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use binary encoding of keys to reduce size of QR code

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Hubert Chathi 5 years ago
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proposals/1543-qr_code_key_verification.md
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@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
Key verification using QR codes
===============================
Bi-directional Key verification using QR codes
==============================================
Problem/Background
------------------
@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ who can then tell his device that the keys match.
`m.key.verification.request` message (see
[MSC2241](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/2241)), with
`m.qr_code.show.v1`, `m.qr_code.scan.v1`, and `m.reciprocate.v1` listed in
`methods`.
`methods`, and Bob responds with a `m.key.verification.ready` message.
3. Alice's client displays a QR code that Bob is able to scan, and an option to
scan Bob's QR code.
4. Bob's client prompts Bob to verify Alice's key. The prompt includes a QR
@ -36,17 +36,12 @@ who can then tell his device that the keys match.
`m.qr_code.scan.v1`), and an option to scan Alice's QR code (if the
`m.key.verification.request` message listed `m.qr_code.show.v1`). The QR
code encodes:
- Bob's Matrix user ID,
- Bob's keys that he wants Alice to verify (should contain at least his
master cross-signing key),
- what Bob thinks Alice's master cross-signing key is,
- Bob's master cross-signing public key,
- what Bob thinks Alice's master cross-signing public key is,
- a random shared secret.
5. Alice scans Bob's QR code.
6. Alice's device ensures that:
- the user ID in the QR code is the same as the expected user ID (which it
knows because it is the recipient of her `m.key.verification.request`
message),
- Bob's keys encoded in the QR code match the keys that she already has for
- Bob's key encoded in the QR code match the key that she already has for
Bob, and
- Alice's cross-signing key matches the cross-signing key encoded in the QR
code.
@ -111,9 +106,8 @@ In the first example, Osborne2 scans Dynabook:
it via cross-signing, and to trust other devices via cross-signing.
2. Dynabook retrieves Alice's public cross-signing key from the server, and
displays a QR code that encodes:
- Alice's user ID,
- Dynabook's device key,
- what it thinks Alice's master key is, as the `other_user_key` parameter, and
- what it thinks Alice's master key is, and
- a random shared secret.
Note that in this case, the QR code does not include Alice's master key in a
@ -138,11 +132,8 @@ In the second example, Dynabook scans Osborne2:
it via cross-signing, and to trust other devices via cross-signing.
2. Osborne2 notices that Dynabook is a new device. Osborne2 fetches Dynabook's
identity key and displays a QR code that encodes:
- Alice's user ID,
- Osborne2's device key (optional),
- what it thinks Dynabook's key is, as `other_device_key`,
- Alice's master key as a `key_<key_id>` parameter and (optionally) a `other_user_key`
parameter, and
- what it thinks Dynabook's key is,
- Alice's master key, and
- a random shared secret.
3. Dynabook scans the QR code shown by Osborne2. At this point, Dynabook knows
Alice's cross-signing key, and so it can trust it to sign other devices. It
@ -163,12 +154,12 @@ This proposal defines three verification methods that can be used in
`m.key.verification.request` messages (see
[MSC2241](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/2241)).
- `m.qr_code.show.v1`: means that the sender of the
- `m.qr_code.show.v2`: means that the sender of the
`m.key.verification.request` message can show a QR code that the recipient
can scan. If the recipient can scan the QR code, it should allow the user to
do so. This method is never sent as part of a `m.key.verification.start`
message.
- `m.qr_code.scan.v1`: means that the sender of the
- `m.qr_code.scan.v2`: means that the sender of the
`m.key.verification.request` message can scan a QR code displayed by the
recipient. If the recipient can display a QR code, it should allow the user
to display it so that the sender can scan it. This method is never sent as
@ -179,34 +170,51 @@ This proposal defines three verification methods that can be used in
### QR code format
The QR codes to be displayed and scanned using this format will encode URLs of
the form:
`https://matrix.to/#/<user-id>?request=<event-id>&action=verify&key_<keyid>=<key-in-base64>...&secret=<shared-secret>&other_user_key=<master-key-in-base64>`
(when `matrix:` URLs are specced, this will be used instead).
- `request`: is the event ID or `transaction_id` of the associated verification
request event.
- `key_<key_id>`: each key that the user wants verified will have an entry of
this form, where the value is the key in unpadded base64. The QR code should
contain at least the user's master cross-signing key. In the case where a
device does not have a cross-signing key (as in the case where a user logs in
to a new device, and is verifying against another device), thin the QR code
should contain at least the device's key.
