Re: Security enhancement proposal for kernel TLS

[Dave Watson <davejwatson@fb.com>]

On 07/31/18 10:45 AM, Vakul Garg wrote:
> > > IIUC, with the upstream implementation of tls record layer in kernel,
> > > the decryption of tls FINISHED message happens in kernel. Therefore
> > > the keys are already being sent to kernel tls socket before handshake is
> > completed.
> > 
> > This is incorrect.  
> 
> Let us first reach a common ground on this.
> 
>  The kernel TLS implementation can decrypt only after setting the keys on the socket.
> The TLS message 'finished' (which is encrypted) is received after receiving 'CCS'
> message. After the user space  TLS library receives CCS message, it sets the keys
> on kernel TLS socket. Therefore, the next message in the  socket receive queue
> which is TLS finished gets decrypted in kernel only.
> 
> Please refer to following Boris's patch on openssl. The  commit log says:
> " We choose to set this option at the earliest - just after CCS is complete".

I agree that Boris' patch does what you say it does - it sets keys
immediately after CCS instead of after FINISHED message.  I disagree
that the kernel tls implementation currently requires that specific
ordering, nor do I think that it should require that ordering.