December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Security flaw in PGPverify of INN (fwd)
by Ray Arachelian 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

=====================================Kaos=Keraunos=Kybernetos============== .+.^.+.| Ray Arachelian |Prying open my 3rd eye. So good to see |./|\. ..\|/..|sunder(a)sundernet.com|you once again. I thought you were |/\|/\ <--*-->| ------------------ |hiding, and you thought that I had run |\/|\/ ../|\..| "A toast to Odin, |away chasing the tail of dogma. I opened|.\|/. .+.v.+.|God of screwdrivers"|my eye and there we were.... |..... ======================= http://www.sundernet.com ========================== ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 17:34:11 +0200 From: Peter Simons <simons(a)RHEIN.DE> To: BUGTRAQ(a)NETSPACE.ORG Subject: Re: Security flaw in PGPverify of INN -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- I am replying to the "security problem" report in pgpverify written by Lutz Donnerhacke, which has been delivered via several mailing lists, including BUGTRAQ and Best-Of-Security. Normally I'd simply ignore this article, but this is so breath-takingly ridiculous that I have to set a few facts straight. Lutz Donnerhacke <lutz(a)IKS-JENA.DE> wrote: > I was urged to send you the following information. I noticed CERT and tale > itself. But tale claims that the problem is not a problem of pgpverify, it's > a problem of some krauts trying to send checkgroups monthly using a bot. > > The checkgroups mentioned were send since a year. They do not include Date: > and Message-ID: because these values were not predictable by the human > signer and the bot does not know the passphrase to work with. > > In consequence there are checkgroups out there which can be resend at any > time causing a lot of trouble, because the signature is still valid even if > a new Message-ID: and Date: line are used. > > The obvious fix is to modify pgpverify to block such control messages. > ftp://ftp.iks-jena.de/pub/mitarb/lutz/ contains the necessary fixes. This is plain bullshit. pgpverify is working just fine and there's no security leak or malfunction in the script. The real story behind this 'report' is as follows: Lutz is the moderator for the german language de.* USENET hierarchy. One of his duties is to send out regular checkgroups and other control messages. What he did is that he didn't include the Message-Id and Date header into the signature of the control messages that he posted. He only signed headers like From and Subject. So he posted control messages with incomplete signatures for maybe a year, until this was first noticed and publicly addressed by Ralph Babel. The problem with these control messages is that anybody is able to re-post them with a new Message-Id and Date. Due to the correct PGP signature, most INNs will simply execute them, thus deleting all changes in the hierarchy since the checkgroups was posted originally. While this is not a major problem, it certainly is a problem, as all groups that have been created past a certain date can easily be removed, etc... When his mistake became public, he didn't stand up for it and created a new key to start posting correct control messages, rendering the old ones useless, he put the blame on Tale and his script instead. So please don't believe this "security flaw". pgpverify is working just fine and if the responsible person will use PGP correctly, there is no problem at all. -peter -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: latin1 iQCVAwUBNEORSw9HL1s0103BAQEgugP9FWJMNivNBqmJElzoQ6pXnwvS6QsbLjQG YrwHzvcYY3CAR7R446gr/WeuxW1JI1t9+yql8TNSvHeEXAX+qgz/ZMCjcjgjg0Pe j0BuVLBBfKuBoxGZDQybRybu3d5Xflqk07W9HjPP0tDtdkUcjndHr2J1Ea/J4zTd QgGNNUoZDFM= =brmw -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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commercial data recovery
by Zooko Journeyman 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

[Note-- I am not subscribed to ietf-open-pgp at this time. My apologies if this submission from a non-subscriber is unwanted. I will be brief. --Zooko] Adam, I applaud your effort to steer discourse toward productive work re: GAK, CMR, CDR. I haven't thought about your idea enough to have a definite opinion, but at first blush it seems a promising strategy to design high-security and forward-secrecy for communication but recovery/sharing features for stored data. I wonder if it is too much early-days to start talking about advanced protocols e.g. secret-splitting in IETF-Open-PGP? Probably so. Better just punch out a standard with current tech... Hm. What about the idea of storing your data remotely (for cost-efficiency, safety, etc.) using encryption to maintain your privacy? In that case, the distinction between comms and storage keys is blurred. A company may choose to e.g. store all long-term data at Zooko's Backup Server, encrypted in such a way that some combination of corporate keys (controlled by individual employees and/or departments) is necessary to decrypt each package of data. This would open the door, as you fear, for a government to mandate that _its_ key be added to each set, with authority to open any package even without the cooperation of any corporate keys. I'm not sure how to weigh the relative risks and benefits. I (ever so humbly) think that Zooko's Backup Server would be a great value for businesses, and that part of that value would be the ability to make data unlockable by various keys, both for administrative/internal security purposes and for robustness against accidents and saboteurs. Zooko's Backup Server can be physically located in a country free of such intrusive organizations, but of course it is the intrusive organizations of the _client's_ country that become important with that kind of protocol... Regards, Zooko P.S. There is already a company whose name I have forgotten that offers hard-drive backups over TCP/IP. They use some encryption but I don't know how strong.

