Subject: Re: Cert Path Validation Bug in pkix-new-part1-00

From: "Peter Lipp" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 15:39:44 +0200

I just try to study the path validation and stumbled over the section that
has been discussed in a thread with this subject a month ago.

The section currently reads:

  (e) If the subjectPublicKeyInfo field of the certificate contains
      an algorithm field with non-null parameters, assign the parameters
      to the working_public_key_parameters variable.

      If the subjectPublicKeyInfo field of the certificate contains an
      algorithm field with null parameters or parameters are omitted,
      compare the certificate subjectPublicKey algorithm to the
      working_public_key_algorithm.  If the certificate subjectPublicKey
      algorithm and the working_public_key_algorithm are different, set
      the working_public_key_parameters to null.

for me this is mildly confusing, and <<probably>> contradictory to what I
understood was the outcome of the thread. My understanding of that outcome
could be

  (e)	If the certificate subjectPublicKey algorithm and the
	working_public_key_algorithm are different, set the
	working_public_key_parameters to null.

	Otherwise (if the certificate subjectPublicKey algorithm
	and the working_public_key_algorithm are the same), if the
	subjectPublicKeyInfo field of the certificate contains an
	algorithm field where parameters have not been omitted,
	assign these parameters to the working_public_key_parameters
	variable.

If I misunderstood things - I beg for enlightenment

Peter