Network Security and Cryptography

By Muhammad Junaid Anjum (021-BSCS-07) Muhammad Jalal (039-BSCS-07) Muhammad Khurram Chaudhry (079-BSCS-07) Muhammad Zubair (099-BSCS-07)

Contents y Introduction
y X.509 Authentication Service y Certificates y Revocation of Certificates y Authentication Procedures y Certificate Format y X.509 Version 3 y Certificate Extensions

Introduction
Sun Tzu, a famous Chinese military General also the author of The Art of War once said: We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring princes until we are acquainted with their designs.

History
y X.509 was initially issued in 1988 y The standard was subsequently revised to address

some of the security concerns. y A revised recommendation was issued in 1993. y A third version of the X.509 was issued in 1995. y The third version was then revised in 2005.

Overview
y Authentication application are those that will

consider authentication functions. y Authentication services were developed to support application level authentication and digital signatures. y It consists of two main kind of authentication services: 1) Kerberos 2) X.509 Authentication Service y We will only cover the second type of authentication service.

X.509 Authentication Service

y Introduction y History y Definition y Usage

Introduction
y X.509 in cryptography is a very important

standard. y It is an ITU-T standard for: a) Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) b) Single Sign On (SSO) c) Privilege Management Infrastructure (PMI)

Introduction
y X.509 specifies the standards for the following

formats: a) Public Key Certificates b) Certificate Revocation Lists c) Attributes Certificates d) Certification Path Validation Algorithm

Introduction
y X.509 is an important standard as the certificate

structure and authenticated protocols defined in X.509 are used in various contexts: a) S/MIME b) IP Security c) SSL/TLS d) SET

Definition
y X.509 defines a framework for the provision of

authentication services by the X.500 directory to its users. y The directory is a server or a distributed set of servers that a maintain a database of information about users. y This directory includes a mapping from user name to network address, as well as other attributes and information. y This directory may serve as a repository of public key certificates.

Definition
y In X.509, each certificate contains the public key of

a user and is signed with the private key of a trusted certification authority. y X.509 also defines alternative authentication protocols based on the use of public key certificates.

Usage
y X.509 is based on the use of public key

cryptography and digital signatures. y The standard does not force the use of a specific algorithm but recommends RSA. y The digital signature scheme is assumed to require the usage of a hash function. y The 1988 recommendation of X.509 included the description of a recommended hash algorithm. y Due to insecurity the hash algorithm was dropped from the 1993 recommendation.

Unsigned Certificate: contains user ID & User Public Key

Generate hash code of unsigned certificate

H
Encrypt hash code with CAs private key to form a signature

KEY
Signed Certificate: Recipient can verify signature using CAs public key

Certificates
y Overview y General Format y Notation y User Certificates

Overview
y The heart of X.509 scheme is the public key

certificate associated with each user. y The user certificate are assumed to be created by some trusted certification authority (CA) and placed in the directory of the CA or by the user. y The directory server itself is not responsible for the creation of public keys or for the certification function. y The directory merely provides an easily accessible location for users to obtain certificates.

General Format
y The general format of the certificates includes the

following elements: a) Version b) Serial Number c) Signature Algorithm Identifier d) Issuer name e) Period of Validity

General Format
f) Subject Name g) Subject Public Key Information h) Issuer Unique Identifier i) Subject Unique Identifier j) Extensions k) Signature

Notation
y The X.509 standard uses the following notation to

define a certificate CA<<A>> = CA {V, SN, AI, CA, TA, A, Ap} where y Y<<X>> is the certificate of user X issued by Certification Authority (CA) y Y{I} is the signing of I by Y. It consists of I with an encrypted hash code appended

User Certificate
y User Certificates generated by a CA have the

following characteristics: a) Any user with access to the public key of the CA can verify the user public key that was certified. b) No party other than the certification authority can modify the certificate without this being detected.

User Certificate
y X.509 suggests that CAs be arranged in a hierarchy

so that navigation is straightforward. y To understand this we take an example: Two CA have securely exchanged their own public keys. a) A obtain, from the directory, the certificate of X2 signed by X1. b) A then goes back to the directory and obtains the certificate of B signed by X2.

User Certificates
y The connected circles indicate their hierarchical

relationship among CA y The associated boxes indicate certificates maintained in the directory of each CA entry. y The directory entry for each CA includes two types of certificates: a) Forward Certificates b) Reverse Certificates

Revocation of Certificates
y A new certificate is issued just before the expiration of

the old one. y The occasion to revoke a certificate are: a) The user secret key is assumed to be compromised. b) The user is no longer certified by the CA. c) The CA certificate is assumed to be compromised. y CA maintain list of revoked certificates known as the Certification Revocation List (CRL) y Users should check certificates with CAs CRL.

Authentication Procedures
y X.509 includes three alternative authentication

procedures:
a) One-Way Authentication b) Two-Way Authentication c) Three-Way Authentication y All of the above use public key signatures.

One-Way Authentication
y One-Way authentication involves a single transfer

of information from user A to user B and establish the following:

a) The identity of A and that the message was

generated by A. b) The message was intended for B. c) The integrity and originality (it has not been sent multiple times) of the message.

Two-Way Authentication
y Two-Way authentication establishes the following

elements:
a) The identity of B and that the reply message was

generated by B. b) The message was intended for A. c) The integrity and the originality of the reply.

Three-Way Authentication
y In three-Way authentication a final message from A to

B is included. y It contains a signed copy of nonce. y The intent of this design is that timestamps need not be checked. y This approach is needed when synchronized clocks are not available.

X.509 Version 3
y It has been recognized that additional information

is needed in a certificate that include email, URL, policy details. y Rather than explicitly naming new fields a general extension method was defined. y The Extension consists of:
a) Extension Identifier b) Critically Indicator c) Extension Value

Certificate Extensions
y The certificate extension fall into three main

categories
a) Key and Policy Information. b) Certificates Subject and Issuer Attributes. c) Certification Path Constraints.

Any Questions