OASIS ebXML Messaging Services TC

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RE: SSL Mutual Authentication and the Message Service Spec

  • 1.  RE: SSL Mutual Authentication and the Message Service Spec

    Posted 08-28-2001 11:33
    If the actual credentials are to be stored
    in a CPA or CPA template (where those
    credentials may be some userid/name and
    password combination), then we would need
    to wait until XML Encryption is done to
    obtain the necessary data confidentiality.
    
    We have considered these issues previously
    on several occasions (for example, for ftp
    user, password, and directories to be used...).
    Each time we have had reservations about
    storing these items within a CPA. One reason
    beyond data confidentiality issues, is that
    these credentials are subject to different
    policies concerning expiration, unilateral
    changeability, and so on. (We don't
    want to invalidate a CPA signature because
    of a change in passwords, necessarily.) 
    
    Possibly we could use an xlink/xpointer/URI to
    within the CPA to reference a generalized credential
    container if there is a need to establish links between
    CPAs and credentials. (This credential
    container would be something like
    the pkcs12 container used for keypairs;
    I haven't yet encountered an XML credential
    store container format that has been proposed,
    though.)
    
    Dale Moberg
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Arvola Chan [mailto:arvola@tibco.com]
    Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 8:17 AM
    To: Dan Weinreb
    Cc: ebxml-cppa@lists.oasis-open.org; ebxml-msg@lists.oasis-open.org
    Subject: Re: SSL Mutual Authentication and the Message Service Spec
    
    
    Dan:
    
    Thanks for pointing out the relevant use case. I was just trying to
    find out if there is a need to augment the CPA with user and
    password information to allow basic authentication to be performed.
    
    Do you think the 1.1 MSG and CPP/A specs need to be aligned
    with respect to the issue of basic authentication?
    
    Regards,
    -Arvola
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Dan Weinreb <dlw@exceloncorp.com>
    To: arvola@tibco.com <arvola@tibco.com>
    Cc: ebxml-cppa@lists.oasis-open.org <ebxml-cppa@lists.oasis-open.org>;
    ebxml-msg@lists.oasis-open.org <ebxml-msg@lists.oasis-open.org>
    Date: Monday, August 27, 2001 8:36 PM
    Subject: Re: SSL Mutual Authentication and the Message Service Spec
    
    
    >   Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 09:41:08 -0700
    >   From: Arvola Chan <arvola@tibco.com>
    >
    >   More changes to the CPP/A spec will be necessary to support Basic
    >   Authentication. However, I seriously doubt if basic authentication
    which
    >   sends user name and password in cleartext is suitable for conducting
    E
    >   business transactions. Perhaps we should lobby the MSG TC to remove
    the
    >   requirement to support basic authentication in the 1.1 spec.
    >
    >I agree that sending passwords in cleartext is right out, but perhaps
    >what's being contemplated here is using Basic Authentication over an
    >HTTPS (SSL/TLS) connection to do client authentication in cases where
    >the client doesn't have a private key and associated digital
    >certificate.  That scenario arises a lot in "B2C"; I don't know how
    >likely it is to come up in ebXML interactions.
    >
    
    
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