RFC 9481 CMP Algorithms November 2023
Brockhaus, et al. Standards Track [Page]
Stream:
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
RFC:
9481
Updates:
4210
Category:
Standards Track
Published:
ISSN:
2070-1721
Authors:
H. Brockhaus
Siemens
H. Aschauer
Siemens
M. Ounsworth
Entrust
J. Gray
Entrust

RFC 9481

Certificate Management Protocol (CMP) Algorithms

Abstract

This document describes the conventions for using several cryptographic algorithms with the Certificate Management Protocol (CMP). CMP is used to enroll and further manage the lifecycle of X.509 certificates. This document also updates the algorithm use profile from Appendix D.2 of RFC 4210.

Status of This Memo

This is an Internet Standards Track document.

This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has received public review and has been approved for publication by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 7841.

Information about the current status of this document, any errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9481.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Appendix D.2 of [RFC4210] contains a set of algorithms that is mandatory to be supported by implementations conforming to [RFC4210]. These algorithms were appropriate at the time CMP was released, but as cryptographic algorithms weaken over time, some of them should no longer be used. In general, new attacks are emerging due to research in cryptanalysis or an increase in computing power. New algorithms were introduced that are more resistant to today's attacks.

This document lists current cryptographic algorithms that can be used with CMP to offer an easier way to maintain the list of suitable algorithms over time.

1.1. Terminology

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.

In the following sections, ASN.1 values and types are used to indicate where algorithm identifier and output values are provided. These ASN.1 values and types are defined in CMP [RFC4210], Certificate Request Message Format (CRMF) [RFC4211], CMP Updates [RFC9480], and Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) [RFC5652].

2. Message Digest Algorithms

This section provides references to object identifiers and conventions to be employed by CMP implementations that support SHA2 or SHAKE message digest algorithms.

Digest algorithm identifiers are located in the:

Digest values are located in the:

In addition, digest values are input to signature algorithms.

2.1. SHA2

The SHA2 algorithm family is defined in FIPS Pub 180-4 [NIST.FIPS.180-4].

The message digest algorithms SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 are identified by the following OIDs:

   id-sha224 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)
      us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) nistalgorithm(4)
      hashalgs(2) 4 }
   id-sha256 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)
      us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) nistalgorithm(4)
      hashalgs(2) 1 }
   id-sha384 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)
      us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) nistalgorithm(4)
      hashalgs(2) 2 }
   id-sha512 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)
      us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) nistalgorithm(4)
      hashalgs(2) 3 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in Section 2 of [RFC5754].

2.2. SHAKE

The SHA-3 family of hash functions is defined in FIPS Pub 202 [NIST.FIPS.202] and consists of the fixed output length variants SHA3-224, SHA3-256, SHA3-384, and SHA3-512, as well as the extendable-output functions (XOFs) SHAKE128 and SHAKE256. Currently, SHAKE128 and SHAKE256 are the only members of the SHA3-family that are specified for use in X.509 certificates [RFC8692] and CMS [RFC8702] as one-way hash functions for use with RSASSA-PSS and ECDSA.

SHAKE is an extendable-output function, and FIPS Pub 202 [NIST.FIPS.202] prohibits using SHAKE as a general-purpose hash function. When SHAKE is used in CMP as a message digest algorithm, the output length MUST be 256 bits for SHAKE128 and 512 bits for SHAKE256.

The message digest algorithms SHAKE128 and SHAKE256 are identified by the following OIDs:

   id-shake128 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)
      us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) nistAlgorithm(4)
      hashalgs(2) 11 }
   id-shake256 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16)
      us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) nistAlgorithm(4)
      hashalgs(2) 12 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in Section 3.1 of [RFC8702].

3. Signature Algorithms

This section provides references to object identifiers and conventions to be employed by CMP implementations that support signature algorithms like RSA, ECDSA, or EdDSA.

The signature algorithm is referred to as MSG_SIG_ALG in Appendices D and E of [RFC4210], in the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483], and in Section 7.2.

Signature algorithm identifiers are located in the:

Signature values are located in the:

3.1. RSA

The RSA (RSASSA-PSS and PKCS #1 version 1.5) signature algorithm is defined in [RFC8017].

The algorithm identifier for RSASAA-PSS signatures used with SHA2 message digest algorithms is identified by the following OID:

   id-RSASSA-PSS OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 10 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in [RFC4056].

The signature algorithm RSASSA-PSS used with SHAKE message digest algorithms is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-RSASSA-PSS-SHAKE128  OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) dod(6) internet(1) security(5)
      mechanisms(5) pkix(7) algorithms(6) 30 }
   id-RSASSA-PSS-SHAKE256  OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) dod(6) internet(1) security(5)
      mechanisms(5) pkix(7) algorithms(6) 31 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in Section 3.2.1 of [RFC8702].

