status of openssh-2

[Markus Friedl]

On Wed, Apr 05, 2000 at 10:33:05PM -0400, Stefan Mangard wrote:
> My name is Stefan Mangard and I plan to implement an extension to ssh as a
> final project in a cryptography class.

what kind of extension?

> Since I want to use an open source of ssh, I decided to use
> the openssh implementation.

cool.

> I am currently working with openssh-1.2.3, but I'd also like to implement
> my extension for protocol 2, I wanted to ask you how far the development
> of the implementation of openssh-2 is.

right now i have client+server running on openbsd-current, here is the status:

% cat README.openssh2
$Id: README.openssh2,v 1.18 2000/03/28 19:31:19 markus Exp $

works:
	client + some server
	basic packet-layer
	compression: zlib, none
	encryption: blowfish-cbc, 3des-cbc, arcfour, cast128-cbc
	mac: hmac-md5, hmac-sha1, (hmac-ripemd160)
	transport: proposal exchange, i.e. different enc/mac/comp per direction
	secsh-transport: w/o rekey, for client+server	
	secsh-userauth: passwd only, for client+server
	secsh-connection : pty+shell or command, flow control works (window adjust)
	tcp-forwarding: -L works for client/server
	dss: verification works,
		key database in ~/.ssh/known_hosts with bits == 0 hack
	dss: signature works, keygen w/ openssl:
		$ openssl dsaparam 1024 -out dsa1024.pem
		$ openssl gendsa -out /etc/ssh_dsa_key dsa1024.pem -rand /dev/arandom
	server: login works, pty, too.
	client interops w/ sshd2, lshd
	server interops w/ ssh2, lsh, ssh.com's Windows client, SecureCRT
	server supports multiple concurrent sessions (e.g. with SSH.com Windows client)
todo:
	re-keying
	several secsh-connection features:
		tcp-forwarding, agent-fwd
	auth other than passwd: pubkey, keyboard-interactiv
	config
	server-auth w/ old host-keys
	cleanup
	advanced key storage?
	keynote
	sftp

-markus
$Date: 2000/03/28 19:31:19 $

% cat NOTES
OpenSSH2
========

The SSH2 protocol is specifies in several IETF drafts (draft-ietf-secsh-*).
It is composed of three layered protocols:

(1) The 'transport layer' provides algorithm negotiation and a key
    exchange.  The key exchange includes server authentication and
    results in a cryptographically secured connection: it provides
    integrity, confidentiality and optional compression.

(2) The 'user authentication layer' uses the established connection
    and relies on the services provided by the transport layer.  It
    provides several mechanisms for user authentication.  These
    include traditional password authentication as well as public-key
    or host-based authentication mechanisms.

(3) The 'connection layer' multiplexes many different concurrent
    channels over the authenticated connection and allows tunneling
    of login sessions and TCP-forwarding.  It provides a flow control
    service for these channels.  Additionally, various channel-specific
    options can be negotiated.

The current state of OpenSSH2:

As of today we have both a client and a server with the following
basic functionality working:

(1) The OpenSSH2 transport layer implementation supports the
    'diffie-hellman-group1-sha1' key exchange from the IETF drafts
    and provides many algorithms for confidentiality (blowfish-cbc,
    3des-cbc, arcfour, cast128-cbc) integrity (hmac-md5, hmac-sha1,
    hmac-ripemd160) and compression (zlib).  Different algorithms
    can be negotiated per direction.

(2) Both the client and the server support password authentication
    only.

(3) OpenSSH2 supports basic connection layer functionality: remote
    shell or command invocation, including pty handling.  OpenSSH2's
    sshd even allows multiple concurrent login sessions over one
    authenticated connection.  There is a minimal support for
    TCP-forwarding.

Interoperability:

The OpenSSH2 server interoperates with ssh.com's latest Unix and
Windows clients (note that they do not follow the specification
from the IETF drafts), SecureCRT and lsh.  The OpenSSH2 client
interoperates with both ssh.com's server and lshd.

The Future:

A number of features are missing from OpenSSH2 and need to be added:

* TCP-forwarding must be extended both on the client and server side.

* Public-key authentication is required by the draft.

* re-keying support in the transport layer. Both client and server
  can initiate re-keying.

* keyboard-interactive authentication method is intended for one-time
  password authentication.

Apart from these basic features OpenSSH needs

* extended configurability and

* some code cleanup, since both SSH1 and SSH2 code are currently tightly
  integrated.  OpenSSH2 support both protocol versions (1.5 and 2.0)
  in one program.

Another mayor milestone is the need for

* an advanced key managment
  system (e.g. keynote policies from RFC 2704 and 2792)
  and integration of different PKI's like PGP or X509.  Perhaps
  it's even possible to reuse the existing keys from SSH1.

* support a SSH2 ssh-agent and agent-forwarding. The protocol used
  in ssh.com's implementations are not specified.

* support for a file-transfer protocol. Again, ssh.com's sftp is
  not specified.