Re: Proposal for Lite Encryption for Login Form without SSL

On Oct 1, 6:38 pm, Jerry Stuckle <jstuck...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
klenwell wrote:
On Oct 1, 2:40 am, "C. (http://symcbean.blogspot.com/)"
<colin.mckin...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 1 Oct, 06:04, klenwell <klenw...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Sep 30, 9:08 pm, Jerry Stuckle <jstuck...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
klenwell wrote:
Another request for comments here.
I'd like to accomplish something like the scheme outlined at this page
here:
http://tinyurl.com/3dtcdr
In a nutshell, the form uses javascript to hash (md5) the password
field using a random one-time salt (nonce) -- generated by php and
pasted in the form -- that is then posted with the hashed password
back to the server. This way the password is not sent to the server
in plaintext.
In the example cited above, however, the password is stored unhashed
back at the server (i.e., in the database) and it's this problem
that's been tying me in knots this evening.
The most obvious way it seems to me to cut through the knot is to
simply copy the server-side salt (sss) used to hash the pw in the
database -- the salt is constant -- within the javascript portion of
the form so that that client would:
1. ssspw = md5(sss + pw)
2. nssspw = md5(nonce + ssspw)
3. post (1) nssspw, (2) nonce, (3) username (in plaintext)
Then on the server side, php would:
1. db_ssspw = fetch hashed password from db (which should == ssspw)
using username
2. db_nssspw = md5(POST[nonce] + db_ssspw)
3. compare POST[nssspw] and db_nssspw
While this does not expose the plaintext password or the hashed
password in the database, it does make public the server-side salt
used to generate the hash password by pasting it in plaintext in the
javascript -- though it does not post it from the form back to the
server.
So questions:
1) Is exposing the server-side salt a terminal flaw in this plan?
This would be the equivalent to a public key in public key encryption
systems, no?
2) Does exposing the server-side salt render hashing the password in
the database moot?
3) If this is flawed, is it still better than nothing, accepting as
given that SSL has been ruled out? (The article above notes that
Yahoo uses a system like this.)
4) Any better ideas for accomplishing the concept outlined here?
Before I run this over to the cryptology newsgroup, I thought I'd give
it an airing here.
Thanks,
Tom
Why do you need to use the same salt (or even the same encryption
method) for the database?
Also, sending the password over an unencrypted link (even if the
password itself isn't encrypted) doesn't really give you anything. If I
want to hack into your system, all I need to do is watch the link for
the encrypted password coming over it, and create my own form (sans
javascript) to encrypt the password on my end and send it.
--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstuck...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==================
Good points:
Why do you need to use the same salt (or even the same encryption
method) for the database?
It's a one-way hash, so the input strings have to match. And I don't
think that's possible without sharing the db salt with the client.
Two-way encrypt/decrypt might solve this, but I don't know offhand a
library or function that's readily available for both js and php.
Also, sending the password over an unencrypted link (even if the
password itself isn't encrypted) doesn't really give you anything. If I
want to hack into your system, all I need to do is watch the link for
the encrypted password coming over it, and create my own form (sans
javascript) to encrypt the password on my end and send it.
Yes, true, I've misapplied this. I don't think you would even have to
hash the password. Just send those three values: (1) nssspw, (2)
nonce, (3) username and they would work every time.
Looking again at the website cited, what should happen first is:
1. Server (PHP) generates challenge value (nonce) and includes it in
form as hidden value and *saves it as a session value* so not passed
back in open via form (i.e. SESSION[nonce]).
2. User submits form with : (1) username (in plaintext) (2) password
(in plaintext) (3) nonce [this is all still private and it has not
been posted yet]
3. The server-side salt (sss) is posted in the js section of form to
hash password to match db.
Then before posting back to server, javascript kicks in client-side:
1. ssspw = md5(sss + pw)
2. nssspw = md5(nonce + ssspw)
3. POST (1) nssspw, (2) username (in plaintext)
Then on the server side, php would:
1. db_ssspw = fetch hashed password from db (which should == ssspw)
using username
2. db_nssspw = md5(SESSION[nonce] + db_ssspw)
3. compare POST[nssspw] and db_nssspw
4. unset SESSION[nonce]
So then, if an eavesdropper sends back (1) nssspw, (2) username,
request fails because there's no SESSION[nonce] value anymore.
Thanks for drawing attention to my error, Jerry. This still leaves
open the questions:
1) Is exposing the server-side salt a serious issue?
2) Does exposing the server-side salt render hashing the password in
the database moot?
3) Any better ideas for accomplishing the concept outlined here?
The article also makes the obvious point that javascript is not always
enabled. I figure this could be addressed by including a note that
recommends turning on javascript. I think it's fair to assume that
anyone savvy enough to turn it off can turn it on long enough to log
in. If not, info could just be submitted in plaintext (assuming the
safety of the nation is not at risk if someone does happen to be
eavesdropping.)
Tom
Hi Tom,

I've used a similar method before and believe its valid:

