Last Call Review of draft-ietf-pkix-new-asn1-
review-ietf-pkix-new-asn1-secdir-lc-barnes-2009-11-20-00

I have reviewed this document as part of the security directorate's ongoing
effort to review all IETF documents being processed by the IESG.  These
comments were written primarily for the benefit of the security area
directors.  Document editors and WG chairs should treat these comments just
like any other last call comments.

This document updates the ASN.1 descriptions of several security-relevant data
objects (e.g., CMS messages and S/MIME objects) from the 1988 version of ASN.1
to the 2002 version, without changing the structure expressed by these
definitions -- there are no changes to bits on the wire.  The document
correctly states that this document itself creates no security issues, because
it makes no changes to any protocols (it simply expresses the structure of
those protocols in a different, updated syntax).  The only minor concern I have
is to be sure that the above claims about the lack of changes are true, i.e.,
that the ASN.1 syntax is correct.  To ensure this correctness, I would
recommend an expert review focused on the ASN.1, if one has not already been
done.

--Richard