From 9b010290a49243e5867dd9d4c93784a345fb2637 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Richard van der Hoff Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2016 17:55:42 +0100 Subject: Various clarifications to the spec --- docs/olm.rst | 54 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------- 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/olm.rst b/docs/olm.rst index 4fa8afe..9f8dc8e 100644 --- a/docs/olm.rst +++ b/docs/olm.rst @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ Olm: A Cryptographic Ratchet ============================ -An implementation of the cryptographic ratchet described by +An implementation of the double cryptographic ratchet described by https://github.com/trevp/axolotl/wiki. Notation @@ -101,25 +101,32 @@ The Olm Protocol Creating an outbound session ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Bob publishes his identity key, :math:`I_B`, and some single-use one-time -keys :math:`E_B`. +Bob publishes the public parts of his identity key, :math:`I_B`, and some +single-use one-time keys :math:`E_B`. Alice downloads Bob's identity key, :math:`I_B`, and a one-time key, -:math:`E_B`. Alice takes her identity key, :math:`I_A`, and generates a new -single-use key, :math:`E_A`. Alice computes a root key, :math:`R_0`, and a -chain key :math:`C_{0,0}`. Alice generates a new ratchet key :math:`T_0`. +:math:`E_B`. She generates a new single-use key, :math:`E_A`, and computes a +root key, :math:`R_0`, and a chain key :math:`C_{0,0}`. She also generates a +new ratchet key :math:`T_0`. Sending the first pre-key messages ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Alice computes a message key, :math:`M_{0,j}`, using the current chain key, -:math:`C_{0,j}`. Alice replaces the current chain key with :math:`C_{0,j+1}`. +Alice computes a message key, :math:`M_{0,j}`, and a new chain key, +:math:`C_{0,j+1}`, using the current chain key. She replaces the current chain +key with the new one. + Alice encrypts her plain-text with the message key, :math:`M_{0,j}`, using an authenticated encryption scheme (see below) to get a cipher-text, -:math:`X_{0,j}`. Alice sends her identity key, :math:`I_A`, her single-use key, -:math:`E_A`, Bob's single-use key, :math:`E_B`, the current chain index, -:math:`j`, her ratchet key, :math:`T_0`, and the cipher-text, :math:`X_{0,j}`, -to Bob. +:math:`X_{0,j}`. + +She then sends the following to Bob: + * The public part of her identity key, :math:`I_A` + * The public part of her single-use key, :math:`E_A` + * The public part of Bob's single-use key, :math:`E_B` + * The current chain index, :math:`j` + * The public part of her ratchet key, :math:`T_0` + * The cipher-text, :math:`X_{0,j}` Alice will continue to send pre-key messages until she receives a message from Bob. @@ -127,10 +134,7 @@ Bob. Creating an inbound session from a pre-key message ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Bob receives a pre-key message with the public parts of Alice's identity key, -:math:`I_A`, Alice's single-use key, :math:`E_A`, Alice's ratchet key, -:math:`T_0`, and his own single-use key, :math:`E_B`, as well as the -current chain index, :math:`j`, and the cipher-text, :math:`X_{0,j}`. +Bob receives a pre-key message as above. Bob looks up the private part of his single-use key, :math:`E_B`. He can now compute the root key, :math:`R_0`, and the chain key, :math:`C_{0,0}`, from @@ -145,8 +149,11 @@ discard the private part of his single-use one-time key, :math:`E_B`. Bob stores Alice's initial ratchet key, :math:`T_0`, until he wants to send a message. -Sending messages -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ +Sending normal messages +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Once a message has been received from the other side, a session is considered +established, and a more compact form is used. To send a message, the user checks if they have a sender chain key, :math:`C_{i,j}`. Alice uses chain keys where :math:`i` is even. Bob uses chain @@ -159,14 +166,17 @@ A message key, :math:`M_{i,j}` is computed from the current chain key, :math:`C_{i,j}`, and the chain key is replaced with the next chain key, :math:`C_{i,j+1}`. The plain-text is encrypted with :math:`M_{i,j}`, using an authenticated encryption -scheme (see below) to get a cipher-text, :math:`X_{i,j}`. Then user sends the -current chain index, :math:`j`, the ratchet key, :math:`T_i`, and the -cipher-text, :math:`X_{i,j}`, to the other user. +scheme (see below) to get a cipher-text, :math:`X_{i,j}`. + +The user then sends the following to the recipient: + * The current chain index, :math:`j` + * The public part of the current ratchet key, :math:`T_i` + * The cipher-text, :math:`X_{i,j}` Receiving messages ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -The user receives a message with the sender's current chain index, :math:`j`, +The user receives a message as above with the sender's current chain index, :math:`j`, the sender's ratchet key, :math:`T_i`, and the cipher-text, :math:`X_{i,j}`. The user checks if they have a receiver chain with the correct -- cgit v1.2.3