Standard before CMS and the other S/MIME specification can progress to Draft Standard. Assuming timely progress by the PKIX Working Group, the S/MIME specification can start progressing to Draft Standard toward the end of 2003.
| Done | First draft of security label usage specification. | |
| Done | First draft of CMS RecipientInfo extension. | |
| Done | Last call on KEA and SKIPJACK algorithm specification. | |
| Done | Last call on small subgroup attack avoidance | |
| Done | First draft of CAST algorithm specification. | |
| Done | Last call on certificate distribution specification. | |
| Done | First draft of mail list key distribution. | |
| Done | Submit KEA and SKIPJACK algorithm specification as Informational RFC. | |
| Done | Submit small subgroup attack avoidance as Informational RFC | |
| Done | Last call on CAST algorithm specification. | |
| Done | Updated draft of domain security services document. | |
| Done | Last call on security label usage specification. | |
| Done | Last call on IDEA algorithm specification. | |
| Done | Last call on CMS RecipientInfo extension. | |
| Done | Last call on mail list key distribution. | |
| Done | Submit CAST algorithm specification as Informational RFC. | |
| Done | Submit security label usage specification as Informational RFC. | |
| Done | Submit IDEA algorithm specification as Informational RFC. | |
| Done | Submit CMS RecipientInfo extension to IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard. | |
| Done | Last call on domain security services document. | |
| Done | Submit domain security services as Experimental RFC. | |
| Done | Submit mail list key distribution as a Proposed Standard | |
| Done | Submit X.400 CMS wrapper specification as a Proposed Standard | |
| Done | Submit HMAC key wrap description as Proposed Standard | |
| Done | Submit RSA OAEP algorithm specification as Proposed Standard | |
| Done | Sumbit AES algorithm specification as Proposed Standard | |
| Done | Submit X.400 transport as a Proposed Standard | |
| Done | Last call on CMS and ESS examples document | |
| Apr 03 | Sumbit update to MSG as Proposed Standard | |
| Apr 03 | Sumbit update to CERT as Proposed Standard | |
| Done | First draft of RSA KEM algorithm specification | |
| May 03 | Submit CMS and ESS examples document as Informational RFC | |
| Done | Last call on RSA PSS algorithm specification | |
| Jul 03 | Last call on RSA KEM algorithm specification | |
| Sep 03 | Submit RSA PSS algorithm specification as Proposed Standard | |
| Oct 03 | Submit RSA KEM algorithm specification as Proposed Standard | |
| Oct 03 | Final S/MIME version 3.1 interoperability matrix | |
| Nov 03 | Request advancement of CMS Algorithms to Draft Standard | |
| Nov 03 | Request advancement of CMS to Draft Standard | |
| Dec 03 | Request advancement of ESS to Draft Standard | |
| Dec 03 | Request advancement of CERT to Draft Standard | |
| Dec 03 | Request advancement of MSG to Draft Standard |
| RFC | Status | Title |
|---|---|---|
| RFC2311 | I | S/MIME Version 2 Message Specification |
| RFC2312 | I | S/MIME Version 2 Certificate Handling |
| RFC2630 | PS | Cryptographic Message Syntax |
| RFC2631 | PS | Diffie-Hellman Key Agreement Method |
| RFC2632 | PS | S/MIME Version 3 Certificate Handling |
| RFC2633 | PS | S/MIME Version 3 Message Specification |
| RFC2634 | PS | Enhanced Security Services for S/MIME |
| RFC2785 | I | Methods for Avoiding the 'Small-Subgroup' Attacks on the Diffie-Hellman Key Agreement Method for S/MIME |
| RFC2876 | I | Use of the KEA and SKIPJACK Algorithms in CMS |
| RFC2984 | PS | Use of the CAST-128 Encryption Algorithm in CMS |
| RFC3058 | I | Use of the IDEA Encryption Algorithm in CMS |
| RFC3125 | E | Electronic Signature Policies |
| RFC3183 | E | Domain Security Services using S/MIME |
| RFC3126 | I | Electronic Signature Formats for long term electronic signatures |
| RFC3185 | PS | Reuse of CMS Content Encryption Keys |
| RFC3217 | I | Triple-DES and RC2 Key Wrapping |
| RFC3211 | PS | Password-based Encryption for SMS |
| RFC3218 | I | Preventing the Million Message Attack on CMS |
| RFC3278 | I | Use of ECC Algorithms in CMS |
| RFC3274 | PS | Compressed Data Content Type for Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) |
| RFC3369 | PS | Cryptographic Message Syntax |
| RFC3370 | PS | Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) Algorithms |
| RFC3394 | I | Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Key Wrap Algorithm |
| RFC3114 | I | Implementing Company Classification Policy with the S/MIME Security Label |
| RFC3537 | PS | Wrapping a Hashed Message Authentication Code (HMAC) key with a Triple-Data Encryption Standard (DES) Key or an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)Key |
| RFC3560 | PS | Use of the RSAES-OAEP Key Transport Algorithm in Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) |
| RFC3565 | PS | Use of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)Encryption Algorithm in Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) |