The signature algorithm PKCS #1 version 1.5 used with SHA2 message digest algorithms is identified by the following OIDs:

   sha224WithRSAEncryption OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 14 }
   sha256WithRSAEncryption  OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 11 }
   sha384WithRSAEncryption  OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 12 }
   sha512WithRSAEncryption  OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 13 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in Section 3.2 of [RFC5754].

3.2. ECDSA

The ECDSA signature algorithm is defined in FIPS Pub 186-5 [NIST.FIPS.186-5].

The signature algorithm ECDSA used with SHA2 message digest algorithms is identified by the following OIDs:

   ecdsa-with-SHA224 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) signatures(4) ecdsa-with-SHA2(3) 1 }
   ecdsa-with-SHA256 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) signatures(4) ecdsa-with-SHA2(3) 2 }
   ecdsa-with-SHA384 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) signatures(4) ecdsa-with-SHA2(3) 3 }
   ecdsa-with-SHA512 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) signatures(4) ecdsa-with-SHA2(3) 4 }

As specified in [RFC5480], the NIST-recommended curves are identified by the following OIDs:

   secp192r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) curves(3) prime(1) 1 }
   secp224r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) curve(0) 33 }
   secp256r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) curves(3) prime(1) 7 }
   secp384r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) curve(0) 34 }
   secp521r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) curve(0) 35 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in Section 3.3 of [RFC5754].

The signature algorithm ECDSA used with SHAKE message digest algorithms is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-ecdsa-with-shake128 OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) dod(6) internet(1) security(5)
      mechanisms(5) pkix(7) algorithms(6) 32 }
   id-ecdsa-with-shake256 OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) dod(6) internet(1) security(5)
      mechanisms(5) pkix(7) algorithms(6) 33 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in Section 3.2.2 of [RFC8702].

3.3. EdDSA

The EdDSA signature algorithm is defined in Section 3.3 of [RFC8032] and FIPS Pub 186-5 [NIST.FIPS.186-5].

The signature algorithm Ed25519 that MUST be used with SHA-512 message digest algorithms is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-Ed25519 OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) thawte(101) 112 }

The signature algorithm Ed448 that MUST be used with SHAKE256 message digest algorithms is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-Ed448 OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) thawte(101) 113 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in [RFC8419].

Note: The hash algorithm used to calculate the certHash in certConf messages MUST be SHA512 if the certificate to be confirmed has been signed using Ed25519 or SHAKE256 with d=512 if the certificate to be confirmed has been signed using Ed448.

4. Key Management Algorithms

CMP utilizes the following general key management techniques: key agreement, key transport, and passwords.

CRMF [RFC4211] and CMP Updates [RFC9480] promote the use of CMS EnvelopedData [RFC5652] by deprecating the use of EncryptedValue.

4.1. Key Agreement Algorithms

The key agreement algorithm is referred to as PROT_ENC_ALG in Appendices D and E of [RFC4210] and as KM_KA_ALG in the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483] and Section 7.

Key agreement algorithms are only used in CMP when using CMS EnvelopedData [RFC5652] together with the key agreement key management technique. When a key agreement algorithm is used, a key-encryption algorithm (Section 4.3) is needed next to the content-encryption algorithm (Section 5).

Key agreement algorithm identifiers are located in the:

  • keyEncryptionAlgorithm field of KeyAgreeRecipientInfo.

Key wrap algorithm identifiers are located in the:

  • KeyWrapAlgorithm parameters within keyEncryptionAlgorithm field of KeyAgreeRecipientInfo.

Wrapped content-encryption keys are located in the:

  • encryptedKey field of RecipientEncryptedKeys.

4.1.1. Diffie-Hellman

The Diffie-Hellman (DH) key agreement is defined in [RFC2631] and SHALL be used in the ephemeral-static variants, as specified in [RFC3370]. Static-static variants SHALL NOT be used.

The DH key agreement algorithm is identified by the following OID:

   id-alg-ESDH OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-9(9) smime(16) alg(3) 5 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in Section 4.1 of [RFC3370].

4.1.2. ECDH

The Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) key agreement is defined in [RFC5753] and SHALL be used in the ephemeral-static variant, as specified in [RFC5753], or the 1-Pass Elliptic Curve Menezes-Qu-Vanstone (ECMQV) variant, as specified in [RFC5753]. Static-static variants SHALL NOT be used.

