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[thirdparty/openssl.git] / doc / ssl / SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh_callback.pod
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1=pod
2
3=head1 NAME
4
5SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh_callback, SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh, SSL_set_tmp_dh_callback, SSL_set_tmp_dh - handle DH keys for ephemeral key exchange
6
7=head1 SYNOPSIS
8
9 #include <openssl/ssl.h>
10
11 void SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh_callback(SSL_CTX *ctx,
12 DH *(*tmp_dh_callback)(SSL *ssl, int is_export, int keylength));
13 long SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh(SSL_CTX *ctx, DH *dh);
14
fc1d88f0 15 void SSL_set_tmp_dh_callback(SSL *ctx,
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16 DH *(*tmp_dh_callback)(SSL *ssl, int is_export, int keylength));
17 long SSL_set_tmp_dh(SSL *ssl, DH *dh)
18
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19=head1 DESCRIPTION
20
21SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh_callback() sets the callback function for B<ctx> to be
22used when a DH parameters are required to B<tmp_dh_callback>.
23The callback is inherited by all B<ssl> objects created from B<ctx>.
24
25SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh() sets DH parameters to be used to be B<dh>.
26The key is inherited by all B<ssl> objects created from B<ctx>.
27
28SSL_set_tmp_dh_callback() sets the callback only for B<ssl>.
29
3b80e3aa 30SSL_set_tmp_dh() sets the parameters only for B<ssl>.
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31
32These functions apply to SSL/TLS servers only.
33
34=head1 NOTES
35
36When using a cipher with RSA authentication, an ephemeral DH key exchange
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37can take place. Ciphers with DSA keys always use ephemeral DH keys as well.
38In these cases, the session data are negotiated using the
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39ephemeral/temporary DH key and the key supplied and certified
40by the certificate chain is only used for signing.
37f599bc 41Anonymous ciphers (without a permanent server key) also use ephemeral DH keys.
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42
43Using ephemeral DH key exchange yields forward secrecy, as the connection
44can only be decrypted, when the DH key is known. By generating a temporary
45DH key inside the server application that is lost when the application
46is left, it becomes impossible for an attacker to decrypt past sessions,
47even if he gets hold of the normal (certified) key, as this key was
48only used for signing.
49
50In order to perform a DH key exchange the server must use a DH group
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51(DH parameters) and generate a DH key.
52The server will always generate a new DH key during the negotiation
53if either the DH parameters are supplied via callback or the
54SSL_OP_SINGLE_DH_USE option of SSL_CTX_set_options(3) is set (or both).
55It will immediately create a DH key if DH parameters are supplied via
56SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh() and SSL_OP_SINGLE_DH_USE is not set.
57In this case,
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58it may happen that a key is generated on initialization without later
59being needed, while on the other hand the computer time during the
60negotiation is being saved.
61
62If "strong" primes were used to generate the DH parameters, it is not strictly
63necessary to generate a new key for each handshake but it does improve forward
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64secrecy. If it is not assured that "strong" primes were used,
65SSL_OP_SINGLE_DH_USE must be used in order to prevent small subgroup
66attacks. Always using SSL_OP_SINGLE_DH_USE has an impact on the
67computer time needed during negotiation, but it is not very large, so
68application authors/users should consider always enabling this option.
fa60b909 69The option is required to implement perfect forward secrecy (PFS).
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70
71As generating DH parameters is extremely time consuming, an application
72should not generate the parameters on the fly but supply the parameters.
73DH parameters can be reused, as the actual key is newly generated during
74the negotiation. The risk in reusing DH parameters is that an attacker
37f599bc 75may specialize on a very often used DH group. Applications should therefore
3b80e3aa 76generate their own DH parameters during the installation process using the
9b86974e 77openssl L<dhparam(1)> application. This application
1f302db3 78guarantees that "strong" primes are used.
37f599bc 79
1f302db3 80Files dh2048.pem, and dh4096.pem in the 'apps' directory of the current
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81version of the OpenSSL distribution contain the 'SKIP' DH parameters,
82which use safe primes and were generated verifiably pseudo-randomly.
83These files can be converted into C code using the B<-C> option of the
9b86974e 84L<dhparam(1)> application. Generation of custom DH
1f302db3 85parameters during installation should still be preferred to stop an
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86attacker from specializing on a commonly used group. File dh1024.pem
87contains old parameters that must not be used by applications.
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88
89An application may either directly specify the DH parameters or
1f302db3 90can supply the DH parameters via a callback function.
4db48ec0 91
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92Previous versions of the callback used B<is_export> and B<keylength>
93parameters to control parameter generation for export and non-export
94cipher suites. Modern servers that do not support export ciphersuites
95are advised to either use SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh() in combination with
96SSL_OP_SINGLE_DH_USE, or alternatively, use the callback but ignore
97B<keylength> and B<is_export> and simply supply at least 2048-bit
98parameters in the callback.
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99
100=head1 EXAMPLES
101
1f302db3 102Setup DH parameters with a key length of 2048 bits. (Error handling
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103partly left out.)
104
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105 Command-line parameter generation:
106 $ openssl dhparam -out dh_param_2048.pem 2048
107
108 Code for setting up parameters during server initialization:
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109
110 ...
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111 SSL_CTX ctx = SSL_CTX_new();
112 ...
113
114 /* Set up ephemeral DH parameters. */
115 DH *dh_2048 = NULL;
116 FILE *paramfile;
117 paramfile = fopen("dh_param_2048.pem", "r");
4db48ec0 118 if (paramfile) {
1f302db3 119 dh_2048 = PEM_read_DHparams(paramfile, NULL, NULL, NULL);
4db48ec0 120 fclose(paramfile);
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121 } else {
122 /* Error. */
4db48ec0 123 }
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124 if (dh_2048 == NULL) {
125 /* Error. */
4db48ec0 126 }
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127 if (SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh(ctx, dh_2048) != 1) {
128 /* Error. */
4db48ec0 129 }
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130 SSL_CTX_set_options(ctx, SSL_OP_SINGLE_DH_USE);
131 ...
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132
133=head1 RETURN VALUES
134
135SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh_callback() and SSL_set_tmp_dh_callback() do not return
136diagnostic output.
137
138SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh() and SSL_set_tmp_dh() do return 1 on success and 0
139on failure. Check the error queue to find out the reason of failure.
140
141=head1 SEE ALSO
142
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143L<ssl(3)>, L<SSL_CTX_set_cipher_list(3)>,
144L<SSL_CTX_set_tmp_rsa_callback(3)>,
145L<SSL_CTX_set_options(3)>,
146L<ciphers(1)>, L<dhparam(1)>
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147
148=cut