EAP Method Update (emu) ----------------------- Charter Last Modified: 2007-01-05 Current Status: Active Working Group Chair(s): Joseph Salowey Security Area Director(s): Tim Polk Sam Hartman Security Area Advisor: Sam Hartman Mailing Lists: General Discussion:emu@ietf.org To Subscribe: https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/emu Archive: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/emu/current/index.html Description of Working Group: The Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) [RFC 3748] is a network access authentication framework used in the PPP, 802.11, 802.16, VPN, PANA, and in some functions in 3G networks. EAP itself is a simple protocol and actual authentication happens in EAP methods. Over 40 different EAP methods exist. Most of this methods are proprietary methods and only a few methods are documented in RFCs. The lack of documented, open specifications is a deployment and interoperability problem. In addition, none of the EAP methods in the standards track implement features such as key derivation that are required for many modern applications. This poses a problem for, among other things, the selection of a mandatory to implement EAP method in new network access technologies. For example, no standards track methods meet new requirements such as those posed in RFC 4017, which documents IEEE 802.11 requirements for EAP methods. This group is chartered to work on the following types of mechanisms to meet RFC 3748 and RFC 4017 requirements: - An update to RFC 2716 to bring EAP-TLS into standards track, clarify specification, interoperability, and implementation issues gathered over the years, and update the document to meet the requirements of RFC 3748, RFC 4017, and EAP keying framework documents. Backwards compatibility with RFC 2716 is a requirement. - Enhanced functionality to enable a TLS-based EAP method to support authentication methods beyond certificates, channel bindings and other optional functions required in RFC 4017. So as to enable RFC 2716bis to focus solely on clarifications to the existing protocol, this effort will be handled in a separate document. Depending on an analysis of the behavior of existing implementations, it is possible that this effort may be able to use the existing EAP-TLS type code, or it may need to be handled via assignment of a new EAP Type Code. - A mechanism based on strong shared secrets that meets RFC 3748 and RFC 4017 requirements. This mechanism should strive to be simple and compact for implementation in resource constrained environments. - A mechanism meeting RFC 3748 and RFC 4017 requirements that makes use of existing password databases such as AAA databases. The implementation should strive to be usable in resource constrained environments. In order to facilitate the development of the shared secret and password based methods design teams will be formed. The design teams should take into consideration existing methods including mechanisms based on EAP-TLS such as TLS-PSK. Goals and Milestones: Done Form design team to work on strong shared secret mechanism Done Submit 2716bis I-D Jun 2006 Submit first draft of enhanced EAP-TLS I-D Done Submit first draft of shared secret mechanism I-D Done Form password based mechanism design team Aug 2006 Submit 2716bis draft to IESG for Proposed Standard Nov 2006 Submit 2716bis draft to IESG for draft standard Dec 2006 Submit first draft password based method I-D Jan 2007 Submit Strong Shared Secret Mechanism to IESG Jan 2007 Submit enhanced EAP-TLS to IESG Aug 2007 Submit password Based Mechanism to IESG Internet-Drafts: Posted Revised I-D Title ------ ------- -------------------------------------------- Feb 2006 Jul 2007 The EAP TLS Authentication Protocol Oct 2006 Dec 2007 EAP Generalized Pre-Shared Key (EAP-GPSK) Request For Comments: None to date.