Username/Password Authentication for SOCKS V5
INTERNET-DRAFT
Expires: In Six Months                                                 M. Leech
<draft-ietf-aft-username-password-01.txt>



             Username/Password Authentication for SOCKS V5

Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft. Internet-Drafts are working
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1.  Introduction

   The protocol specification for SOCKS Version 5 specifies a
   generalized framework for the use of arbitrary authentication
   protocols in the initial socks connection setup. This document
   describes one of those protocols, as it fits into the SOCKS Version 5
   authentication "subnegotiation".

2.  Initial negotiation

   Once the SOCKS V5 server has started, and the client has selected the
   Username/Password Authentication protocol, the Username/Password
   subnegotiation begins.  This begins with the client producing a
   Username/Password request:


           +----+------+----------+------+----------+
           |VER | ULEN |  UNAME   | PLEN |  PASSWD  |
           +----+------+----------+------+----------+
           | 1  |  1   | 1 to 255 |  1   | 1 to 255 |
           +----+------+----------+------+----------+



Leech                                                   [Page 1]


INTERNET-DRAFT    Username Authentication for SOCKS V5        March 1995


   The VER field contains the current version of the subne-
   gotiation, which is X'01'. The ULEN field contains the
   length of the UNAME field that follows. The UNAME field
   contains the username as known to the source operating
   system. The PLEN field contains the length of the PASSWD
   field that follows. The PASSWD field contains the pass-
   word association with the given UNAME.

   The server verifies the supplied UNAME and PASSWD, and
   sends the following response:


                        +----+--------+
                        |VER | STATUS |
                        +----+--------+
                        | 1  |   1    |
                        +----+--------+

   A STATUS field of X'00' indicates success. If the server
   returns a `failure' (STATUS value other than X'00') sta-
   tus, it MUST close the connection.

3.  Security Considerations

   This document describes a subnegotiation that provides
   authentication services to the SOCKS protocol. Since the
   request carries the password in cleartext, this subnego-
   tiation is not recommended for environments where "sniff-
   ing" is possible and practical.

4.  Authors Address

   Marcus Leech
   Bell-Northern Research Ltd
   P.O. Box 3511, Station C
   Ottawa, ON
   CANADA K1Y 4H7

   +1 613 763 9145

   Email: mleech@bnr.ca










Leech                                                   [Page 2]