[tbb-bugs] #13065 [Tor Browser]: counter downgrade / stale mirror attacks on RecommendedTBBVersions - sign / verify tbb versions file

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#13065: counter downgrade / stale mirror attacks on RecommendedTBBVersions - sign /
verify tbb versions file
-------------------------+--------------------------
 Reporter:  proper       |          Owner:  tbb-team
     Type:  defect       |         Status:  new
 Priority:  normal       |      Milestone:
Component:  Tor Browser  |        Version:
 Keywords:               |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:               |         Points:
-------------------------+--------------------------
 Securely downloading
 https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser/RecommendedTBBVersions
 solely relies on SSL, is currently neither signed, nor gets verified by
 Tor Button.

 This is problematic, because should torproject.org's web server or CA be
 compromised one day, applications such as Tor Button and
 [https://github.com/micahflee/torbrowser-launcher torbrowser-launcher]
 could be fooled into using an outdated and/or malicious
 RecommendedTBBVersions file.

 Suggestion: could you please,
 1) provide a signed version of RecommendedTBBVersions,
 2) verify RecommendedTBBVersions in Tor Button.

 To prevent downgrade and stale mirror attacks, the signature would have to
 be renewed after every X weeks, and rejected by the verification mechanism
 [+ user notification] if is is too old. (Similar to
 [http://blog.ganneff.de/blog/2008/09/23/valid-until-field-in-
 release-f.html Valid-Until] / #9810.)

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/13065>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online