IPsec
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... PKI
System products in order to better enable large scale, PKI-enabled
IPsec deployments with a common set of transactions. Requirements ...
... transactions. Requirements
for both the IPsec and the PKI products are discussed. The
requirements ...
... deployment, even where the
deployment involves tens of thousands of IPsec users and devices.
The requirements ...
... PKIX (PKI for X.509 Certificates) and IPsec standards to
limit the complexity of deployment. Some requirements ...
... vendors create interoperable products to enable
large-scale IPsec System deployments, and do so as quickly as
possible. For example, a VPN ...
... possible. For example, a VPN Operator should be able to use any
conforming IPsec implementation (VPN Administration or IPsec Peer) of
...
... conforming IPsec implementation (VPN Administration or IPsec Peer) of
the certificate management ...
... PKI Systems and between the VPN Administration and
IPsec Peers. The requirements strive to meet eighty percent of the
market needs for large-scale deployments ...
... VPN-PKI transactions that ease and enable scalable PKI-enabled
IPsec deployments are addressed.
...
... standardized later to enable interoperability between VPN
Administration function stations and IPsec Peers from different
vendors, but are far beyond the scope of this current effort, and
...
... VPN System is comprised of the VPN Administration function
(defined below), the IPsec Peers, and the communication mechanism
between the VPN Administration and the IPsec Peers ...
... IPsec Peers, and the communication mechanism
between the VPN Administration and the IPsec Peers. VPN System is
defined in more detail in Section 2.1.
...
... Gateway or Client)
For the purposes of this document, an IPsec Peer, or simply "Peer",
is any VPN System component that communicates IKE ...
... is any VPN System component that communicates IKE and IPsec to
another Peer in order to create an IPsec Security Association ...
... IPsec to
another Peer in order to create an IPsec Security Association for
communications. It can be either a traditional security gateway
...
... network and one
for the unprotected network) or an IPsec client (with a single
network interface ...
... network interface). In both cases, the Peer can pass traffic with no
IPsec protection, and can add IPsec protection to chosen traffic
...
... traffic with no
IPsec protection, and can add IPsec protection to chosen traffic
streams. See Section 2.1.1 for more details.
...
... associated with a PKC to digitally sign data. In this document, an
IPsec Peer is certainly an end entity, but the VPN Admin can also
...
... architecture for a PKI-supported
IPsec VPN deployment. First, an explanation of the VPN System is
...
...
The VPN System consists of the IPsec Peers and the VPN Administration
function, as depicted in Figure 1.
...
... | v v |
| +---------+ +---------+ |
| | IPsec | | IPsec | |
| | Peer 1 |<=======================>| Peer 2 | |
...
... | +---------+ +---------+ |
| | IPsec | | IPsec | |
| | Peer 1 |<=======================>| Peer 2 | |
| +---------+ +---------+ |
...
... IPsec Peer(s) ...
...
The Peers are two entities between which establishment of an IPsec
Security Association is required. Two Peers are shown in Figure 1,
but implementations can support an actual number in the hundreds or
thousands. The Peers can be gateway ...
... such, the Admin's architecture and the means by which it interacts
with the participating IPsec Peers will vary widely from
implementation to implementation. However, some basic functions of
the Admin are assumed.
...
... PKC.
- It will deliver instructions to the IPsec Peers, and the Peers
will carry out those instructions (e.g., Admin passes Peer
information necessary to generate keys and PKC request ...
... PKCs
from a single PKI community. An IPsec Peer can accept a PKC from a
Peer that is from a CA ...
... | v v v v |
| +---------+ +---------+ |
| | IPsec | [I] | IPsec | |
| | Peer 1 |<========================>| Peer 2 | |
...
... | +---------+ +---------+ |
| | IPsec | [I] | IPsec | |
| | Peer 1 |<========================>| Peer 2 | |
| +---------+ +---------+ |
...
... off-line". It can, in some environments,
be "moving media" (i.e., the configuration or data is loaded on to a
floppy disk or other media and physically moved to the IPsec Peers).
Likewise, it can be entered directly on the IPsec Peer via a User
Interface ...
... floppy disk or other media and physically moved to the IPsec Peers).
Likewise, it can be entered directly on the IPsec Peer via a User
Interface (UI). In this case, the Admin function is co-located ...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... wants the PKI to issue to a group of IPsec Peers. In other words, it
tells the PKI System, "if you see a PKC request ...
... key
pairs. The key generations can occur at one of three places,
depending on local requirements: at the IPsec Peer, at the Admin, or
at the PKI. The PKC request ...
... at the PKI. The PKC request can come from either the IPsec Peer, a
combination of the Peer and the Admin, or not at all.
