Session Date/Time: 21 Mar 2025 06:00

sshm

Summary

The Secure Shell Maintenance Working Group session at IETF 122 covered several important topics, including the resolution of the NTRU Prime issue, the Terrapin attack and its mitigation using the Strict Kex extension, and a discussion on the proposed SSH certificate format. The chairs emphasized the importance of respectful communication within the group.

Key Discussion Points

Note Well and Working Group Dynamics: Chairs emphasized the need for respectful and constructive communication within the working group, discouraging speculation about motives and avoiding taking the bait in heated debates.
NTRU Prime: The working group last call for the NTRU Prime draft concluded, with the chairs determining that it should be marked as informational in the IANA registry. An appeal was filed and resolved and the document now awaits a write-up.
ChaCha20-Poly1305: Joppao raised concerns about unaddressed comments on the ChaCha20-Poly1305 draft. The chairs committed to ensuring all comments are acknowledged and addressed.
Document Maturity and Adoption: The group discussed prioritizing existing drafts, emphasizing that offers should drive progression of their documents and indicating when they are ready for working group last call. ML-KEM was identified as a potential high-priority candidate. The relationship between the ChaCha20-Poly1305 draft and a draft on strict cipher exchange and key establishment (strict Kex) was also discussed.
Terrapin Attack and Strict Kex Extension: Damien presented the Terrapin attack and the proposed mitigation using the Strict Kex extension. Discussions included the impact, deployment challenges, and potential for future improvements, such as a full session transcript hash.
SSH Certificate Format: Damien presented the proposed SSH certificate format, including its design goals, structure, and extension mechanism. The potential for a future IANA registry for extensions was also discussed.

Decisions and Action Items

NTRU Prime: The document will proceed with an informational marking. Chairs to write-up the document with a summary of discussions and the appeal.
ChaCha20-Poly1305: Authors to address comments from working group last call. A new revision will be uploaded.
Strict Kex Extension: The working group will proceed with adoption.
Authors to indicate document readiness: Authors of adopted drafts, especially ML-KEM, are requested to notify the chairs when they believe their documents are ready for working group last call.

Next Steps

Chair to prepare write-up for NTRU Prime draft.
Authors to address comments and upload revised ChaCha20-Poly1305 draft.
Working group last call for Strict Kex Extension.
Authors of adopted drafts to assess document maturity and inform chairs of readiness for the next steps.