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Re: [pkix] OCSP and Privacy Issues



Massimiliano Pala wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> as we are updating the OCSP protocol, I was wondering if we could add a
> feature that has been widely investigated in Academia, but no fallback
> has happened in the real world, yet: Privacy.
> 
> The OCSP protocol raises possible privacy concerns: by requesting the
> revocation status of a specific certificate a possible ``eve'' could infer
> the user's activity (or even one's location if the cert is used for
> physical access to a building!). This issue is not present when using
> CRLs as no disclosure of which certificate is being checked occurs.
> 
> A simple solution exists based on obfuscating the serial number of the
> requested certificate. It also can be easily implemented as an extension
> to the current protocol.
> 
> Is anybody interested in solving this issue ? I can probably write an
> initial draft very easily. Shall this be a separate draft or an update
> of the OCSP one ?
> 

Would've thought an https URL for the responder would be a simpler way.

Steve.
-- 
Dr Stephen N. Henson.
Core developer of the   OpenSSL project: http://www.openssl.org/
Freelance consultant see: http://www.drh-consultancy.co.uk/
Email: shenson at drh-consultancy.co.uk, PGP key: via homepage.

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