The ECDH key agreement algorithm used together with NIST-recommended SECP curves are identified by the following OIDs:

   dhSinglePass-stdDH-sha224kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 11(11) 0 }
   dhSinglePass-stdDH-sha256kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 11(11) 1 }
   dhSinglePass-stdDH-sha384kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 11(11) 2 }
   dhSinglePass-stdDH-sha512kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 11(11) 3 }
   dhSinglePass-cofactorDH-sha224kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= {
      iso(1) identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1)
      14(14) 0 }
   dhSinglePass-cofactorDH-sha256kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= {
      iso(1) identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1)
      14(14) 1 }
   dhSinglePass-cofactorDH-sha384kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= {
      iso(1) identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1)
      14(14) 2 }
   dhSinglePass-cofactorDH-sha512kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= {
      iso(1) identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1)
      14(14) 3 }
   mqvSinglePass-sha224kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 15(15) 0 }
   mqvSinglePass-sha256kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 15(15) 1 }
   mqvSinglePass-sha384kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 15(15) 2 }
   mqvSinglePass-sha512kdf-scheme OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) schemes(1) 15(15) 3 }

As specified in [RFC5480], the NIST-recommended SECP curves are identified by the following OIDs:

   secp192r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) curves(3) prime(1) 1 }
   secp224r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) curve(0) 33 }
   secp256r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) curves(3) prime(1) 7 }
   secp384r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) curve(0) 34 }
   secp521r1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) certicom(132) curve(0) 35 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in [RFC5753].

The ECDH key agreement algorithm used together with curve25519 or curve448 is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-X25519 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) thawte(101) 110 }
   id-X448 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1)
      identified-organization(3) thawte(101) 111 }

Specific conventions to be considered are specified in [RFC8418].

4.2. Key Transport Algorithms

The key transport algorithm is also referred to as PROT_ENC_ALG in Appendices D and E of [RFC4210] and as KM_KT_ALG in the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483] and Section 7.

Key transport algorithms are only used in CMP when using CMS [RFC5652] EnvelopedData together with the key transport key management technique.

Key transport algorithm identifiers are located in the:

  • keyEncryptionAlgorithm field of KeyTransRecipientInfo.

Key transport encrypted content-encryption keys are located in the:

  • encryptedKey field of KeyTransRecipientInfo.

4.2.1. RSA

The RSA key transport algorithm is the RSA encryption scheme defined in [RFC8017].

The algorithm identifier for RSA (PKCS #1 v1.5) is:

   rsaEncryption OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 1 }

The algorithm identifier for RSAES-OAEP is:

   id-RSAES-OAEP  OBJECT IDENTIFIER  ::=  { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 7 }

Further conventions to be considered for PKCS #1 v1.5 are specified in Section 4.2.1 of [RFC3370] and for RSAES-OAEP in [RFC3560].

4.3. Symmetric Key-Encryption Algorithms

The symmetric key-encryption algorithm is also referred to as KM_KW_ALG in Section 7.2 and the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483].

As the symmetric key-encryption key management technique is not used by CMP, the symmetric key-encryption algorithm is only needed when using the key agreement or password-based key management technique with CMS [RFC5652] EnvelopedData.

Key wrap algorithm identifiers are located in the:

  • parameters field of the KeyEncryptionAlgorithmIdentifier of KeyAgreeRecipientInfo and PasswordRecipientInfo.

Wrapped content-encryption keys are located in the:

  • encryptedKey field of RecipientEncryptedKeys (for key agreement) and PasswordRecipientInfo (for password-based key management).

4.3.1. AES Key Wrap

The AES encryption algorithm is defined in FIPS Pub 197 [NIST.FIPS.197], and the key wrapping is defined in [RFC3394].

AES key encryption has the algorithm identifier:

   id-aes128-wrap OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1) 5 }
   id-aes192-wrap OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1) 25 }
   id-aes256-wrap OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1) 45 }

The underlying encryption functions for the key wrap and content-encryption algorithms (as specified in Section 5) and the key sizes for the two algorithms MUST be the same (e.g., AES-128 key wrap algorithm with AES-128 content-encryption algorithm); see [RFC8551].

Further conventions to be considered for AES key wrap are specified in Section 2.2 of [RFC3394] and Section 2.3.2 of [RFC3565].

4.4. Key Derivation Algorithms

The key derivation algorithm is also referred to as KM_KD_ALG in Section 7.2 and the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483].

Key derivation algorithms are only used in CMP when using CMS EnvelopedData [RFC5652] together with the password-based key management technique.

Key derivation algorithm identifiers are located in the:

  • keyDerivationAlgorithm field of PasswordRecipientInfo.

When using the password-based key management technique with EnvelopedData as specified in CMP Updates [RFC9480] together with PKIProtection based on the message authentication code (MAC), the salt for the password-based MAC and key derivation function (KDF) must be chosen independently to ensure usage of independent symmetric keys.

4.4.1. PBKDF2

Password-based key derivation function 2 (PBKDF2) is defined in [RFC8018].

PBKDF2 has the algorithm identifier:

   id-PBKDF2 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2) us(840)
      rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-5(5) 12 }

Further conventions to be considered for PBKDF2 are specified in Section 4.4.1 of [RFC3370] and Section 5.2 of [RFC8018].