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re: index.html
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> U.S. SAID VULNERABLE TO COMPUTER ATTACK > > "Today, the right command sent over the Internet to a power > generating station's control computer could be just as effective as > a backpack full of explosives and the perpetrator would be harder to > identify and apprehend," the panel wrote in its executive summary to > the report. "Today, we decided to hook up the computer that controls the power supply of several states to the most hostile WAN in history. OMIGOD, THERE'S AN INSECURE POWER GENERATION CONTROL COMPUTER HOOKED UP TO THE INTERNET! Everyone in the US, $2 please, so we can fix it." > > The report recommends stepping up research and establishing a > nationwide program to educate people on the scope of the problem. It > also recommends revising existing laws to ensure protection against > electronic attacks through the Internet. > This sounds like a bad cyberpunk novel. Two crackers in some hotel room in a hyper-crowded city in Japan, hacking the "power control network". Suddenly, one of them stops and says, "Shit." The other looks up, startled. The first says, "I forgot. This is against the law." A pause. Then they both start rolling around a floor covered with anti- static bags, polystyrene, and fast-food cartons laughing until they turn blue. > > "Law has failed to keep pace with technology. Some laws capable of > promoting assurance are not as clear or effective as they could be," > the panel wrote. > When I hear the "Law has failed to keep pace with technology" mantra, I get the feeling that lawmakers want license to pretend that Moore's Law applies to them, as well. Double the amount of criminal laws and regs every 18-24 months. > "We identified existing laws that could help the government take the > lead and serve as a model of standards and practices for the private > sector," it wrote. "We identified other areas of law that can enable > infrastructure owners and operators to take precautions > proportionate to the threat." "We think we can do what we want with what we already have. Give us the money anyway." Nuke them from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. Golem

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Re: Your "RIGHT" to Speak to Big Brother
by Brian B. Riley 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 10/20/97 11:13 PM, Eric Cordian (emc(a)wire.insync.net) passed this wisdom: >And there you have it. The people's right to provide their >neighbor's proprietary information their government shall not be >infringed. How Constitutional-Sounding. can you say INSLAW ????? they are sooooo trustworthy! -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0 Charset: noconv iQA/AwUBNE08NcdZgC62U/gIEQJ2/wCaAwcjQLogUeAp7eBQk8n73OhmCjYAoON9 Z3FYtXeYgUYXlChaGYXu1IBk =Rho8 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Brian B. Riley --> http://www.macconnect.com/~brianbr For PGP Keys <mailto:brianbr@together.net?subject=Get%20PGP%20Key> "Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men." -- Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead (1943)

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None
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Everyone has a "right" to speak to the government on any subject whatsoever, which cannot be abrogated by contracts, agreements or willful desire. A populace that holds no secrets is a safe populace. This is why we are officially announcing the formation of a federal agency, the Government Agency of Knowledge. Its role will be to obtain - by whatever means necessary - any and all knowledge of all actions, desires, means and ways of everything transpiring on US soil. Duties will include holding cryptographic keys in escrow, monitoring and assuring the wholesomeness of private and encrypted data traffic, and analyzing all available "knowledge patterns" of US citizens. Since honest, good citizens have nothing to hide, GAK will be a major advance toward protecting American citizenry from crime, terrorism and other human-meditated harm. After all, your government has a right and duty to protect you.

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No Subject
by rka2＠hotmail.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

To: rka2(a)hotmail.com From: rka2(a)hotmail.com Subject: Simple Reply-to:rka2@hotmail.com Comments: Authenticated sender is <rka2(a)hotmail.com> Received: from hotmail.com (hotmail.com [000.000.000.000]) by hotmail.com (0.0.0./0.0.0.) with SMTP id AAA000000 for <rka2(a)hotmail.com>; Tue, 30 Sep 1997 23:37:27 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: 0000000000.AAA000(a)hotmail.com X-UIDL: 54956195511931597781388792848969 This may be the most important message of your life! You're not going to believe what you hear when you call this Toll Free number: 1-800-811-2141 (CODE 45434). We realize that almost everyone hates selling so we decided to solve that problem! Let our team of over 250 professional telemarketers work the phones, mail out brochures on your behalf, and most importantly "Close The Sale For You." This is a truly simple business that anyone can do which is why it works so well. You just give out the 800 number and your code and that's it. Everything else is done for you. No meetings, no presentations, no selling! Many are making over $8000/month! Call Today! You'll Be Glad You Did!! Toll Free: 1-800-811-2141 (CODE 45434) ============================================================== For name removal information please visit http://www.iemmc.org/remove.htm or send an email to globalremove(a)iemmc.org and you will be permanently removed from our mailing list as well as many others at the same time. Thank you very much.

