[db-wg] Deprecation of the NONE Authentication Scheme

At 04:52 PM 13-04-04 +0200, Ziya Suzen wrote:

If auth:NONE was deprecated why is the weak password graph constantly 
increasing:
http://www.ripe.net/projects/dbconstat/protect-weakpass.html

Is auth: NONE still valid or not?

According to ripe-358 it is not:
http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/db-query-manual.html

If not, how is NONE being used - or is this graph plotting incorrect info?

-Hank

>Dear Colleagues,
>
>As announced at RIPE 47 the NONE authentication scheme will be
>deprecated.
>
>After 26 April 2004 the RIPE Whois Database will not accept updates using
>the NONE authentication scheme.
>
>If you have objects protected by a MNTNER object which has the NONE
>authentication scheme, please assign another authentication scheme or
>create another MNTNER object to protect these objects.
>
>If you are a RIPE NCC member you can create new MNTNER objects through
>the LIR Portal or send your update to <auto-dbm at ripe.net>.
>
>History and details:
>--------------------
>
>1. Motivation
>
>The RIPE Database protects data from unauthorised modification through
>the use of references to maintainer objects.  The maintainer objects
>contain an "auth:" attribute which specifiy how a user is
>authenticated during updates to the database.
>
>One of the allowed authentication schemes is "NONE", which is actually
>not an authentication at all, but rather specifies that no
>authentication is necessary.  NONE is intended to be used consciously,
>as a notification facility or as a means to tag objects.
>
>In April 2003, a proposal was sent to the Database Working Group by
>Hank Nussbacher:
>
>     It has come lately to the attention in the Internet security realm
>     that spammers as well as crackers are hijacking IP address space.
>     One easy way to "steal" IP address space is via those that have
>     auth=NONE on their objects.
>
>It is likely that in many cases NONE is used simply because it is
>easy.  Currently approximately 500 maintainers use NONE - about 5% of
>all maintainers.
>
>
>2. Plan
>
>Normally with a database cleanup effort, an announcement is sent to
>the appropriate mailing lists, posted to the RIPE web page, and also
>sent to the specific users affected.  A period of time for cleanup is
>given.  Finally, if the users have not fixed the data then it is
>modified.
>
>However, for the NONE deprecation, it is inadvisable to do this
>as it means announcing what is in effect a security
>vulnerability.  Also, our operational experience with past cleanups
>shows that most users do not really participate through the phases of
>the effort.
>
>Therefore, the plan for MNTNER objects with the NONE authentication
>scheme is:
>
>o Announcement only to db-wg mailing list. (This announcement)
>
>o Remove "auth: NONE" attributes from all MNTNER objects, by changing
>them to a "remarks:" attribute with a URL explaining the change.
>
>o If that is the only authentication scheme, update the mntner
>objects, adding MD5-PW with a generated password.
>
>o E-mail the "admin-c:" and "tech-c:" of the objects, and the e-mail
>addresses listed in the "upd-to:" and "mnt-nfy:" attributes of the
>objects, explaining the change and including the new password if one
>is added.
>
>o Passwords can be requested via an e-mail to <ripe-dbm at ripe.net>.
>
>The reply with the password will be sent to the same contacts.  After
>a certain period of time the service will be discontinued.  Users
>wishing to use these maintainers may contact <ripe-dbm at ripe.net> for
>assistance.
>
>
>3. RIPE-NCC-NONE-MNT
>
>A maintainer with NONE authentication, RIPE-NCC-NONE-MNT, was added to
>objects without any maintainer when the database was converted from
>RIPE-181 format to RPSL format in April 2001.  There is a remark in
>these objects which includes the following:
>
>remarks:      The RIPE NCC will never use this maintainer object to
>remarks:      enforce any sort of control over user's objects.
>
>It is possible this could have been interpreted to mean that no
>restriction would ever be added to the object.
>
>One use of the RIPE-NCC-NONE-MNT has been to allow the creation of
>objects representing routing policy for resources not allocated or
>assigned by the RIPE NCC.  This is done by using "mnt-routes:
>RIPE-NCC-NONE-MNT" or "mnt-lower: RIPE-NCC-NONE-MNT" as appropriate.
>
>A new maintainer object will be created for these cases, with a well-
>known password, published in the object:
>
>mntner:       RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT
>descr:        This maintainer may be used to create objects to represent
>descr:        routing policy in the RIPE Database for number resources not
>descr:        allocated or assigned from the RIPE NCC.
>admin-c:      RD132-RIPE
>upd-to:       ripe-dbm-notify at ripe.net
>auth:         MD5-PW $1$GUExyzzy$XQtbZHGVqy9GW8BiAckBV1
>remarks:      *******************************************************
>remarks:      * The password for this object is 'RPSL', without the *
>remarks:      * quotes.                                             *
>remarks:      *******************************************************
>mnt-by:       RIPE-DBM-MNT
>referral-by:  RIPE-DBM-MNT
>changed:      ripe-dbm at ripe.net 20040301
>source:       RIPE
>
>The main use of this maintainer is for INETNUM objects.  There are
>approximately 60000 such objects - about 6% of the inetnums.  Updates
>for objects with RIPE-NCC-NONE-MNT are rare, less than 2% of all
>updates.
>
>For objects using RIPE-NCC-NONE-MNT:
>
>o If there are other "mnt-by:" attributes it will be changed to a
>"remarks:" attribute.
>
>o Otherwise, the "mnt-by:" will be changed to RIPE-NCC-LOCKED-MNT,
>which has a locked password (or PGP key).
>
>o A "remarks:" attribute will be added explaining how to generate a
>maintainer.
>
>o An e-mail will be sent to the "admin-c:" and "tech-c:" of the
>objects, and the e-mail addresses listed in the "notify:" attributes
>of the objects, explaining the change and giving a URL which will help
>to generate a new maintainer or assign another existing maintainer.
>
>o At the URL, the object will be automatically updated to have a new
>maintainer.
>
>o After a certain period of time the service will be discontinued.
>Users wishing to use these maintainers may contact ripe-dbm at ripe.net
>for assistance.
>
>
>4. Other maintainers with "auth: NONE"
>
>The RIPE-NCC-PN-NONE-MNT was used to mark PERSON objects not to be
>deleted in the 2001 person cleanup.  It can be removed and the
>maintainer deleted.
>
>The LIM-MNT is used for limericks.  It will have a well-known password
>similar to the RPSL maintainer.  It will also be maintained by another
>maintainer (not itself, as currently).
>
>--
>Ziya Suzen
>RIPE NCC