5. Content-Encryption Algorithms

The content-encryption algorithm is also referred to as PROT_SYM_ALG in Appendices D and E of [RFC4210], in the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483], and in Section 7.

Content-encryption algorithms are used in CMP when using CMS EnvelopedData [RFC5652] to transport a signed private key package in case of central key generation or key archiving, a certificate to facilitate implicit proof-of-possession, or a revocation passphrase in encrypted form.

Content-encryption algorithm identifiers are located in the:

Encrypted content is located in the:

5.1. AES-CBC

The AES encryption algorithm is defined in FIPS Pub 197 [NIST.FIPS.197].

AES Cipher Block Chaining (AES-CBC) content encryption has the algorithm identifier:

   id-aes128-CBC OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1) 2 }
   id-aes192-CBC OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1)22 }
   id-aes256-CBC OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1)42 }

Specific conventions to be considered for AES-CBC content encryption are specified in [RFC3565].

6. Message Authentication Code Algorithms

The message authentication code (MAC) is either used for shared secret-based CMP message protection or together with the password-based key derivation function (PBKDF2).

The MAC algorithm is also referred to as MSG_MAC_ALG in Section 7, Appendices D and E of [RFC4210], and the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483].

6.1. Password-Based MAC

Password-based message authentication code (MAC) algorithms combine the derivation of a symmetric key from a password or other shared secret information and a symmetric key-based MAC function, as specified in Section 6.2, using this derived key.

MAC algorithm identifiers are located in the:

  • protectionAlg field of PKIHeader.

Message authentication code values are located in the:

  • PKIProtection field of PKIMessage.

6.1.1. PasswordBasedMac

The PasswordBasedMac algorithm is defined in Section 5.1.3.1 of [RFC4210], Section 4.4 of [RFC4211], and "Algorithm Requirements Update to the Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate Request Message Format (CRMF)" [RFC9045].

The PasswordBasedMac algorithm is identified by the following OID:

   id-PasswordBasedMac OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) nt(113533) nsn(7) algorithms(66) 13 }

Further conventions to be considered for PasswordBasedMac are specified in Section 5.1.3.1 of [RFC4210], Section 4.4 of [RFC4211], and "Algorithm Requirements Update to the Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate Request Message Format (CRMF)" [RFC9045].

6.1.2. PBMAC1

Password-Based Message Authentication Code 1 (PBMAC1) is defined in [RFC8018]. PBMAC1 combines a password-based key derivation function, like PBKDF2 (Section 4.4.1), with an underlying symmetric key-based message authentication scheme.

PBMAC1 has the following OID:

   id-PBMAC1 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2) us(840)
      rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-5(5) 14 }

Specific conventions to be considered for PBMAC1 are specified in Section 7.1 and Appendix A.5 of [RFC8018].

6.2. Symmetric Key-Based MAC

Symmetric key-based message authentication code (MAC) algorithms are used for deriving the symmetric encryption key when using PBKDF2, as described in Section 4.4.1, as well as with password-based MAC, as described in Section 6.1.

MAC algorithm identifiers are located in the:

  • protectionAlg field of PKIHeader,
  • messageAuthScheme field of PBMAC1,
  • mac field of PBMParameter, and
  • prf field of PBKDF2-params.

MAC values are located in the:

  • PKIProtection field of PKIMessage.

6.2.1. SHA2-Based HMAC

The HMAC algorithm is defined in [RFC2104] and FIPS Pub 198-1 [NIST.FIPS.198-1].

The HMAC algorithm used with SHA2 message digest algorithms is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-hmacWithSHA224 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) digestAlgorithm(2) 8 }
   id-hmacWithSHA256 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) digestAlgorithm(2) 9 }
   id-hmacWithSHA384 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) digestAlgorithm(2) 10 }
   id-hmacWithSHA512 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { iso(1) member-body(2)
      us(840) rsadsi(113549) digestAlgorithm(2) 11 }

Specific conventions to be considered for SHA2-based HMAC are specified in Section 3.1 of [RFC4231].

6.2.2. AES-GMAC

The AES-GMAC algorithm is defined in FIPS Pub 197 [NIST.FIPS.197] and NIST SP 800-38d [NIST.SP.800-38d].

Note: The AES-GMAC MUST NOT be used twice with the same parameter set, especially the same nonce. Therefore, it MUST NOT be used together with PBKDF2. When using it with PBMAC1, it MUST be ensured that the AES-GMAC is only used as a message authentication scheme and not for the key derivation function PBKDF2.

The AES-GMAC algorithm is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-aes128-GMAC OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1) 9 }
   id-aes192-GMAC OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1) 29 }
   id-aes256-GMAC OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) aes(1) 49 }

Specific conventions to be considered for the AES-GMAC are specified in [RFC9044].

