Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) G. Huston
Request for Comments: 6485 APNIC
Category: Standards Track February 2012
ISSN: 2070-1721
The Profile for Algorithms and Key Sizes for
Use in the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI)
Abstract
This document specifies the algorithms, algorithms' parameters,
asymmetric key formats, asymmetric key size, and signature format for
the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) subscribers that
generate digital signatures on certificates, Certificate Revocation
Lists, and signed objects as well as for the relying parties (RPs)
that verify these digital signatures.
Status of This Memo
This is an Internet Standards Track document.
This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has
received public review and has been approved for publication by the
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on
Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741.
Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6485.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
(http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
publication of this document. Please review these documents
carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must
include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
described in the Simplified BSD License.
Huston Standards Track [Page 1]RFC 6485 RPKI Algorithm Profile February 2012
1. Introduction
This document specifies:
* the digital signature algorithm and parameters;
* the hash algorithm and parameters;
* the public and private key formats; and,
* the signature format
used by Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) subscribers when
they apply digital signatures to certificates, Certificate Revocation
Lists (CRLs), and signed objects (e.g., Route Origin Authorizations
(ROAs) and manifests). Relying parties (RPs) also use the algorithms
defined in this document to verify RPKI subscribers' digital
signatures [RFC6480].
This document is referenced by other RPKI profiles and
specifications, including the RPKI Certificate Policy (CP) [RFC6484],
the RPKI Certificate Profile [RFC6487], the SIDR Architecture
[RFC6480], and the Signed Object Template for the RPKI [RFC6488].
Familiarity with these documents is assumed.
1.1. Terminology
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].
2. Algorithms
Two cryptographic algorithms are used in the RPKI:
* The signature algorithm used in certificates, CRLs, and signed
objects is RSA Public-Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) #1
Version 1.5 (sometimes referred to as "RSASSA-PKCS1-v1_5") from
Section 5 of [RFC4055].
* The hashing algorithm used in certificates, CRLs, and signed
objects is SHA-256 [SHS]. The hashing algorithm is not
identified by itself when used in certificates and CRLs, as
they are combined with the digital signature algorithm (see
below).
When used in the Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) SignedData,
the hash algorithm (in this case, the hash algorithm is
sometimes called a message digest algorithm) is identified by
itself. For CMS SignedData, the object identifier and
parameters for SHA-256 (as defined in [RFC5754]) MUST be used
Huston Standards Track [Page 2]RFC 6485 RPKI Algorithm Profile February 2012
when populating the digestAlgorithms and digestAlgorithm
fields.
NOTE: The exception to the above hashing algorithm is the use
of SHA-1 [SHS] when Certification Authorities (CAs) generate
authority and subject key identifiers [RFC6487].
When used to generate and verify digital signatures the hash and
digital signature algorithms are referred together, i.e., "RSA PKCS#1
v1.5 with SHA-256" or more simply "RSA with SHA-256". The Object
Identifier (OID) sha256withRSAEncryption from [RFC4055] MUST be used.
Locations for this OID are as follows:
In the certificate, the OID appears in the signature and
signatureAlgorithm fields [RFC4055];
In the CRL, the OID appears in the signatureAlgorithm field
[RFC4055];
In CMS SignedData, the OID appears in each SignerInfo
signatureAlgoithm field [RFC3370] using the OID from above; and,
In a certification request, the OID appears in the PKCS #10
signatureAlgorithm field [RFC2986] or in the Certificate Request
Message Format (CRMF) POPOSigningKey signature field [RFC4211].
3. Asymmetric Key Pair Formats
The RSA key pairs used to compute the signatures MUST have a 2048-bit
modulus and a public exponent (e) of 65,537.
3.1. Public Key Format
The subject's public key is included in subjectPublicKeyInfo
[RFC5280]. It has two sub-fields: algorithm and subjectPublicKey.
The values for the structures and their sub-structures follow:
algorithm (which is an AlgorithmIdentifier type):
The object identifier for RSA PKCS#1 v1.5 with SHA-256 MUST be
used in the algorithm field, as specified in Section 5 of
[RFC4055]. The value for the associated parameters from that
clause MUST also be used for the parameters field.
subjectPublicKey:
RSAPublicKey MUST be used to encode the certificate's
subjectPublicKey field, as specified in [RFC4055].
