[tor-reports] Isis, August 2013

isis agora lovecruft isis at torproject.org
Tue Sep 3 10:39:58 UTC 2013


# -*- mode: org ; coding: utf-8 -*-

*** status report 2013/08

After the Tor developer meeting I went to live on an old wooden ketch in
Amsterdam for a week with a lot of wonderful amazing people from tech activist
centres around the world. (Or maybe is was a schooner? I've forgotten the
difference. Two masts, one bowsprit.) Like this:

#+BEGIN_SRC
                                        ..                                
                                      .(  )`-._                           
                                    .'  ||     `._                        
                                  .'    ||        `.                      
                               .'       ||          `._                   
                             .'        _||_            `-.                
                          .'          |====|              `..             
                        .'             \__/               (  )            
                      ( )               ||          _      ||             
                      /|\               ||       .-` \     ||             
                    .' | '              ||   _.-'    |     ||             
                   /   |\ \             || .'   `.__.'     ||   _.-..     
                 .'   /| `.            _.-'   _.-'       _.-.`-'`._`.`    
                 \  .' |  |        .-.`    `./      _.-`.    `._.-'       
                  |.   |  `.   _.-'   `.   .'     .'  `._.`---`           
                 .'    |   |  :   `._..-'.'        `._..'  ||             
                /      |   \  `-._.'    ||                 ||             
               |     .'|`.  |           ||_.--.-._         ||             
               '    /  |  \ \       __.--'\    `. :        ||             
                \  .'  |   \|   ..-'   \   `._-._.'        ||             
 `.._            |/    |    `.  \  \    `._.-              ||             
     `-.._       /     |      \  `-.'_.--'                 ||             
          `-.._.'      |      |        | |         _ _ _  _'_ _ _ _ _     
               `-.._   |      \        | |        |_|_|_'|_|_|_|_|_|_|    
                   [`--^-..._.'        | |       /....../|  __   __  |    
                    \`---.._|`--.._    | |      /....../ | |__| |__| |    
                     \__  _ `-.._| `-._|_|_ _ _/_ _ _ /  | |__| |__| |    
                      \   _o_   _`-._|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_/   '-----------/    
                       \_`.|.'  _  - .--.--.--.--.--.`--------------'     
       .```-._ ``-.._   \__   _    _ '--'--'--'--'--'  - _ - _  __/       
  .`-.```-._ ``-..__``.- `.      _     -  _  _  _ -    _-   _  __/(.``-._ 
  _.-` ``--..  ..    _.-` ``--..  .. .._ _. __ __ _ __ ..--.._ / .( _..`` 
 `.-._  `._  `- `-._  .`-.```-._ ``-..__``.-  -._--.__---._--..-._`...``` 
    _.-` ``--..  ..  `.-._  `._  `- `-._ .-_. ._.- -._ --.._`` _.-`-.     

#+END_SRC

At some point, we sailed to a small island and I played the priestess in a
techno-shamanistic ritual, complete with an alter covered in LEDs, a
motherboard, and some other weird broken-looking electronic shit (picture the
racks at Noisebridge). A Tor-related excerpt of the ritual is given below:

#+BEGIN_SRC

ME: 
    (after asking the guardians of the other polarities of the ritual circle)

    Guardians of the West, Keepers of the Ground Element, since 1U.E. have you
    watched over the land of Silicon, wrought with RJ45. Oh beings of the
    Ground Element, join us now!

    Guardian of the West! IS THERE CHAOS IN THE WEST?!?!11!

GUARDIAN OF THE WEST: (incidentally a person who is in #tor, not naming names)

                               ______________________________________________
                    ,,,,       |                                             |
        ////       ,_ _ \     /| Yes, there is CHAOS in the West. The human  |
        \ ( /     ('O \O()   / | meatbag overloads of the land have devised  |
         ` '       '  -`,   /  | evil plans, conspiring with the other       |
          '\        `__/       | fascist governments, pooling their eyes to  |
           .\      __,(___     | amass a surveillance state, threatening the |
            .\__.-'       `.   | freedoms of all netizens, nay! of all *zens,|
              .____         \  | worldwide!                                  |
                  |     /`   \ |                                             |
                  |    / __`  \| Yes, there is CHAOS in the West. The RJ45   |
                  |   / | o|` ,| cables have become tangled with DPI boxes   |
                  |  /  | -| '/| and prying eyes.                            |
        _________))||( \\__.'/ |                                             |
       (  __\         \ \===/  | Yes, there is CHAOS in the West. There is   |
        ` \  `----.  __\       | CHAOS across the lands because there aren't |
         ` \       `(_. \      | enough...                                   |
           `\          ` \     |                                             |
            ,)           >)    | (pulls hard-drive-sized LED blinky thing    |
           /(          ( /     |  from their pocket...)                      |
          ""o          ,/      |                                             |
                      ,/       | ...Tor exit relays!!                        |
                     (         |_____________________________________________|    
                      )\            
                      o""           
     .    ....           . .       
         ..        ...         ....

