New Format for PGP/GPG Secring ?

[Werner Koch]

On Fri, 13 Apr 2001, Nick Andriash wrote:

> "I didn't like much the format of PGP keyrings, but after the publications
> about oddities of storing primes separately and number-of-bits in
> unprotected form, it's time to change the format. I don't like to invent

Number of bits are stored encrypted in OpenPGP.

You don't have to care about the keyring format in your
implementation because OpenPGP is a message exchange protocol and
every implementaion is free to use whatever format it likes to store
the keys.

It will probablay take a while until we will come up with a new format.

Because sending secret keys just protected according to the OpenPGP
specs is a silly idea anyway, there is no urgent need to change the
secret key exchange format.

That new attack can be easiliy avoided by verifying a signature just
after creation.  GnuPG 1.0.4g does this.

Ciao,

  Werner

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Werner Koch        Omnis enim res, quae dando non deficit, dum habetur
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