Internet-Draft tls1.2-frozen August 2024
Salz & Aviram Expires 21 February 2025 [Page]
Workgroup:
Transport Layer Security
Internet-Draft:
draft-ietf-tls-tls12-frozen-02
Published:
Intended Status:
Informational
Expires:
Authors:
R. Salz
Akamai Technologies
N. Aviram

TLS 1.2 is in Feature Freeze

Abstract

TLS 1.2 is in widespread use and can be configured such that it provides good security properties. TLS 1.3 is also in widespread use and fixes some known deficiencies with TLS 1.2, such as removing error-prone cryptographic primitives and encrypting more of the traffic so that it is not readable by outsiders.

Both versions have several extension points, so items like new cryptographic algorithms, new supported groups (formerly "named curves"), etc., can be added without defining a new protocol. This document specifies that outside of urgent security fixes, no new features will be approved for TLS 1.2. This prescription does not pertain to DTLS (in any DTLS version); it pertains to TLS only.

About This Document

This note is to be removed before publishing as an RFC.

Status information for this document may be found at https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-tls-tls12-frozen/.

Discussion of this document takes place on the Transport Layer Security Working Group mailing list (mailto:tls@ietf.org), which is archived at https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/tls/. Subscribe at https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/tls/.

Source for this draft and an issue tracker can be found at https://github.com/tlswg/tls12-frozen.

Status of This Memo

This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet-Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

This Internet-Draft will expire on 21 February 2025.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

TLS 1.2 [TLS12] is in widespread use and can be configured such that it provides good security properties.

TLS 1.3 [TLS13] is also in widespread use and fixes most known deficiencies with TLS 1.2, such as encrypting more of the traffic so that it is not readable by outsiders and removing most cryptographic primitives now considered weak. Importantly, TLS 1.3 enjoys robust security proofs and provides excellent security as-is.

Both versions have several extension points, so items like new cryptographic algorithms, new supported groups (formerly "named curves"), etc., can be added without defining a new protocol. This document specifies that outside of urgent security fixes, no new features will be approved for TLS 1.2. This prescription does not pertain to DTLS (in any DTLS version); it pertains to TLS only.

2. Conventions and Definitions

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.

3. Implications for post-quantum cryptography

Cryptographically relevant quantum computers, once available, will have a huge impact on RSA, FFDH, and ECC which are currently used in TLS. In 2016, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology started a multi-year effort to standardize algorithms that will be "safe" once quantum computers are feasible [PQC]. First IETF discussions happened around the same time [CFRGSLIDES].

While the industry is waiting for NIST to finish standardization, the IETF has several efforts underway. A working group was formed in early 2023 to work on use of PQC in IETF protocols, [PQUIPWG]. Several other working groups, including TLS [TLSWG], are working on drafts to support hybrid algorithms and identifiers, for use during a transition from classic to a post-quantum world.

For TLS it is important to note that the focus of these efforts is TLS 1.3 or later. Put bluntly, post-quantum cryptography for TLS 1.2 WILL NOT be supported (see Section 4).

4. IANA Considerations

IANA will stop accepting registrations for any TLS parameters [TLS13REG] except for the following:

Entries in any other TLS protocol registry should have an indication like "For TLS 1.3 or later" in their entry.

5. References

5.1. Normative References

[RFC2119]
Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2119>.
[RFC8174]
Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC 2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8174>.
[TLS12]
Dierks, T. and E. Rescorla, "The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.2", RFC 5246, DOI 10.17487/RFC5246, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5246>.
[TLS13]
Rescorla, E., "The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.3", RFC 8446, DOI 10.17487/RFC8446, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8446>.
[TLS13REG]
Salowey, J. and S. Turner, "IANA Registry Updates for TLS and DTLS", RFC 8447, DOI 10.17487/RFC8447, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8447>.

5.2. Informative References

[CFRGSLIDES]
McGrew, D., "Post Quantum Secure Cryptography Discussion", n.d., <https://www.ietf.org/proceedings/95/slides/slides-95-cfrg-4.pdf>.
[PQC]
"Post-Quantum Cryptography", , <https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/post-quantum-cryptography>.
[PQUIPWG]
"Post-Quantum Use in Protocols", n.d., <https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/pquip/about/>.
[TLSWG]
"Transport Layer Security", n.d., <https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/tls/about/>.

Acknowledgments

None yet.

Authors' Addresses

Rich Salz
Akamai Technologies
Nimrod Aviram