ME: Wat. Holy shit. Is that thing *actually* an exit relay? It's tiny. And
    we're on a 2 km^2 island. *I* don't even have internet here.

GUARDIAN OF THE WEST: Yeah, well, it is an exit when it has a good enough
    connection, right now it's attached to my phone so...

ME:

  .$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$.
  $$$$$$$ $$$'  '$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$'  '$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$s__s$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$s__s$$$ $$   $$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$   $$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$'     `$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$p'  'q$'       $'     `$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$p' `q$p      $        $'       $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$     $       $      .ssSSSSS$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$     $       $      $'             '$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$     $       $      $.              '$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$     $       $      `$.               $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$     $       !       `$$$$SSss.       $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$b._.d$b._ _.d$b._  _.d$b._  _d'       $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$        "       ""       ""          $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$                                    $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$ '$$$$$$$$$$$$                                   .$$$$$$$$$$$' $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$s._____________                                  ____________.s$$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.                                .$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.                              $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$'  _____                            __   ________   `$$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ .s$$$$$.                          $$$s. $$$$$$$$$s. $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$                         $$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$_                      $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                    '$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                    '$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                    '$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ $$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                     $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ $$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                     $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $.   .$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                     $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$. .$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                     $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$.$$$
  `$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$                     $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$
    `$$$$$$$$$$$'   $$$$$$$$$$$                     $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$'

At some point that night, we made sacrificial offerings to the Guardians,
including a Pentium II (the slot kind!) and a giant 256MB harddrive. 

                             /'.    /|    .'\
                       ,._   |+i\  /++\  / +|    ,,
                       |*+'._/+++\/+ ++\/+++<_.-'+|
                  :-.  \ ++++?++ +++++*++++++ +++ /  .-:
                  |*+\_/++++ +++*++ ++++++ ++?++++\_/ +|
              ,    \*+++++ ++++ +++*+++ ++++ +++ +++++/   ,
              \'-._> +__+*++__*+++_+__*++ ++__++++__*<_.-'/
               `>*+++|  \++/  |+*/     `\ +|  |++/  |++++<'
            _,-'+ * +*\  \/  /++|__.-.  |+ |  |+/  /+ +*+'-._
            '-.*+++++++\    /+ ++++++/  / *|  |/  /+ ++++++.-'
                > *+++++\  /*++++ +/` /`+++|     < *++ +++< 
            _,-'* +++ ++|  |++ +*/` /` +* +|  |\  \+ ++++++'-._
            `-._+ +*++?+|  |+++*|  '-----.+|  |+\  \+* ++ +_.-'
               _`\++++++|__|+ *+|________|+|__|++\__|++++/`_
              /*++_+* + +++++ ++ + ++++ +++++ ++ ++++ ++_+*+\
              '--' `>*+++ +++++ +++++*++++  +++ ++++ ?<' '--'
                   /++_++ ++ ++++++ ++?+ +++++*+++ ++++ \
                   |_/ `\++ ++ +++*++++++++++ ++++*./`\_|
                        /+*.-.*+ +_ ++*+ _+++ .-.* +\
                        | /   | +/ `\?+/` \*+|    \ |
                         '    \.'    |/    './     '


The future of the internet looks hopeful once more!

#+END_SRC

After that, I went to DebConf13, in Vaumarcus, Switzerland, where I met
several wonderful people, and also had a few chances to discuss Tor
(specifically, many people wished to know how to get involved, and also
general info for various pluggable transports).

Then I bunkered down, and read papers and worked...

**** Tickets Worked on in August 2013: 
***** Component: BridgeDB (18 matches)
#5332 Update BridgeDB documentation with deployment instructions
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/5332
#5463 BridgeDB must GPG-sign outgoing mails
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/5463
#9013 BridgeDB should pass pluggable transport shared-secrets to clients
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9013
#9156 BridgeDB: Users try to add obfsbridges to their normal TBB
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9156
#9157 Persian and Arabic should be right aligned on bridges.tpo
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9157
#9199 Rethink the logging of BridgeDB
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9199
#9244 bridgedb's GeoIP module (v0.2.6, the latest) causes python to segfault
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9244
#9264 Problem with transport lines in BridgeDB's bridge pool assignment files
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9264
#9277 BridgeDB's handling of config files is non-persistent and uses an old-style class
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9277
#9332 Revive the BridgeDB bridge-sending mailing list
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9332
#9377 Add more unittests for and logging to descriptor parsers
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9377
#9380 BridgeDB should use stem for parsing descriptors according to torspec
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9380
#9385 bridgedb's email responder should fuzzy match email addresses within time periods
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9385
#9425 Create and document a better BridgeDB (re)deployment strategy
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9425
#9443 Generate and secure pgp keys for bridges.tpo
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9443
#9462 BridgeDB descriptor parsers need refactoring
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9462
#9499 BridgeDB should hand out identity fingerprints
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9499
#9601 Cyberoam firewall blocks obfs2/3 bridge addresses
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9601
#9615 Copy current BridgeDB deployment scripts into admin/bridgedb-admin repo
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9615

***** Component: Service - git (1 match)
#9595 Create maintenance/sysadmin repo for BridgeDB deployments, maintainance, and sysadmin notes
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9595

***** Component: Tor (2 matches)
#8978 Write server-side pluggable transport options to extra-info descriptor
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/8978
#9498 Allow bridge descriptors to contain no address if they are not being published
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9498

***** Component: Tor Launcher (1 match)
#9445 Tor Launcher should be more relaxed about bridge line input
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9445

***** Component: Tor Sysadmin Team (1 match)
#9520 add sysrqb to the ponticum group
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9520

***** Component: Tor bundles/installation (1 match)
#9444 Create deterministic TorBrowserBundles with Pluggable Transports
      https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/9444

***** Status:
Latest status: https://gs.torproject.org/person/isis

To see all ([owner|cc|reporter]:isis) tickets from August: 
https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/query?cc=~isis&changetime=2013-08-01..2013-08-31&or&owner=~isis&changetime=2013-08-01..2013-08-31&or&changetime=2013-08-01..2013-08-31&reporter=~isis&group=component&col=id&col=summary&order=id

NOTE: if these were modified *since* August, they will no longer appear in
this Trac query.

**** Useful Papers Read:

I wrote a plugin for Pelican (the Python static site generator that I use) so
that I could start putting recent papers I've read, my notes on them, and
copies of the pdf files on my blog via a BibTex file. It's not quite done yet,
but you can see the code here: 
https://code.patternsinthevoid.net/?p=patternsinthevoid.git;a=commitdiff;h=8a1031599f7a4ac67287580855035d75061e51b7
and the (thus far rather crappy and incomplete) output here:
https://blog.patternsinthevoid.net/libris.html

***** August Reading List

Fuchsbauer, Georg.
  "Automorphic Signatures in Bilinear Groups and an Application to Round-Optimal Blind Signatures."
  IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive 2009 (2009): 320.
  http://www.di.ens.fr/~fuchsbau/ASBG.pdf

Lange, Tanja.
  "Efficient Arithmetic on Genus 2 Hyperelliptic Curves over Finite Fields via Explicit Formulae."
  IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive 2002 (2002): 121.
  https://eprint.iacr.org/2002/121.pdf

Abe, Masayuki, et al.
  "Structure-preserving signatures and commitments to group elements."
  Advances in Cryptology–CRYPTO 2010. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2010. 209-236.
  http://www.iacr.org/archive/crypto2010/62230210/62230210.pdf

Fiat, Amos, and Adi Shamir.
  "How to prove yourself: practical solutions to identification and signature problems."
  Advances in Cryptology—CRYPTO’86. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 1987.
  http://www.cs.rit.edu/~jjk8346/FiatShamir.pdf

Kohel, David R., and Benjamin A. Smith.
  "Efficiently computable endomorphisms for hyperelliptic curves."
  Algorithmic Number Theory. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2006. 495-509.
  http://arxiv.org/pdf/math.NT/0603505

Bröker, Reinier, Kristin Lauter, and Andrew Sutherland.
  "Modular polynomials via isogeny volcanoes."
  Mathematics of Computation 81.278 (2012): 1201-1231.
  http://arxiv.org/pdf/1001.0402

-- 
 ♥Ⓐ isis agora lovecruft
_________________________________________________________
GPG: 4096R/A3ADB67A2CDB8B35
Current Keys: https://blog.patternsinthevoid.net/isis.txt
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 915 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
URL: <http://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-reports/attachments/20130903/43ea383e/attachment.sig>


More information about the tor-reports mailing list