6.2.3. SHAKE-Based KMAC

The KMAC algorithm is defined in [RFC8702] and FIPS SP 800-185 [NIST.SP.800-185]].

The SHAKE-based KMAC algorithm is identified by the following OIDs:

   id-KMACWithSHAKE128 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) hashAlgs(2) 19 }
   id-KMACWithSHAKE256 OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { joint-iso-itu-t(2)
      country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3)
      nistAlgorithm(4) hashAlgs(2) 20 }

Specific conventions to be considered for KMAC with SHAKE are specified in Section 3.4 of [RFC8702].

7. Algorithm Use Profiles

This section provides profiles of algorithms and respective conventions for different application use cases.

Recommendations like those described in Table 2 of NIST SP 800-57 "Recommendation for Key Management" [NIST.SP.800-57pt1r5] and Section 4.6 of ECRYPT "Algorithms, Key Size and Protocols Report (2018)" [ECRYPT.CSA.D5.4] provide general information on current cryptographic algorithms.

The overall cryptographic strength of CMP implementations will depend on several factors, including:

The following table shows the algorithms listed in this document sorted by their bits of security. If an implementation intends to enroll and manage certificates for keys of a specific security, it SHALL implement and use algorithms of at least that strength for the respective PKI management operation. If one row does not provide a suitable algorithm, the implementer MUST choose one offering more bits of security.

Table 1: Cryptographic Algorithms Sorted by Their Bits of Security
Bits of Security RSA or DH Elliptic Curve Cryptography Hash Function or XOF with Specified Output Length (d) Symmetric Encryption
112 RSA2048,
DH(2048)
ECDSA/ECDH (secp224r1) SHA-224
128 RSA3072,
DH(3072)
ECDSA/ECDH (secp256r1),
Ed25519/X25519 (curve25519)
SHA-256,
SHAKE128(d=256)
AES-128
192 ECDSA/ECDH (secp384r1) SHA-384 AES-192
224 Ed448/X448 (curve448)
256 ECDSA/ECDH (secp521r1) SHA-512,
SHAKE256(d=512)
AES-256

The following table shows the cryptographic algorithms sorted by their usage in CMP and with more details.

Table 2: Cryptographic Algorithms Sorted by Their Bits of Security and Usage by CMP
Bits of Security Key Types to Be Certified CMP Protection
MSG_SIG_ALG, MSG_MAC_ALG
Key Management Technique
PROT_ENC_ALG or KM_KA_ALG, KM_KT_ALG, KM_KD_ALG
Key-Wrap and Symmetric Encryption
PROT_SYM_ALG,
SYM_PENC_ALG
or
KM_KW_ALG
112 RSA2048,
secp224r1
RSASSA-PSS (2048, SHA-224 or SHAKE128 (d=256)),
RSAEncryption (2048, SHA-224),
ECDSA (secp224r1, SHA-224 or SHAKE128 (d=256)),
PBMAC1 (HMAC-SHA-224)
DH(2048),
RSAES-OAEP (2048, SHA-224),
RSAEncryption (2048, SHA-224),
ECDH (secp224r1, SHA-224),
PBKDF2 (HMAC-SHA-224)
128 RSA3072,
secp256r1,
curve25519
RSASSA-PSS (3072, SHA-256 or SHAKE128 (d=256)),
RSAEncryption (3072, SHA-256),
ECDSA (secp256r1, SHA-256 or SHAKE128 (d=256)),
Ed25519 (SHA-512),
PBMAC1 (HMAC-SHA-256)
DH(3072),
RSAES-OAEP (3072, SHA-256),
RSAEncryption (3072, SHA-256),
ECDH (secp256r1, SHA-256),
X25519,
PBKDF2 (HMAC-SHA-256)
AES-128
192 secp384r1 ECDSA (secp384r1, SHA-384),
PBMAC1 (HMAC-SHA-384)
ECDH (secp384r1, SHA-384),
PBKDF2 (HMAC-SHA-384)
AES-192
224 curve448 Ed448 (SHAKE256) X448
256 secp521r1 ECDSA (secp521r1, SHA-512 or SHAKE256 (d=512)),
PBMAC1 (HMAC-SHA-512)
ECDH (secp521r1, SHA-512),
PBKDF2 (HMAC-SHA-512)
AES-256

To avoid consuming too many computational resources, choosing a set of algorithms offering roughly the same level of security is recommended. Below are several algorithm profiles that are balanced, assuming the implementer chooses MAC secrets and/or certificate profiles of at least equivalent strength.

7.1. Algorithm Profile for PKI Management Message Profiles in RFC 4210

The following table updates the definitions of algorithms used within PKI Management Message Profiles, as defined in Appendix D.2 of [RFC4210].