| RFC3657 | Standard | Use of the Camellia Encryption Algorithm in CMS |
| RFC3850 | Standard | S/MIME Version 3.1 Certificate Handling |
| RFC3851 | Standard | S/MIME Version 3.1 Message Specification |
| RFC3852 | Standard | Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) |
|
Minutes for Secure MIME (S/MIME) WG Meeting
IETF #60 Tuesday PM III Session Agenda: Blake Ramsdell covered the agenda for the meeting. No changes were made. Working Group Status: Blake Ramsdell covered the status of the active documents in the working group. the documents that have changed status since the last meeting are: Published as RFC: - draft-ietf-smime-rfc2632bis-08 is now approved as RFC 3850 - draft-ietf-smime-rfc2633bis-10 is now approved as RFC 3851 - draft-ietf-smime-rfc3369bis-05 is now approved as RFC 3852 - draft-ietf-smime-x400wrap-09 is now approved as RFC 3854 - draft-ietf-smime-x400transport-09 is now approved as RFC 3855 RFC Editor Queue: - PSS is pinned by a PSS document in PKIX. schaad reported that PSS has also been awaiting an IESG write-up since April. housley indicated that he would check on this. - SYMKEYDIST is pinned by CMCbis (from PKIX) which is in turn pinned by CRMFbis (from PKIX). Others: - EXAMPLES - A new release incorporates some edits, but is essentially done. New version was after deadline, so will go to WG Last Call as soon as queue opens up. - GOST - Some editorial issues to take care of. Draft is good until October. - KEM - See later discussion. - RFC2624bis - Not yet published; fixes some problems with ML expansion and receipt policy; moves them into separate attributes. Milestone Updates: - Updates to MSG and CERT for Proposed Standards. - Submitted RSA PSS as a Proposed Standard - Milestones themselves need to be updated to more realistic dates especially for RSA KEM. KEM Status - ramsdell said he received a status update from burt kaliski<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[if !supportLists]--> (RSA) on KEM. RSA KEM I-D has alignment relationship with ISO/IEC 18033-2 and ANSI X9.44. Outstanding issues in X9.44 include: text on assurance of validity of public keys, possession of private key, and security considerations. Clearly these need to be resolved before advancing. Expect substantial completion of ISO/IEC 18033-2 and ANSI X9.44 in mid-2005 with formalities continuing into 2006. The KEM I-D will be updated to track these, but should not be finalized until balloting begins. PKCS #1 may also be updated. Upshot is that we will probably not complete the KEM I-D until late 2005 or early 2006. Formats for Long Term Electronic Signatures - ross briefly introduced the background of the project for ETSI to establish guidelines for digital signatures that will have legal standing. RFC 3126 was produced to align with the ETSI document. Additional changes to the underlying signature standards (CMS, etc.) have somewhat advanced the discussion. The updated I-D that would obsolete RFC 3126. housley asked whether he was asking to take this on as a WG item. 10 or so were in favor, and no objections were voiced. Boneh-Franklin Identity Based Encryption in S/MIME - martin presented this proposal for an alternative to PKI-based encryption. Based on a process for deriving a public key based on a string representation of the user identity. The mechanism relies on supersingular elliptic curves. It uses a Tate pairing on a particular supersingular curve that has been tested to ensure that it isn’t cryptographically “bad”. The public key must be obtained from a key server so it isn’t good for digital signature, but is okay for encryption. Bottom line is that this is being proposed as an alternative key exchange mechanism for use with CMS/SMIME. There were technical questions about how the identity is bound to the identity string, and there were IPR questions. ramsdell indicated that the politics of the solution aside, he considered this interesting to the WG as something that is using CMS. ramsdell summarized that the WG is basically in a monitoring mode with respect to this proposal, but there are clearly some concerns wrt IPR and complexity. He noted that that he would like to see some more before definition considering this any further. turner pointed out that you could still develop the draft as an individual submission. housley remarked that this would give people an opportunity better evaluate the idea. X.509 S/MIME Capabilities - santesson gave an overview of his proposal that the S/MIME Capabilities attribute from RFC 2633 be included in the user certificate. The proposal is to include the attribute as a non-critical extension as opposed to in the subject directory attributes extension. ramsdell asked if there were any opposition to bringing this in as a WG item. No opposition was expressed. Other Business: There was some discussion about closing the WG, but it was decided to poll the WG for work items prior to each meeting to better assess whether it should meet at future IETF meetings. |