Network Working Group Brian A. Anderson
Request for Comments: 927 BBN
December 1984
TACACS User Identification Telnet Option
Status of this Memo
This RFC suggests a proposed protocol for the ARPA-Internet
community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.
Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Introduction
The following is the description of a TELNET option designed to
facilitate double login avoidance. It is intended primarily for TAC
connections to target hosts on behalf of TAC users, but it can be
used between any two consenting hosts. For example, all hosts at one
site (e.g., BBN) can use this option to avoid double login when
TELNETing to one another.
1. Command name and code
TUID 26
2. Command Meanings
IAC WILL TUID
The sender (the TELNET user) proposes to authenticate the user and
send the identifing UUID; or, the sender (the TELNET user) agrees
to authenticate the user on whose behalf the connection is
initiated.
IAC WON'T TUID
The sender (the TELNET user) refuses to authenticate the user on
whose behalf the connection is initiated.
IAC DO TUID
The sender (the TELNET server) proposes that the recipient (the
TELNET user) authenticate the user and send the identifing UUID;
or, the sender (the TELNET server) agrees to accept the
recipient's (the TELNET user's) authentication of the user
identified by his UUID.
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TUID Telnet Option
IAC DON'T TUID
The sender (the TELNET server) refuses to accept the recipient's
(the TELNET user) authentication of the user.
IAC SB TUID <uuid> IAC SE
The sender (the TELNET user) sends the UUID <uuid> of the user on
whose behalf the connection is established to the host to which he
is connected. The <uuid> is a 32 bit binary number.
3. Default
WON'T TUID
A TELNET user host (the initiator of a TELNET connection) not
implementing or using the TUID option will reply WON'T TUID to a
DO TUID.
DON'T TUID
A TELNET server host (the recipient of a TELNET connection) not
implementing or using the TUID option reply DON'T TUID to a WILL
TUID.
4. Motivation for the Option
Under TACACS (the TAC Access Control System) a user must be
authenticated (give a correct name/password pair) to a TAC before he
can connect to a host via the TAC. To avoid a second authentication
by the target host, the TAC can pass along the user's proven identity
(his UUID) to the that host. Hosts may accept the TAC's
authentication of the user or not, at their option.
The same option can be used between any pair of cooperating hosts for
the purpose of double login avoidance.
5. Description for the Option
At the time that a host establishes a TELNET connection for a user to
another host, if the latter supports the TUID option and wants to
receive the user's UUID, it sends an IAC DO TUID to the the user's
host. If the user's host supports the TUID option and wants to
authenticate the user by sending the user's UUID, it responds IAC
WILL TUID; otherwise it responds with IAC WON'T TUID. If both the
user and server TELNETs agree, the user TELNET will then send the
UUID to the server TELNET by sub-negotiation.
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TUID Telnet Option
6. Examples
There are two possible negotiations that result in the double login
avoidance authentication of a user. Both the server and the user
TELNET support the TUID option.
S = Server, U = User
Case 1:
S-> IAC DO TUID
U-> IAC WILL TUID
U-> IAC SB TUID <32-bit UUID> IAC SE
Case 2:
U-> IAC WILL TUID
S-> IAC DO TUID
U-> IAC SB TUID <32-bit UUID> IAC SE
There are also two possible negoitiations that do not result in the
authentication of a user. In the first example the server supports
TUID and the user TELNET doesn't. In the second example the user
TELNET supports TUID but the server TELNET doesn't.
S = Server, U = User
Case 3:
S-> IAC DO TUID
U-> IAC WONT TUID
Case 4:
U-> IAC WILL TUID
S-> IAC DONT TUID
The TUID is transmitted with the subnegotiation command. For
example, if the UUID had the value 1 the following string of octets
would be transmitted:
IAC SB TUID 0 0 0 1 IAC SE
If the UUID had the value 255 the following string of octets would be
transmitted:
IAC SB TUID 0 0 0 IAC IAC IAC SE
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TUID Telnet Option
If the UUID had the value of all ones the following string of octets
would be transmitted:
IAC SB TUID IAC IAC IAC IAC IAC IAC IAC IAC IAC SE
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