The columns in the table are:

Name:
An identifier used for message profiles
Use:
Description of where and for what the algorithm is used
Mandatory:
Algorithms that MUST be supported by conforming implementations
Optional:
Algorithms that are OPTIONAL to support
Deprecated:
Algorithms from [RFC4210] that SHOULD NOT be used any more
Table 3: Algorithms Used within Appendix D.2 of RFC 4210
Name Use Mandatory Optional Deprecated
MSG_SIG_ALG protection of PKI messages using signatures RSA ECDSA, EdDSA DSA, combinations with MD5 and SHA-1
MSG_MAC_ALG protection of PKI messages using MACs PBMAC1 PasswordBasedMac, HMAC, KMAC X9.9
SYM_PENC_ALG symmetric encryption of an end entity's private key where the symmetric key is distributed out of band AES-wrap 3-DES(3-key-EDE, CBC Mode), RC5, CAST-128
PROT_ENC_ALG asymmetric algorithm used for encryption of (symmetric keys for encryption of) private keys transported in PKIMessages DH ECDH, RSA
PROT_SYM_ALG symmetric encryption algorithm used for encryption of private key bits (a key of this type is encrypted using PROT_ENC_ALG) AES-CBC 3-DES(3-key-EDE, CBC Mode), RC5, CAST-128

The following are the mandatory algorithm identifiers and specifications:

RSA:
sha256WithRSAEncryption with 2048 bit, see Section 3.1
PasswordBasedMac:
id-PasswordBasedMac, see Section 6.1 (with id-sha256 as the owf parameter, see Section 2.1 and id-hmacWithSHA256 as the mac parameter, see Section 6.2.1)
PBMAC1:
id-PBMAC1, see Section 6.1.2 (with id-PBKDF2 as the key derivation function, see Section 4.4.1 and id-hmacWithSHA256 as the message authentication scheme, see Section 6.2.1). It is RECOMMENDED to prefer the usage of PBMAC1 instead of PasswordBasedMac.
DH:
id-alg-ESDH, see Section 4.1.1
AES-wrap:
id-aes128-wrap, see Section 4.3.1
AES-CBC:
id-aes128-CBC, see Section 5.1

7.2. Algorithm Profile for Lightweight CMP Profile

The following table contains definitions of algorithms that MAY be supported by implementations of the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483].

As the set of algorithms to be used for implementations of the Lightweight CMP Profile heavily depends on the PKI management operations implemented, the certificates used for message protection, and the certificates to be managed, this document will not specify a specific set that is mandatory to support for conforming implementations.

The columns in the table are:

Name:
An identifier used for message profiles
Use:
Description of where and for what the algorithm is used
Examples:
Lists the algorithms, as described in this document. The list of algorithms depends on the set of PKI management operations to be implemented.

Note: It is RECOMMENDED to prefer the usage of PBMAC1 instead of PasswordBasedMac.

Table 4: Algorithms Used within the Lightweight CMP Profile
Name Use Examples
MSG_SIG_ALG protection of PKI messages using signatures and for SignedData, e.g., a private key transported in PKIMessages RSA, ECDSA, EdDSA
MSG_MAC_ALG protection of PKI messages using MACing PasswordBasedMac (see Section 9), PBMAC1, HMAC, KMAC
KM_KA_ALG asymmetric key agreement algorithm used for agreement of a symmetric key for use with KM_KW_ALG DH, ECDH
KM_KT_ALG asymmetric key-encryption algorithm used for transport of a symmetric key for PROT_SYM_ALG RSA
KM_KD_ALG symmetric key derivation algorithm used for derivation of a symmetric key for use with KM_KW_ALG PBKDF2
KM_KW_ALG algorithm to wrap a symmetric key for PROT_SYM_ALG AES-wrap
PROT_SYM_ALG symmetric content-encryption algorithm used for encryption of EnvelopedData, e.g., a private key transported in PKIMessages AES-CBC

8. IANA Considerations

This document has no IANA actions.

9. Security Considerations

This document lists many cryptographic algorithms usable with CMP to offer implementers a more up-to-date choice. Finally, the algorithms to be supported also heavily depend on the certificates and PKI management operations utilized in the target environment. The algorithm with the lowest security strength and the entropy of shared secret information defines the security of the overall solution; see Section 7.

