Query on SSL Mutual Authentication on Server

[Jakob Bohm]

On 2021-03-01 17:28, Viktor Dukhovni wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 01, 2021 at 09:21:29PM +0530, Archana wrote:
>
>> I am new to SSL programming. On our SSL Server implementation, we are
>> trying to enforce Mutual Authentication. Is it Mandatory to provide a user
>> defined Callback using SSL_ctx_setverify()
> No callback is required (callbacks are primarily useful for logging,
> though they can also, with care, be used to make chain verification
> more "permissive", but there be dragons).  However, you must then
> still call:
>
>      int mode = SSL_VERIFY_PEER
>               | SSL_VERIFY_FAIL_IF_NO_PEER_CERT
>               | SSL_VERIFY_CLIENT_ONCE;
>
>      SSL_CTX_set_verify(ctx, mode, NULL);
>
> to set the verification mode to request (and enforce) the presence of a
> client certificate.  Depending on the client, you may also need to make
> sure to provide a non-empty list of client CA hints that includes all
> the trust-anchor CAs from which you'll accept client certificate chains.
> (Clients using Java SSL APIs typically require that to be the case).
>
> This can be done via:
>
>      const char *CAfile = "/your/CA/file";
>      STACK_OF(X509_NAME) *calist = SSL_load_client_CA_file(CAfile);
>
>      if (calist == NULL) {
>          /* log error loading client CA names */
>      }
>      SSL_CTX_set_client_CA_list(server_ctx, calist);
>
>> If yes, Is it expected to do the IP or hostname validation?
> Neither, authorization of the client is up to you.  OpenSSL will check
> the dates, validity of the signatures, ... in the clients certificate
> chain, but checking whether any of the subject names in the client
> certificate are allowed to access your server is up to you.
>
> There is no prior expectation that the client's certificate is
> specifically related to its IP address or hostname.
>
> You may in fact, depending on the structure of your code, be able to
> configure the expected client name prior to the SSL handshake
> with SSL_accept(3), but after accepting the client TCP connection.
>
> To set the expected hostname(s), see the documentation of:
>
>      int SSL_set1_host(SSL *s, const char *hostname);
>      int SSL_add1_host(SSL *s, const char *hostname);
>
> For IP addresses, there's a slightly lower-level interface:
>
>          X509_VERIFY_PARAM *SSL_CTX_get0_param(SSL_CTX *ctx);
>
>          int X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_ip(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param,
>                                        const unsigned char *ip, size_t iplen);
>          int X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_ip_asc(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param, const char *ipasc);
>
> or after the handshake completes, you can call one of:
>
>          int X509_check_host(X509 *, const char *name, size_t namelen,
>                              unsigned int flags, char **peername);
>          int X509_check_email(X509 *, const char *address, size_t addresslen,
>                               unsigned int flags);
>          int X509_check_ip(X509 *, const unsigned char *address, size_t addresslen,
>                            unsigned int flags);
>          int X509_check_ip_asc(X509 *, const char *address, unsigned int flags);
>
Just out of curiousity:  What is the recommended way to check
the authenticated e-mail and/or DN of the client certificate,
given that those are the most common identities in such
certificates (except in server-to-server scenarios).


Enjoy

Jakob
-- 
Jakob Bohm, CIO, Partner, WiseMo A/S.  https://www.wisemo.com
Transformervej 29, 2860 Søborg, Denmark.  Direct +45 31 13 16 10
This public discussion message is non-binding and may contain errors.
WiseMo - Remote Service Management for PCs, Phones and Embedded