Subject: [http-auth] Fwd: [precis] usernames in PRECIS and http-auth

From: Peter Saint-Andre <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 07:50:06 -0700

FYI. Please discuss on the [email-masked] list.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [precis] usernames in PRECIS and http-auth
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:02:47 -0700
From: Peter Saint-Andre <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked] <[email-masked]>

As promised at IETF 89, I have compared the username definitions from
draft-oiwa-precis-httpauthprep-00 and draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis-06,
with the purpose of perhaps harmonizing the two approaches so that we
can avoid multiplying PRECIS profiles beyond necessity.

(I am writing this email on the flight home, and I neglected to load up
the meeting minutes before leaving, so I might not address all of the
relevant points in this message.)

First, let's look at the syntax definitions.

draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis-06 states that a username can (a) consist
of one of more userparts, or (b) can be of the form userpart@domainpart.
The ABNF definition is:

    username   = userpart [1*(1*SP userpart)]
               / userpart ’@’ domainpart

    userpart   = 1*(idpoint)

    domainpart = IP-literal / IPv4address / ifqdn

    ifqdn      = 1*1023(domainpoint)

Where:

* an "idpoint" is a UTF-8 encoded Unicode code point that conforms to
the PRECIS "IdentifierClass"
* an "IPv4address" is as defined in RFC 3986
* an "IP-literal" is as defined in RFC 3986
* a "domainpoint" is a UTF-8 encoded Unicode code point that conforms to
RFC 5890

By contrast, draft-oiwa-precis-httpauthprep states that a username
consists of one or more UTF-8 encoded Unicode code points that conform
to the PRECIS "IdentifierClass". The ABNF definition is:

    userpart   = 1*(idpoint)

We quickly see that an http-auth username is a legal PRECIS username,
since 1*(idpoint) is simply a userpart as defined in
draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis-06, and a PRECIS username can consist of
only one userpart. Therefore, in this respect, I think the httpauthprep
text (whether it appears in a standalone document or elsewhere) can
simply state that for purposes of HTTP authentication a username is a
userpart as defined in draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis.

Second, let's look at the string preparation method.

Here, too, draft-oiwa-precis-httpauthprep-00 is a subset of
draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis-06. The preparation method in
draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis-06 is:

    1.  The base string class is the "IdentifierClass" specified in
        [I-D.ietf-precis-framework].
    2.  Fullwidth and halfwidth characters MUST be mapped to their
        decomposition equivalents.
    3.  So-called additional mappings MAY be applied, such as those
        defined in [I-D.ietf-precis-mappings].
    4.  Uppercase and titlecase characters might be mapped to their
        lowercase equivalents (see Section 4.2.1 below).
    5.  Unicode Normalization Form C (NFC) MUST be applied to all
        characters.

By contrast, the preparation method in draft-oiwa-precis-httpauthprep-00 is:

    1.  Fullwidth and halfwidth characters MUST be mapped to their
        decomposition equivalents.
    2.  Additional mappings SHOULD NOT be applied, such as those defined
        in [I-D.ietf-precis-mappings], unless there are implementation-
        dependent reasons to do so, or these are exceptionally required
        by specific authentication schemes.
    3.  Case mapping is not applied.
    4.  Unicode Normalization Form C (NFC) MUST be applied to all
        characters.o

These two defnitions agree on the width mapping and normalization rules
described in the PRECIS framework. They appear to differ slightly with
regard to the additional mapping and case mapping rules. However,
draft-oiwa-precis-httpauthprep-00 is merely a bit more restrictive with
regard to matters that are purely optional according to
draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis-06. For example, the option of saying that
"case mapping is not applied" is allowed by the text "uppercase and
titlecase characters might be mapped to their lowercase equivalents".

To make this clearer, I suggest that we modify the advice in
draft-oiwa-precis-httpauthprep-00 so that it no longer defines its own
PRECIS profile. Instead, I suggest that we phrase the httpauthprep text
in terms of the username profile in draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis-06. To
my mind, something like this would work:

###

For the purposes of HTTP authentication, a username conforms to the
syntax definition and preparation methods specified in
[I.D-draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis], with the following limitations:

* a username conforms to the "userpart" construction from
[I-D.draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis]
* case mapping is not applied
* delimiter mappings, special mappings, and other so-called additional
mappings [I-D.draft-ietf-precis-mappings] are not applied

###

As far as I can see, this simplifies the httpautheprep text quite a bit.

(By the way, draft-oiwa-precis-httpauthprep-00 also seems to copy the
password profile verbatim from draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis. I think
this text can be removed entirely, so that the httpauthprep text can
simply reference draft-ietf-precis-saslprepbis.)

Yutaka and Alexey (and others), let me know what you think about what I
have written here.

Thanks,

Peter

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