When using MAC-based message protection, the use of PBMAC1 is preferable to that of PasswordBasedMac. First, PBMAC1 is a well-known scrutinized algorithm, which is not true for PasswordBasedMac. Second, the PasswordBasedMac algorithm as specified in Section 4.4 of [RFC4211] is essentially PBKDF1 (as defined in Section 5.1 of [RFC8018]) with an HMAC step at the end. Here, we update to use the PBKDF2-HMAC construct defined as PBMAC1 in [RFC8018]. PBKDF2 is superior to PBKDF1 in an improved internal construct for iterated hashing and in removing PBKDF1's limitation of only being able to derive keys up to the size of the underlying hash function. Additionally, PBKDF1 is not recommended for new applications as stated in Section 5.1 of [RFC8018] and is no longer an approved algorithm by most standards bodies. Therefore, it presents difficulties to implementers who are submitting their CMP implementations for certification, hence moving to a PBKDF2-based mechanism. This change is in alignment with [RFC9045], which updates [RFC4211] to allow the use of PBMAC1 in CRMF.

The AES-GMAC MUST NOT be used as the pseudorandom function (PRF) in PBKDF2; the use of the AES-GMAC more than once with the same key and the same nonce will break the security.

In Section 7 of this document, there is also an update to Appendix D.2 of [RFC4210] and a set of algorithms that MAY be supported when implementing the Lightweight CMP Profile [RFC9483]. It is recognized that there may be older CMP implementations in use that conform to the algorithm use profile from Appendix D.2 of [RFC4210]. For example, the use of AES is now mandatory for PROT_SYM_ALG, while 3-DES was mandatory in [RFC4210]. Therefore, it is expected that many CMP systems may already support the recommended algorithms in this specification. In such systems, the weakened algorithms should be disabled from further use. If critical systems cannot be immediately updated to conform to the recommended algorithm use profile, it is recommended that a plan to migrate the infrastructure to conforming profiles be adopted as soon as possible.

Symmetric key-based MAC algorithms as described in Section 6.2 MAY be used as MSG_MAC_ALG. The implementer MUST choose a suitable PRF and ensure that the key has sufficient entropy to match the overall security level of the algorithm profile. These considerations are outside the scope of the profile.

