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Re: Protecting RedBoot in the field


Gary Thomas wrote:
On Mon, 2002-10-28 at 08:17, Andrew Lunn wrote:

That said, I think a password (stored in 'fconfig') would be a
great addition.
I wondered about encrypting the passwd so its not plain text. But does
that get is into US export regulation problems? Is crypt(3) still
under restrictions? Can anybody suggest an alternative?

The restrictions on most simple algorithms (IIRC less than 56 bit
keys) have been lifted for a couple of years.
Alas it isn't as simple as that: there are different regulations depending on the nature of the thing containing encryption and key length among other things. In summary, you can be granted an export licence for freely downloadable software fairly readily, but each submission requires a submission to the US BXA. Any times the encryption code is modified a new application is required. Who knows what happens with download mirror sites.

Note that things would become more difficult for commercial redistributors/vendors of eCos (especially with the GPL involved) if stuff like OpenSSL was properly integrated. It would no longer have the exemptions associated with being "freely available", primarily the onerous post-export reporting ones.

After a google, this is the best summary of the current status I could find:
http://www.fas.org/irp/news/2000/01/000113-crypto-bxa.htm

That's why (unfortunately) OpenSSL is best left distributed only in the Free world.

Jifl
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