Feature #8931

Decide if we want to do the verification in the website or in the add-ons menus

Added by sajolida 2015-02-21 18:53:09 . Updated 2015-04-29 08:07:08 .

Status:
Resolved
Priority:
Normal
Assignee:
Category:
Installation
Target version:
Start date:
2015-02-21
Due date:
% Done:

0%

Feature Branch:
Type of work:
Discuss
Blueprint:

Starter:
Affected tool:
ISO Verification Extension
Deliverable for:

Description

Since the extension is targeted at new users, a MitM or exploit on
our website could defeat any verification technique by providing
simplified instructions or by faking ISO verification.

To mitigate such
an attack in some cases we could both:

  • Encourage external documentation (screencasts on YouTube, printed
    forms, etc.). But those would be vulnerable to other kind of
    attacks…
  • Not rely on the website to perform the ISO verification (use the
    add-ons menu for example). But the UX will suffer from this…

Subtasks

History

#1 Updated by sajolida 2015-02-21 19:11:12

  • Affected tool set to ISO Verification Extension

#2 Updated by sajolida 2015-03-10 09:29:33

Actually, this is more a UX that a security discussion.

#3 Updated by sajolida 2015-04-29 08:07:08

  • Status changed from Confirmed to Resolved

Since people installing Tails will have to rely on our website to provide trustworthy instructions anyway, explaining on the website how to do a better verification without relying on the website seems contradictory or at least not worth the complication in UX that it brings. And this is even more true as the extension is targetted primarily at first time user who will most likely land on our website first and install from there (for full upgrades we should rather work on Feature #7499).

External ressources like books, security guides, and other training material should maybe instead encourage people to go through the Debian expert verification, if possible, which would then effectively provide stronger authentication.