10. References

10.1. Normative References

[NIST.FIPS.180-4]
Dang, Q. H. and NIST, "Secure Hash Standard", NIST Federal Information Processing Standards Publications 180-4, DOI 10.6028/NIST.FIPS.180-4, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.180-4.pdf>.
[NIST.FIPS.186-5]
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), "Digital Signature Standard (DSS)", FIPS PUB 186-5, DOI 10.6028/NIST.FIPS.186-5, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.186-5.pdf>.
[NIST.FIPS.197]
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), "Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)", NIST FIPS 197, DOI 10.6028/NIST.FIPS.197, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.197.pdf>.
[NIST.FIPS.198-1]
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), "The Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC)", FIPS PUB 198-1, DOI 10.6028/NIST.FIPS.198-1, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.198-1.pdf>.
[NIST.FIPS.202]
Dworkin, M. J. and NIST, "SHA-3 Standard: Permutation-Based Hash and Extendable-Output Functions", NIST Federal Information Processing Standards Publications 202, DOI 10.6028/NIST.FIPS.202, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.202.pdf>.
[NIST.SP.800-185]]
Kelsey, J., Change, S., Perlner, R., and NIST, "SHA-3 derived functions: cSHAKE, KMAC, TupleHash and ParallelHash", NIST Special Publications (General) 800-185, DOI 10.6028/NIST.SP.800-185, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-185.pdf>.
[NIST.SP.800-38d]
Dworkin, M J. and NIST, "Recommendation for block cipher modes of operation :GaloisCounter Mode (GCM) and GMAC", NIST Special Publications (General) 800-38d, DOI 10.6028/NIST.SP.800-38d, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-38d.pdf>.
[RFC2104]
Krawczyk, H., Bellare, M., and R. Canetti, "HMAC: Keyed-Hashing for Message Authentication", RFC 2104, DOI 10.17487/RFC2104, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2104>.
[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/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC2631]
Rescorla, E., "Diffie-Hellman Key Agreement Method", RFC 2631, DOI 10.17487/RFC2631, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2631>.
[RFC3370]
Housley, R., "Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) Algorithms", RFC 3370, DOI 10.17487/RFC3370, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3370>.
[RFC3394]
Schaad, J. and R. Housley, "Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Key Wrap Algorithm", RFC 3394, DOI 10.17487/RFC3394, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3394>.
[RFC3560]
Housley, R., "Use of the RSAES-OAEP Key Transport Algorithm in Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 3560, DOI 10.17487/RFC3560, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3560>.
[RFC3565]
Schaad, J., "Use of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Encryption Algorithm in Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 3565, DOI 10.17487/RFC3565, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3565>.
[RFC4056]
Schaad, J., "Use of the RSASSA-PSS Signature Algorithm in Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 4056, DOI 10.17487/RFC4056, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4056>.
[RFC4210]
Adams, C., Farrell, S., Kause, T., and T. Mononen, "Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate Management Protocol (CMP)", RFC 4210, DOI 10.17487/RFC4210, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4210>.
[RFC4211]
Schaad, J., "Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate Request Message Format (CRMF)", RFC 4211, DOI 10.17487/RFC4211, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4211>.
[RFC4231]
Nystrom, M., "Identifiers and Test Vectors for HMAC-SHA-224, HMAC-SHA-256, HMAC-SHA-384, and HMAC-SHA-512", RFC 4231, DOI 10.17487/RFC4231, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4231>.
[RFC5480]
Turner, S., Brown, D., Yiu, K., Housley, R., and T. Polk, "Elliptic Curve Cryptography Subject Public Key Information", RFC 5480, DOI 10.17487/RFC5480, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5480>.
[RFC5652]
Housley, R., "Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", STD 70, RFC 5652, DOI 10.17487/RFC5652, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5652>.
[RFC5753]
Turner, S. and D. Brown, "Use of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) Algorithms in Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 5753, DOI 10.17487/RFC5753, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5753>.
[RFC5754]
Turner, S., "Using SHA2 Algorithms with Cryptographic Message Syntax", RFC 5754, DOI 10.17487/RFC5754, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5754>.
[RFC8017]
Moriarty, K., Ed., Kaliski, B., Jonsson, J., and A. Rusch, "PKCS #1: RSA Cryptography Specifications Version 2.2", RFC 8017, DOI 10.17487/RFC8017, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8017>.
[RFC8018]
Moriarty, K., Ed., Kaliski, B., and A. Rusch, "PKCS #5: Password-Based Cryptography Specification Version 2.1", RFC 8018, DOI 10.17487/RFC8018, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8018>.
[RFC8032]
Josefsson, S. and I. Liusvaara, "Edwards-Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (EdDSA)", RFC 8032, DOI 10.17487/RFC8032, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8032>.
[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/info/rfc8174>.
[RFC8418]
Housley, R., "Use of the Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Key Agreement Algorithm with X25519 and X448 in the Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 8418, DOI 10.17487/RFC8418, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8418>.
[RFC8419]
Housley, R., "Use of Edwards-Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (EdDSA) Signatures in the Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 8419, DOI 10.17487/RFC8419, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8419>.
[RFC8551]
Schaad, J., Ramsdell, B., and S. Turner, "Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) Version 4.0 Message Specification", RFC 8551, DOI 10.17487/RFC8551, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8551>.
[RFC8692]
Kampanakis, P. and Q. Dang, "Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure: Additional Algorithm Identifiers for RSASSA-PSS and ECDSA Using SHAKEs", RFC 8692, DOI 10.17487/RFC8692, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8692>.
[RFC8702]
Kampanakis, P. and Q. Dang, "Use of the SHAKE One-Way Hash Functions in the Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 8702, DOI 10.17487/RFC8702, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8702>.
[RFC9044]
Housley, R., "Using the AES-GMAC Algorithm with the Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS)", RFC 9044, DOI 10.17487/RFC9044, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9044>.
[RFC9045]
Housley, R., "Algorithm Requirements Update to the Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate Request Message Format (CRMF)", RFC 9045, DOI 10.17487/RFC9045, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9045>.
[RFC9480]
Brockhaus, H., von Oheimb, D., and J. Gray, "Certificate Management Protocol (CMP) Updates", RFC 9480, DOI 10.17487/RFC9480, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9480>.
[RFC9483]
Brockhaus, H., von Oheimb, D., and S. Fries, "Lightweight Certificate Management Protocol (CMP) Profile", RFC 9483, DOI 10.17487/RFC9483, , <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9483>.

10.2. Informative References

[ECRYPT.CSA.D5.4]
University of Bristol, "Algorithms, Key Size and Protocols Report (2018)", , <https://www.ecrypt.eu.org/csa/documents/D5.4-FinalAlgKeySizeProt.pdf>.
[NIST.SP.800-57pt1r5]
Barker, E. and NIST, "Recommendation for key management:part 1 - general", NIST Special Publications (General) 800-57pt1r5, DOI 10.6028/NIST.SP.800-57pt1r5, , <https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-57pt1r5.pdf>.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Russ Housley for his work on [RFC9044] and [RFC9045] upon which this RFC relies heavily.

May thanks also to all reviewers like Serge Mister, Mark Ferreira, Yuefei Lu, Tomas Gustavsson, Lijun Liao, David von Oheimb, and Steffen Fries for their input and feedback to this document. Apologies to all not mentioned reviewers and supporters.

Authors' Addresses

Hendrik Brockhaus
Siemens AG
Werner-von-Siemens-Strasse 1
80333 Munich
Germany
Hans Aschauer
Siemens AG
Werner-von-Siemens-Strasse 1
80333 Munich
Germany
Mike Ounsworth
Entrust
1187 Park Place
Minneapolis, MN 55379
United States of America
John Gray
Entrust
1187 Park Place
Minneapolis, MN 55379
United States of America