RE: [xcbf] WSS-XCBF error codes

[Monica Martin <mmartin@certivo.net>]

I suggest we indicate in our document that all apply except for the case
you cited unless the WS-Security core is more generalized.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Phillip H. Griffin [mailto:phil.griffin@asn-1.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 5:24 AM
To: [OASIS XCBF]
Subject: Re: [xcbf] WSS-XCBF error codes


Then again, I could be wrong. Relying on the core error codes might
lead to ambiguity. And I note that they do not seem to support MAC
or HMAC. Perhaps we could define a namespace for XCBF and
list our own XCBF specific codes, but the only one I can see that we
need might be a clone of the wsse code:

xbcf:UnsupportedAlgorithm - An unsupported signature, hash, MAC, 
                                             HMAC or encryption
algorithm was used

And this would not be necessary if the WSS code were more general and
specified hash, MAC and HMAC, or merely used more general words like 
"cryptographic algorithm" to include these along with signature and 
encryption.

Seems to me though, that the these others could be used without
problems:

wsse:InvalidSecurityToken - An invalid security token was provided
wsse:FailedAuthentication  - The security token could not be
authenticated
                                            or authorized
wsse:FailedCheck - The signature or decryption was invalid 

Phil



Phillip H. Griffin wrote:


Monica,

In looking again more closely to the WSS-X509 dcoument, I note
that WSS-XCBF does not mention error codes (section 3.5).

Perhaps we should add a section for this. I suggest the following 
mimicing the text in WSS-X509:

  Implementations may use custom error codes defined in private
namespaces 
  if needed. But it is recommended that they use the error handling
codes defined
  in the WS-Security specification for signature, decryption, encoding
and token
  header errors. When using custom error codes, implementations should
be 
  careful not to introduce security vulnerabilities that may assist an
attacker in the
  error codes returned .
 
Phil