[websec] #33: HSTS: quoted-string grammar in (extension) directives ?

["websec issue tracker" <[e-mail]>]

#33: HSTS: quoted-string grammar in (extension) directives ?

 (extension) directives are defined having this grammar..

   token [ "=" ( token | quoted-string ) ]

 There is an argument against having quoted-string as part of the grammar.
 Justification is presented primarily in these messages..

   https://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/websec/current/msg00781.html (Adam
 Barth)

   https://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/websec/current/msg00920.html (Adam
 Barth)

 ..but also in other messages in the same thread. Nominal summary of
 argument against inclusion of quoted-string is..

  * presently-defined STS header directives don't employ quoted-string
 syntax
  * supporting use of quoted-string syntax raises questions of handling
 error conditions such as
    unbalanced quotation marks.
  * present HSTS implementations don't parse quoted-string STS directive
 values (e.g. max-age="13425")

 Argument for having quoted-string as a part of the grammar is..

  * centered around HTTP header field consistency -- the generic header
 field syntax in RFC2616 (as well as in the in-progress httpbis update)
 incorporates quoted-string syntax as a part of header field value
 components.
  * because the HSTS header field grammar is extensible, and new directives
 can be defined in the future which may (need to) use quoted-string syntax.

 ..as noted here..

 https://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/websec/current/msg00774.html (Julian
 Reschke)

 https://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/websec/current/msg00933.html (Julian
 Reschke)

-- 
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:               |      Owner:  draft-ietf-websec-strict-transport-
  jeff.hodges@…          |  sec@…
     Type:  defect       |     Status:  new
 Priority:  major        |  Milestone:
Component:  strict-      |    Version:
  transport-sec          |   Keywords:
 Severity:  Active WG    |
  Document               |
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------

Ticket URL: <http://trac.tools.ietf.org/wg/websec/trac/ticket/33>
websec <http://tools.ietf.org/websec/>