[pkix] [Errata Held for Document Update] RFC5280 (8789)

RFC Errata System <rfc-editor@rfc-editor.org> Tue, 03 March 2026 17:33 UTC

To: elizabethpslator@gmail.com, david.cooper@nist.gov, stefans@microsoft.com, stephen.farrell@cs.tcd.ie, sharon.boeyen@entrust.com, housley@vigilsec.com, wpolk@nist.gov
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Date: Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:33:45 -0800
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CC: paul.wouters@aiven.io, iesg@ietf.org, pkix@ietf.org, rfc-editor@rfc-editor.org
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Subject: [pkix] [Errata Held for Document Update] RFC5280 (8789)
Archived-At: <https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/pkix/lMHWfO9mPL24Oxga7ioZV1OMN8Q>

The following errata report has been held for document update 
for RFC5280, "Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile". 

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You may review the report below and at:
https://www.rfc-editor.org/errata/eid8789

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Status: Held for Document Update
Type: Editorial

Reported by: Elizabeth Peraza Slator <elizabethpslator@gmail.com>
Date Reported: 2026-02-28
Held by: Paul Wouters (IESG)

Section: GLOBAL

Original Text
-------------
Section 4.2.1.12 says:

   id-kp-serverAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 1 }
   -- TLS WWW server authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature,
   -- keyEncipherment or keyAgreement

   id-kp-clientAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 2 }
   -- TLS WWW client authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature
   -- and/or keyAgreement
It should say:

   id-kp-serverAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 1 }
   -- TLS server authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature,
   -- keyEncipherment or keyAgreement

   id-kp-clientAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 2 }
   -- TLS client authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature
   -- and/or keyAgreement
Notes:

The proposed change removes the WWW part of the description. In practice these object identifiers are used for server and client applications, but not necessarily web applications. In particular:
- openssl verification considers them unconditionally even if the server is not a web server or the client a web client
- There is no object identifier that can be used for protocols like SMTP, IMAP, POP3, LDAP, radius, ...; in practice all these protocols are deployed with the identifiers for WWW
- Standards like common criteria assume that these object identifiers are for generic server and clients [0].

[0]. https://www.niap-ccevs.org/MMO/PP/-442-/#FCS_TLSC_EXT.1.1

Report New Errata

Corrected Text
--------------
Section 4.2.1.12 says:

   id-kp-serverAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 1 }
   -- TLS WWW server authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature,
   -- keyEncipherment or keyAgreement

   id-kp-clientAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 2 }
   -- TLS WWW client authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature
   -- and/or keyAgreement
It should say:

   id-kp-serverAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 1 }
   -- TLS server authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature,
   -- keyEncipherment or keyAgreement

   id-kp-clientAuth             OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { id-kp 2 }
   -- TLS client authentication
   -- Key usage bits that may be consistent: digitalSignature
   -- and/or keyAgreement
Notes:

The proposed change removes the WWW part of the description. In practice these object identifiers are used for server and client applications, but not necessarily web applications. In particular:
- openssl verification considers them unconditionally even if the server is not a web server or the client a web client
- There is no object identifier that can be used for protocols like SMTP, IMAP, POP3, LDAP, radius, ...; in practice all these protocols are deployed with the identifiers for WWW
- Standards like common criteria assume that these object identifiers are for generic server and clients [0].

[0]. https://www.niap-ccevs.org/MMO/PP/-442-/#FCS_TLSC_EXT.1.1

Report New Errata

Notes
-----
Sec AD (Paul Wouters): Changed to Editorial,  as the suggested changes are in an ASN.1 comment

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RFC5280 (draft-ietf-pkix-rfc3280bis-11)
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Title               : Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile
Publication Date    : May 2008
Author(s)           : D. Cooper, S. Santesson, S. Farrell, S. Boeyen, R. Housley, W. Polk
Category            : PROPOSED STANDARD
Source              : Public-Key Infrastructure (X.509)
Stream              : IETF
Verifying Party     : IESG

[pkix] [Errata Held for Document Update] RFC5280 … RFC Errata System
[pkix] Re: [Errata Held for Document Update] RFC5… Corey Bonnell
[pkix] Re: [Errata Held for Document Update] RFC5… Deb Cooley