[dev] Validating format and size of a public key in the SSHKeyDeployment class

[Tomaz Muraus <to...@apache.org>]

Currently we don't do any kind of ssh key validation inside
the SSHKeyDeployment class.

I think it would be useful to do the following:

1. Validate the SSH key format and make sure it's valid.
2. Validate size of the RSA keys and error out on potentially weak (<= 1024
bits) keys. This would be done to increase security consciousness and
discourage people from using weak keys.

Here is a very quick and simple prototype -
https://github.com/apache/libcloud/pull/170

Do you think something like this would be a useful addition to the core?

Re: [dev] Validating format and size of a public key in the SSHKeyDeployment class

[Tomaz Muraus <to...@apache.org>]

Yeah, I do agree that there is a fine line between what Libcloud should be
responsible for and what not.

As far as those two points go:

1. I think public key validation is not much different than any other
argument validation we do.

2. Yes, this one is debatable :)

We personally can't (and shouldn't) try to protect our users from every
potentially dangerous thing they can do, but I think that warning users
about installing potentially weak key is something we can do with a very
little effort so we probably should do it.


On Tue, Oct 29, 2013 at 3:19 AM, Jerry Chen <je...@apache.org> wrote:

>
> On Oct 28, 2013, at 5:55 PM, Tomaz Muraus <to...@apache.org> wrote:
>
> > Currently we don't do any kind of ssh key validation inside
> > the SSHKeyDeployment class.
> >
> > I think it would be useful to do the following:
> >
> > 1. Validate the SSH key format and make sure it's valid.
> > 2. Validate size of the RSA keys and error out on potentially weak (<=
> 1024
> > bits) keys. This would be done to increase security consciousness and
> > discourage people from using weak keys.
> >
> > Here is a very quick and simple prototype -
> > https://github.com/apache/libcloud/pull/170
> >
> > Do you think something like this would be a useful addition to the core?
>
> I think it'd certainly be a nice feature but Libcloud shouldn't be
> responsible for SSH validation or recommendations for weak keys, IMHO.
>
> Jerry
>
>

Re: [dev] Validating format and size of a public key in the SSHKeyDeployment class

[Jerry Chen <je...@apache.org>]

On Oct 28, 2013, at 5:55 PM, Tomaz Muraus <to...@apache.org> wrote:

> Currently we don't do any kind of ssh key validation inside
> the SSHKeyDeployment class.
> 
> I think it would be useful to do the following:
> 
> 1. Validate the SSH key format and make sure it's valid.
> 2. Validate size of the RSA keys and error out on potentially weak (<= 1024
> bits) keys. This would be done to increase security consciousness and
> discourage people from using weak keys.
> 
> Here is a very quick and simple prototype -
> https://github.com/apache/libcloud/pull/170
> 
> Do you think something like this would be a useful addition to the core?

I think it'd certainly be a nice feature but Libcloud shouldn't be responsible for SSH validation or recommendations for weak keys, IMHO.

Jerry