1) Is exposing the server-side salt a serious issue?
It makes it possible to mount brute fore attacks on the back of being
able to sniff traffic. And if you have the same value for all users
then the attacker only needs to crack one to get them all. I use a
randomly generated value for all users, call it s_user and to a two
stage submit - first the username gets sent to fetch s_user and the
second salt (which MUST be single use and generated server-side - so
stored in the session - call it s_s for salt(session)) then at both
ends generate a comparison value:

client:
(send username u)

server:
$s_u=retrieve_s_u($_REQUEST['u']);
if (isnull($s_u)) {
$s_u = generate_random_salt();}

$_SESSION['s_s']=generate_random_salt();
// send back s_u, s_s

client:
enc_pass=md5(password + s_u)
sendable_pas=md5(enc_pass + s_s)
submit(u, sendable_pass)

server:
$s_u=retrieve_s_u($_REQUEST['u']);
$s_s=$_SESSION['s_s']
$enc_password=retrieve_password($_REQUEST['u']);
$comparison=md5($enc_password . $s_s);
if (comparison==$_REQUEST['sendable_pass']) { // log em in

2) Does exposing the server-side salt render hashing the password in
the database moot?
Only if you can be 100.00000000000...% sure that there is no way to
access the data - which you can't.

3) Any better ideas for accomplishing the concept outlined here?
It only protects the login credentials, and as others have pointed out
it doesn't protect against attacks outside the operational domain (but
neither does SSL). You could address the former by using a javascript
implementation of an asymmetric alogirthm (I believe there's at least
one RSA implementation, adn there are raw RSA implementations in PHP,
but life's just too short to see if they work together - SSL's much
easier). Alternatively you could just keep the password client side
and use it as a key for symmetric encryption - but you need to use
seperate frames/windows to retain state client side - which is tricky.

I'd be willing to bet though that most users would have an expectation
that this is more secure than using a self-signed SSL certificate and
getting warnings about untrusted content popping up on their browser!

Jerry wrote:
Why do you need to use the same salt (or even the same encryption
method) for the database?
You need to use the same salt putting passwords into the database as
on the first iteration of the client side hash so the results are
consistent. You don't have to use the same hash for both iterations -
but why make life more complicated than it need be? Or did I miss
something?

(PS SHA1 is generally considered more secure than md5() and in PHP it
runs faster too)

HTH

C.

Thanks for the detailed response, C. The user-specific hash is a good
idea. How do you execute the two stages? Does the user make two
submissions? Some kind of AJAX implementation?

One thing I haven't done is explore the login mechanism on the popular
open source PHP packages. Has anyone looked at these and seen
anything that they think is worthy of emulation?

Jerry, you note: if someone can see the traffic going one way, they
can see it going the other. How serious a concern is this out in the
wild -- esp. for popular sites of general interest but no specific
financial or security significance?

It depends. If you're concerned about it enough that you want to
encrypt your password when it's being sent, then you should be concerned
about both directions being intercepted. It's quite easy to do, and it
doesn't take much of a filter to see both sides of the conversation.

I see that facebook, for instance, doesn't seem to use SSL for
ordinary users, so presumably uses something like this or perhaps even
sends them plaintext. Is packet sniffing a significant vector of
attack? Any data or references on the subject?

They probably just send in plain text.

Packet sniffing can be done anywhere between the client and the server.
However, since every packet can theoretically take a different route,
the most common sniffers are at the ends of the link.

The server end is probably pretty safe - if you don't trust your host,
you have a problem. And they can get to your data on the server, anyway.

The client side is a lot less secure. Someone using a wireless card,
for instance, can be intercepted. Encryption might help, if it uses one
of the latest encryption schemes. But most public hot spots run
unencrypted.

Additionally, cable modems can be insecure. It would be highly unusual
for one to be the only user on a cable distribution line. More likely
there are dozens (if not hundreds). And with the right software, any
person on the link can see all data on the link.

I've read a bit on website and network security and am familiar with
many of the various hypothetical attacks. But most real-world
instances I'm familiar with involved very high-stakes military or
financial events. The famous website exploits I've read about seem to
involve things like the js-exploit on myspace that allowed that guy to
add himself to everybody's friend-list but didn't involve exploiting
the login system or XSS vulnerabilities (which wouldn't be applicable
here) or turned out to be cases of social engineering.

Of course, those are the ones which get the news. You don't hear about
Mom's Homemade Cookie Shop's website getting broken into. It just isn't
news.

Anyway, just curious.

Tom

The question here is - why do you want to encrypt the password? Is
there any reason you need it encrypted? What's on there that someone
would want?

And in that case you probably should be using SSL.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstuck...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==================

---

The question here is - why do you want to encrypt the password? Is
there any reason you need it encrypted? What's on there that someone
would want?

A couple reasons:

(1) This is being developed as part of a framework that I plan to
reuse on many of my projects. The goal is to incorporate this
enhancement more or less transparently. So if it offers even only
marginally better security, I figure it's worth the trouble.

(2) As a learning exercise.

Plus, I guess I'm just nervous by nature. :)

Tom


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