Huston Standards Track [Page 3]RFC 6485 RPKI Algorithm Profile February 2012
3.2. Private Key Format
Local policy determines the private key format.
4. Signature Format
The structure for the certificate's signature field is as specified
in Section 1.2 of [RFC4055]. The structure for the CMS SignedData's
signature field is as specified in [RFC3370].
5. Additional Requirements
It is anticipated that the RPKI will require the adoption of updated
key sizes and a different set of signature and hash algorithms over
time, in order to maintain an acceptable level of cryptographic
security to protect the integrity of signed products in the RPKI.
This profile should be replaced to specify such future requirements,
as and when appropriate.
CAs and RPs SHOULD be capable of supporting a transition to allow for
the phased introduction of additional encryption algorithms and key
specifications, and also accommodate the orderly deprecation of
previously specified algorithms and keys. Accordingly, CAs and RPs
SHOULD be capable of supporting multiple RPKI algorithm and key
profiles simultaneously within the scope of such anticipated
transitions. The recommended procedures to implement such a
transition of key sizes and algorithms is not specified in this
document.
6. Security Considerations
The Security Considerations of [RFC4055], [RFC5280], and [RFC6487]
apply to certificates and CRLs. The Security Considerations of
[RFC5754] apply to signed objects. No new security threats are
introduced as a result of this specification.
7. Acknowledgments
The author acknowledges the reuse in this document of material
originally contained in working drafts of the RPKI Certificate Policy
[RFC6484] and the resource certificate profile [RFC6487] documents.
The co-authors of these two documents, namely Stephen Kent, Derrick
Kong, Karen Seo, Ronald Watro, George Michaelson, and Robert Loomans,
are acknowledged, with thanks. The constraint on key size noted in
this profile is the outcome of comments from Stephen Kent and review
comments from David Cooper. Sean Turner has provided additional
review input to this document.
Huston Standards Track [Page 4]
RFC 6485 RPKI Algorithm Profile February 2012
9. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
[RFC2986] Nystrom, M. and B. Kaliski, "PKCS #10: Certification
Request Syntax Specification Version 1.7", RFC 2986,
November 2000.
[RFC3370] Housley, R., "Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)
Algorithms", RFC 3370, August 2002.
[RFC4055] Schaad, J., Kaliski, B., and R. Housley, "Additional
Algorithms and Identifiers for RSA Cryptography for use in
the Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate
and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile", RFC 4055,
June 2005.
[RFC4211] Schaad, J., "Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure
Certificate Request Message Format (CRMF)", RFC 4211,
September 2005.
[RFC5280] Cooper, D., Santesson, S., Farrell, S., Boeyen, S.,
Housley, R., and W. Polk, "Internet X.509 Public Key
Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List
(CRL) Profile", RFC 5280, May 2008.
[RFC5754] Turner, S., "Using SHA2 Algorithms with Cryptographic
Message Syntax", RFC 5754, January 2010.
[RFC6480] Lepinski, M. and S. Kent, "An Infrastructure to Support
Secure Internet Routing", RFC 6480, February 2012.
[RFC6484] Kent, S., Kong, D., Seo, K., and R. Watro, "Certificate
Policy (CP) for the Resource Public Key Infrastructure
(RPKI)", BCP 173, RFC 6484, February 2012.
[RFC6487] Husotn, G., Michaelson, G., and R. Loomans, "A Profile for
X.509 PKIX Resource Certificates", RFC 6487, February
2012.
[RFC6488] Lepinski, M., Chi, A., and S. Kent, "Signed Object
Template for the Resource Public Key Infrastructure
(RPKI)", RFC 6488, February 2012.
[SHS] National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
"FIPS Publication 180-3: Secure Hash Standard (SHS)", FIPS
Publication 180-3, October 2008.
Huston Standards Track [Page 5]RFC 6485 RPKI Algorithm Profile February 2012
Author's Address
Geoff Huston
APNIC
EMail: gih@apnic.net
Huston Standards Track [Page 6]
