Keybase

Mirimir mirimir at riseup.net
Sat Jan 17 14:12:07 PST 2015


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On 01/17/2015 01:34 PM, rysiek wrote:
> Dnia sobota, 17 stycznia 2015 11:22:02 Mirimir pisze:
>> On 01/17/2015 03:52 AM, rysiek wrote:
>>> So,
>>>
>>> Mirmir wrote:
>>>> | 13. Targeted attacks against PGP key ids are possible
>>>>
>>>> This is an advantage of Keybase. Then we're not depending on the KeyID,
>>>> or even on the fingerprint, but rather on an identity that's multiply
>>>> and independently authenticated.
>>>
>>> I keep hearing more and more about keybase, and I have a problem with it.
>>> It's a centralised service, owned and controlled by a single entity;
>>> moreover, the keys are tied to online identities controlled by corporate
>>> third parties (Twitter, Facebook, et al). I don't see a Diaspora/The
>>> Federation support, for instance.
>>
>> As I understand it, Keybase is an API. The website/service is merely a
>> demonstration. The developers are aiming for mass adoption, and so
>> they've targeted the most popular sites. With some coding, arbitrary
>> sites could be used, with two requirements. First, it must be possible
>> for users to post persistent signed proofs. Second, it must be possible
>> for the API to access those signed proofs, in order to verify them.
>>
>>> My problem with this is two-fold:
>>>
>>> 1. It might allow abuse, esp. MITM attacks. If Keybase becomes a /de
>>> facto/
>>> standard of acquiring keys, it seems trivial to me for them to replace a
>>> valued target's key with something a LEA would provide.
>>
>> That's the value of trackers. Those tracking such a comprised target
>> would see that various public signed proofs are no longer valid for the
>> target's key on Keybase. The adversary could alter all of the target's
>> public signed proofs. But even that wouldn't suffice, because trackers
>> have independent snapshot histories of public proofs. And furthermore,
>> snapshot histories are embedded in the Bitcoin blockchain.
> 
> Wait, how/where does Bitcoin come into this? Did I miss it somehow? I admit I 
> didn't dive into keybase increadibly deep, but still...

See <https://keybase.io/docs/server_security> and re the blockchain
<https://keybase.io/docs/server_security/merkle_root_in_bitcoin_blockchain>.

| Every public announcement you make on Keybase is now verifiably
| signed by Keybase and hashed into the Bitcoin blockchain. To be
| specific, all of these:
|
| o announcing your Keybase username and your public key
| o identity proofs (twitter, github, your website, etc.)
| o public bitcoin address announcements
| o public tracking statements
| o revocations of any of these

>>> 2. It still promotes the closed, walled-gardens. Diaspora or GNU Social
>>> support would not be that hard to implement.
>>
>> Signed proofs could be placed anywhere that's accessible to the API. But
>> that takes coding, and developers have priorities. One can request.
> 
> Right.
> 
>> Anyway, I've created a test identity: https://keybase.io/Proba. Once
>> I've added enough proofs, and have enough trackers, I plan to mess with
>> it by replacing the public key held by Keybase, altering some of the
>> proofs, and so on. Then we can see how that shows up for its trackers,
>> and for other users. I'll also explore impacts of malicious trackers.
> 
> Oh, great, I really appreciate that effort. Please keep me posted!

Thanks. If you join, you can play :) I'm <https://keybase.io/mirimir>
and the test account is <https://keybase.io/proba>.
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