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Last Call Review of draft-sakane-dhc-dhcpv6-kdc-option-
review-sakane-dhc-dhcpv6-kdc-option-secdir-lc-weiler-2012-06-19-00

Request Review of draft-sakane-dhc-dhcpv6-kdc-option
Requested revision No specific revision (document currently at 18)
Type Last Call Review
Team Security Area Directorate (secdir)
Deadline 2012-03-23
Requested 2012-03-16
Authors Shoichi Sakane , Masahiro Ishiyama
I-D last updated 2012-06-19
Completed reviews Genart Last Call review of -?? by Alexey Melnikov
Genart Telechat review of -?? by Alexey Melnikov
Secdir Last Call review of -?? by Samuel Weiler
Assignment Reviewer Samuel Weiler
State Completed
Request Last Call review on draft-sakane-dhc-dhcpv6-kdc-option by Security Area Directorate Assigned
Result Ready
Completed 2012-06-19
review-sakane-dhc-dhcpv6-kdc-option-secdir-lc-weiler-2012-06-19-00
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 doc specifies several DHCPv6 options for carrying Kerberos config 


info.  There are obvious risks to doing this, but they're discussed 


reasonably well in this and similar cited docs (e.g. RFC3634, which 


specifies a much more limited option for DHCPv4).  The doc explains by 


DNS service discovery isn't ideal for some environments.






With that said, there are some things that need clarification, and the 


doc sorely needs an editorial pass.  As-is, the doc is not ready for 


publication.  I will be happy to review the doc again once it's been 


thoroughly edited.





Things that need clarification or consideration:



For the transport type field, would it be better to use a bitmask? 


Then one could use a single DHCPv6 option to specify a KDC that's 


reachable over both TCP and UDP, rather than needing two DHCPv6 


options.






Section 7 uses the term "TGT" without expansion.  In the Kerberos 


world I can't imagine someone not knowing what this is, but it's not 


clear to the layman.  It probably needs to be expanded.






The algorithm in section 4.1 needs work.  The obvious thing is to read 


it linearly.  Doing that, one would prefer DHCP over DNS SVR info (per 


step 2), which is not what step 6 and the graphic say.






Saying "no answer from the DNS server" is probably not the desired 


semantic.






In 3.4, the option-len field is ambiguous.  It says "24-octet + the 


length of the realm-name field in octets."  But it looks to me like 


this option is 27 octets + length of realm name.  Perhaps it would be 


better to just count the length of the realm name?







And here are some examples of wording that needs work.  There are many 


more -- I quit copying them into this review after the first few:






3.2 "This option informs a DHCPv6 server of which realm the client 


want to access, ..."






7 "... a rogue KDC that does not know the client access."  What is 


"the client access"?






"The incorrect KDC is not be able to proceed any further state of the 


client."






"The considerable situation is that the support of an unconfigured 


workstation used by multiple users, which obtains its KDC information 


and default realm via DHCP."