Re: Secure comm program, Sockets + LINK

[Timothy Newsham <newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu>]

>   Meanwhile, I did peruse the LINK source and am a little unhappy with
> the actual protocol used in setting up the secure channel.  It is only
> authenticated in one direction, rather than both (as I understand
> it).  I would like to see two way authentication, and (perhaps)
> Diffe-Helman key exchange.

I assume you're talking about the link program I wrote.
If so:   I never really considered the RSA exchange as authentication
although it can be thought of that way I guess.  The reason for
the RSA part was primarily to exchange a private session key.  Only
one side initiates the key exchange because of a flaw in the 
implementation right now (if both send key exchange messages at the
exact same time, both ends will end up using different keys).
Even though only one end sends a message, both ends must "match up"
in that they must both have 1/2 of the RSA key (the "encryption"
and "decryption" or "public" and "private" keys).  Hence if they
end up with the same session key you can consider it a match and
hence a sort of authentication I guess.
If (when) I implement DH key exchange I guess I should add some
sort of authentication.
I would like to put DH exchange in but I havent seen (or really 
looked that hard :) for good DH source.  Anyone know of a fast
implementation that is public domain (or that I have permission
to use) and preferably available outside of the USA already?
 

> 
> j'
>