Re: SSL cleanups/hostname verification - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Gregory Stark
Subject Re: SSL cleanups/hostname verification
Date
Msg-id 87hc76nmtu.fsf@oxford.xeocode.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: SSL cleanups/hostname verification  (Martijn van Oosterhout <kleptog@svana.org>)
Responses Re: SSL cleanups/hostname verification
List pgsql-hackers
Martijn van Oosterhout <kleptog@svana.org> writes:

> SSH is a good example, it only works with self-signed certificates, and
> relies on the client to check it. Libpq provides a mechanism for the
> client to verify the server's certificate, and that is safe even if it
> is self-signed.

Sort of. SSH requires you to install the certificate of the server locally
before connecting. If you don't it pops up a big warning and asks if you want
to install it. On subsequent connections it looks up the key for the name of
the host you're trying to connect to and insists it match. If it doesn't it
pops up a *huge* error and refuses to connect.

> Preventing casual snooping without preventing MitM is a rational choice
> for system administrators.

I think the word you're looking for is "naive" :)

--  Gregory Stark EnterpriseDB          http://www.enterprisedb.com Ask me about EnterpriseDB's On-Demand Production
Tuning


pgsql-hackers by date:

Previous
From: Magnus Hagander
Date:
Subject: Re: SSL cleanups/hostname verification
Next
From: Tom Lane
Date:
Subject: Re: SSL cleanups/hostname verification