- `secret`: is a random single-use shared secret in unpadded base64. It must be
at least 256-bits long (43 characters when base64-encoded).
- `other_user_key`: the other user's master cross-signing key, in unpadded
base64. In other words, if Alice is displaying the QR code, this would be
the copy of Bob's master cross-signing key that Alice has.
- `other_device_key`: the other device's key, in unpadded base64. This is only
needed when a user is verifying their own devices, where the other device has
not yet been signed with the cross-signing key.
The QR codes to be displayed and scanned, which are not a part of an in-person
verification (for example, for printing on business cards), will encode URLs of
the form:
`https://matrix.to/#/<user-id>?action=verify&key_<keyid>=<key-in-base64>...`
In this case, only the user scanning the QR code will verify the key of the
user whose QR code was scanned; bi-directional verification is not possible.
The QR codes to be displayed and scanned using this format will encode binary
strings in the general form:
- the ASCII string "MATRIX"
- one byte indicating the QR code version (must be `0x02`)
- one byte indicating the QR code verification mode. May be one of the
following values:
- `0x00` verifying another user with cross-signing
- `0x01` self-verifying in which the current device does trust the master key
- `0x02` self-verifying in which the current device does not yet trust the
master key
- the event ID or `transaction_id` of the associated verification
request event, encoded as:
- two bytes in network byte order (big-endian) indicating the length of the
ID
- the ID as an ASCII string
- the first key, as 32 bytes. The key to use depends on the mode field:
- if `0x00` or `0x01`, then the user's own master cross-signing public key
- if `0x02`, then the current device's device key
- the second key, as 32 bytes. The key to use depends on the mode field:
- if `0x00`, then what the device thinks the other user's master
cross-signing key is
- if `0x01`, then what the device thinks the other device's device key is
- if `0x02`, then what the device thinks the user's master cross-signing key
is
- a random shared secret, as a byte string. It is suggested to use a secret
that is about 8 bytes long. Note: as we do not share the length of the
secret, and it is not a fixed size, clients will just use the remainder of
binary string as the shared secret.
For example, if Alice displays a QR code encoding the following binary string:
```
"MATRIX" |ver|mode| len | event ID
4D 41 54 52 49 58 02 00 00 2D 21 41 42 43 44 ...
| user's cross-signing key | other user's cross-signing key | shared secret
00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 ... 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ... 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
```
this indicates that Alice is verifying another user (say Bob), in response to
the request from event "!ABCD...", her cross-signing key is
`0001020304050607...` (which is "AAECAwQFBg..." in base64), she thinks that
Bob's cross-signing key is `1011121314151617...` (which is "EBESExQVFh..." in
base64), and the shared secret is `2021222324252627` (which is "ICEiIyQlJic" in
base64).
### Message types
@ -218,7 +226,7 @@ message contents:
- `method`: `m.reciprocate.v1`
- `m.relates_to`: as per [key verification framework](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/2241)
- `secret`: the shared secret from the QR code
- `secret`: the shared secret from the QR code, encoded using unpadded base64
Example:
@ -257,7 +265,9 @@ Tradeoffs/Alternatives
Other methods of verifying keys, which do not require scanning QR codes, are
needed for devices that are unable to scan QR codes. One such method is
[MSC1267](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/issues/1267).
[MSC1267](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/issues/1267). Since the key
verification framework allows for multiple methods to be supported, clients can
allow users to use different methods depending on their capability.
Rather than embedding the keys in the QR codes directly, the two clients could
perform an exchange similar to
@ -267,14 +277,13 @@ the clients must exchange several messages before they can verify each other,
which would delay showing the QR codes. This proposal is also simpler to
implement.
This proposal does not support the case of asynchronous verification, such as
printing a QR code on a business card for others to scan. That may be address
in a separate MSC.
Security Considerations
-----------------------
The first check in Step 6 in the example flow is to ensure that Bob does not
present a QR code claiming to be Carol's key. Without this check, Bob will be
able to trick Alice into verifying a key under his control, and evesdropping on
Alice's communications with Carol.
The security of verifying Alice's key depends on Bob not hitting the "Verified"
button (step 10 in the example flow) until after Alice's device indicates
success or failure. Users have a tendency to click on buttons without reading

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