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PGP 5.5 CMR key examples, mini-review
by Greg Broiles 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

An acqaintance of mine received an evaluation copy of the new PGP For Business Security 5.5 suite, and I was able to generate some test keys to play with the message recovery features. I've uploaded them to the cert servers so folks with the 5.0 client software can experiment with them for interoperability, etc. The recovery key is "Little Brother <snoop@localhost>", fingerprint 26A5 667A 97D4 7018 1B18 2B15 D631 4776 B670 E1D0; a test user whose incoming and outgoing mail is forced to include the recovery key is "CMR User <snooped@localhost>, fingerprint EC79 A170 8BAE 60A1 3CAC C517 34A4 6056 EE42 30E3. Both keys are 768-bit DH keys, as I don't expect that anyone will use them for anything other than testing. Installation of the package involves multiple steps - there's an "administrator install package" (my term, not theirs), which installs a version 5.5 of PGP, including the PGPTools, PGPKeys and PGPTray apps, as well as a PGPAdmin program. To implement CMR, the ordinary PGPKeys app is used to create an otherwise ordinary PGP key pair; the administrator then runs the PGPAdmin app, which asks questions about security/recovery policy. The admin can force incoming messages to use a recovery key, can force outgoing messages to use a recovery key, can enable/disable conventional encryption, can enable/disable key generation (and RSA key generation), can force a key to be trusted and to act as a trusted meta-introducer. The admin can also force the user to use a strong passphrase. (PGP 5.5 includes a neat passphrase-strength-meter which changes depending on the length and apparent alphabet-space used in the passphrase for user keys.) Finally, the admin can force the user to sign/trust a designated Corporate Signing Key. After the administrator sets those policy choices, the PGPAdmin tool can be used to generate a customized installer application for distribution to users. That installer creates a local copy of PGP, which will enforce the policy choices made by the administrator. The user is warned upon key generation that a message recovery key will be used (if the app is thus configured) and that the behavior isn't optional. The recovery key ID is displayed but not modifiable. The user interface for 5.5 is much improved over that in 5.0, which was a big improvement over the command line. There's an indicator (initially preferenced to OFF, along with other information) in the PGPKeys application which marks CMR'd keys with a red button; the interface between PGPKeys and the key server is much improved. It's now possible to mark & retrieve many unknown keys, then approve adding them to the local keyring in one step, instead of approving the addition of each additional key. The icons & screen design have been updated and are now more colorful and easier to decipher. When a user with CMR-only client software encrypts data, the ID of the recovery key appears in the "encrypt to" box, and cannot be dragged out. A CMR-client will (apparently) still do conventional encryption with no recovery key if the admin allows this. -- Greg Broiles | US crypto export control policy in a nutshell: gbroiles(a)netbox.com | Export jobs, not crypto. http://www.io.com/~gbroiles | http://www.parrhesia.com

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Searching_for_representatives
by casinomarket＠correy.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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See the Seasons's Hottest Video Games on VideoGameSpot!
by announce＠lists.zdnet.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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Re: the migration path (was Re: Your "RIGHT" to Speak to Big Brother)
by Blanc 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Adam Back wrote: >Perhaps this is what they are busy building at their top-sikrit crypto >software development/research center at Cambridge, UK under the >guidance of new head of research cryptographer Roger Needham. >Looks like an export embargo end-run by Bill Gates. > >Maybe Bill Gates is a cypherpunk after all, well we can live in hope, >anyway. ................................................................. He's no anarcho-cypherpunk: he and his father just contributed a great amount of money to support a gun-law initiative which would place all sorts of requirements on gun-owners (mandatory licensing, mandatory training, mandatory gun-locks, and many privacy-intrusive reductions of personal authority, etc.) in Washington state. I don't precisely know where he stands regarding crypto, but I know that he puts business requirements and customer acceptance above the arguments of GAK advocates, as do the VIPs who work in encryption and who totally reject the idea of Big Brother. .. Blanc

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