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
2 | IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
2 | IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
...
Figure 6. Generation Interactions:
IPsec Peer Generates Key Pair, Admin Constructs PKC Request
...
... requirements, where the same PKCs are used for other functions in
addition to IPsec, and key recovery is required (e.g., local data
encryption), therefore key escrow is needed from the Peer. If key
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
...
Figure 8. Generation Interactions:
IPsec Peer Generates Key Pair, Admin Constructs PKC Request
...
...
In this case, the IPsec Peer only communicates with the PKI after
being commanded to do so by the Admin. This enrollment mode is
...
... (Section 3.3.1) steps are not shown.
Most IPsec Systems have enough CPU power to generate a public and
private key pair ...
... CPU power to generate a public and
private key pair of sufficient strength for secure IPsec. In this
case, the end entity needs to prove to the PKI ...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... Figure 9. VPN-PKI Interaction Steps:
IPsec Peer Generates Keys and PKC Request,
Enrolls Directly with PKI ...
...
In this case, the IPsec Peer has generated the key pair and the PKC
request, but does not enroll directly to the PKI System ...
... the Admin receives the PKC response, it automatically forwards it to
the IPsec Peer.
Most IPsec Systems ...
... IPsec Peer.
Most IPsec Systems have enough CPU power to generate a public and
private key pair ...
... CPU power to generate a public and
private key pair of sufficient strength for secure IPsec. In this
case, the end entity needs to prove to the Admin that it has such a
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... Figure 10. VPN-PKI Interaction Steps:
IPsec Peer Generates Keys and PKC Request,
Enrolls Through Admin
...
... 1) Opaque Transaction [E]. The IPsec Peer requests a PKC from the
Admin, providing the generated public key ...
... Opaque Transaction [E]. The Admin forwards the enrollment
response back to the IPsec Peer.
5) Opaque ...
...
In this case, the IPsec Peer has generated the key pair, but the PKC
request is constructed and signed by the Admin. The PKI System ...
... enrollment. Once the Admin retrieves the PKC, it then automatically
forwards it to the IPsec Peer along with the key pair.
...
... key pair.
Some IPsec Systems do not have enough CPU power to generate a public
and private key pair ...
... CPU power to generate a public
and private key pair of sufficient strength for secure IPsec. In
this case, the Admin needs to prove to the PKI that it has such a key
pair ...
... private key
will eventually be sent over the wire (though hopefully securely so)
from Admin to the IPsec Peer; whenever possible, it is preferred to
keep a key within its cryptographic boundary of origin. Failing to
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... Figure 11. VPN-PKI Interaction Steps:
IPsec Peer Generates Keys, Admin Constructs and
Signs PKC Request, Enrolls through Admin
...
... Opaque Transaction [E]. The Admin forwards the enrollment
response back to the IPsec Peer.
4) Opaque ...
... the Admin retrieves the PKC, it then automatically forwards it to the
IPsec Peer along with the key pair.
...
... key pair.
Some IPsec Systems do not have enough CPU power to generate a public
and private key pair ...
... CPU power to generate a public
and private key pair of sufficient strength for secure IPsec. In
this case, the Admin needs to prove to the PKI that it has such a key
pair ...
... private key
will eventually be sent over the wire (though hopefully securely so)
from Admin to the IPsec Peer; whenever possible, it is preferred to
keep a key within its cryptographic boundary of origin. Failing to
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... Opaque Transaction [E]. The Admin forwards the enrollment
response back to the IPsec Peer, along with the keys.
4) Opaque ...
... authorization request. The PKI returns to the IPsec Peer through the
Admin, the final product of a key pair and PKC ...
... private key will eventually be
sent over the wire (though hopefully securely so) from Admin to the
IPsec Peer; whenever possible, it is preferred to keep a key within
its cryptographic boundary of origin. Failing to do so opens the
...
... +--------------------+ +--------+
| IPsec | | IPsec |
| Peer 1 | | Peer 2 |
+--------------------+ +--------+
...
... Opaque Transaction [E]. The Admin forwards the enrollment
response back to the IPsec Peer, along with the keys.
3) Opaque ...
... PKCs MAY have extendedKeyusage to help identify the proper PKC for
IPsec, though the default behavior is to not use them (see 3.1.5.3).
IPsec Peers ...
... IPsec, though the default behavior is to not use them (see 3.1.5.3).
IPsec Peers MUST be able to resolve Internet domain names and support
...
... CA key roll-over.
IPsec Systems have an OPTION to turn off revocation checking. Such
may be desired when the two Peers are communicating over a network ...