[Openstack] Do we need SSL on nova-api ports?

Dirk-Willem van Gulik dirk-willem.van.gulik at bbc.co.uk
Tue May 3 06:09:50 UTC 2011


On 3 May 2011, at 01:34, Eldar Nugaev wrote:

> #1 Replace existed plain http to ssl
> #2 Add additional ports for ssl (save plain http)
> #3 Do nothing

I suggest:

a)	Make SSL only the default (ideally with client cert on as well).

b)	Postulate that one port lower there is an optional HTTP port (OFF, or tied to localhost).

	As having those is easy in proxy/behind loadbalancers/behind failover* situations.

c) 	Postulate a certain header set used in the plain text case to pass on the client cert - and use this throughout*.

Thanks,

Dw.

*: Unfortunately - a lot of people follow sites like [1] - and hence end up with weird/illegal headers (underscore) such as SSL_CLIENT_S_DN. But then again - this is sort of the standard (Oracle, IBM et.al. seem to use some variation of WL-Proxy-Client-Cert; with their respective products often worked in the name).

1: http://www.zeitoun.net/articles/client-certificate-x509-authentication-behind-reverse-proxy/start
> 
> Eldar
> 
> On Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 11:27 AM, Dirk-Willem van Gulik
> <dirk-willem.van.gulik at bbc.co.uk> wrote:
>> 
>> On 25 Apr 2011, at 19:47, Kirill Shileev wrote:
>> 
>>> Recently, playing with libcloud against a private openstack installation
>>> we realized that 8773 and 8774 ports listened by openstack-nova-api expect plain HTTP.
>>> This is something that is rarely allowed in production installations.
>>> .....
>>> Other option would be making this configurable, although not sure why and where the plain HTTP might be justified.
>>> 
>>> Any thoughts, comments?
>> 
>> An important side effect of slapping SSL with client/server certs on pretty much all connection is that it makes all sort of governance and validation jobs much easier from an organisational point of view. With more 'reuse' of existing process and validation.
>> 
>> The attack footprint/exposed estate now splits in three clean realms: issuing of client cert, security of the TCP and SSL layer - and a specific model for what happens within that connection. With the latter bound by the previous two. Furthermore client validation can be done with narly a secret in sight.
>> 
>> So for those reasons alone - SSLis good.
>> 
>> Dw.
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>> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Eldar
> Skype: eldar.nugaev
> 

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