Secrecy and user trust

[Todd Denniston]

Anders Karlsson wrote, On 09/04/2008 01:37 AM:
> * Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com> [20080904 05:29]:
>> Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:
>>> On Wed, 2008-09-03 at 10:30 -0400, Bill Davidsen wrote:
>>>> hardest of all find a secure way to provide the public part of the  
>>>> signing key
>>> The whole point about asymmetric encryption is that you don't need a
>>> secure distribution channel. The worst that can happen is that some fake
>>> public key gets distributed, which won't match the private key and hence
>>> will be instantly detectable.
>>>
>> NAK - if a fake public key were distributed then packages signed with  
>> the fake key would be matched, allowing full access to install crap in  
>> your machine. And packages signed with any valid redhat key would be  
>> rejected.
>>
>> The public key really must be distributed in a secure manner.
> 
> I am sure the infrastructure team is all ears for a detailed
> suggestion on how you believe this should be achieved. And with your
> extensive experience in the field - you ought to be able to provide a
> detailed plan of action.
> 
> It's very easy sitting at the side-line criticising, but actually
> *doing* it is much harder. 
> 
> IMHO - we're at the "put up or shut up" point with the criticism now.
> 
> /Anders
> 

See the suggestion I made a while back[4] for further information about our 
current use of cobwebs of trust.  My suggestion then was not to take care of 
the current situation, it is too late for using it for the current situation, 
but it would make any later situations easier to deal with.  I still think 
Fedora needs a master key made (soon after the current situation is resolved) 
so that we can start building at least a cobweb for it.

suggestions for now:
1) sign the new key with the old key... it is the infrastructure team's plan 
to do so any way, and many folks will be happy with it.
2) distribute [email | website posting | mass CD mailing] a version of the new 
key signed by SEVERAL prominent Fedora and OSS/Free software community 
members. (So any conceived conspiracy has to be larger, and more likely found 
out :)


[4] https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-list/2008-August/msg03255.html
  {something seems bonkers with the way the html is showing the footnotes at 
the end of the message, as it looks like footnote 2 is referencing 3-7, but 
those seem to have been concatenated onto the same line with footnote 2.}

-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter