The mailing list for users of the eduroam Configuration Assistant Tool (CAT)

[Stefan Winter <stefan.winter AT restena.lu>]

Hello,

> To expand a bit on our need for testing CAT installers with multiple
> devices: in our case, testing is demonstrate to networking and user
> support groups that CAT installers are a viable approach to client
> configuration. Our network and user support groups are skeptical of
> relying on CAT installers, while confident that simplest manual
> configuration (providing scoped username and password to native
> supplicants) is adequate; downloading and installing CAT profile
> installers is regarded as unnecessary more complex configuration they
> fear will be less robust and require additional support. 

First the pragmatic comment, then the one about glaring ignorance of
security best practice by those support teams.

In the scenario you describe, there is no need for a test SSID. You
simply create CAT installers for the production eduroam SSID. Since your
eduroam SSID is properly set up, it works regardless if configured by
hand or configured by CAT. IOW, you don't need a test /network/. You
just need to test /devices/ on the existing network. You can prevent the
installers from appearing at the main download site by not setting the
"Production-Ready" flag. As an admin, you can still download them via
the "Fine-Tuning" page.

And then, have you talked to your network and user support groups about
the very real-life risk of credential theft when not verifying that the
username and password are sent to the actual, authorised authentication
server? Maybe you could tell them in plain words: just typing the
username and password in this box means that the user will send his
password to *arbitrary third parties* who happen to set up a Wi-Fi with
the name "eduroam" in the user's vicinity. If your support groups fear
the extra complexity of a click-through installer, how do they think
about blocking end user accounts and resetting passwords over and over
again because the credentials leak in an uncontrolled manner?

Really, the best a supplicant could do if not properly configured with
trust anchors to connect to would be to NOT CONNECT AT ALL.
Unfortunately, most supplicants do not do that. Exploiting this weakness
for one's end users is not good service to the end users. It's lazyness
and recklessness in the face of very real attack scenarios.

Greetings,

Stefan Winter

> 
> David Bantz
> U Alaska
> 
> On Mon, Oct 15, 2018 at 2:03 AM Stefan Winter <stefan.winter AT restena.lu
> <mailto:stefan.winter AT restena.lu>> wrote:
> 
>     Hello,
> 
>     > I've generated installers for a new RADIUS and local eduroam
>     deployment,
>     > currently broadcasting on eduroam-test so as not to interfere with
>     > ongoing eduroam connections relying on legacy infrastructure.
>     >
>     > I configured eduroam-test as additional SSID. That requires user entry
>     > of full credentials twice (once for eduroam, again for
>     eduroam-test) and
>     > disrupts device connection to the real eduroam network (which
>     relies on
>     > different RADIUS servers and different user authN method).
>     >
>     > Is it possible to configure installers ONLY for eduroam-test? I
>     > understand the supplicants would not be functional for roaming, but
>     > that's not an issue at this stage of testing.
> 
>     CAT is a tool to facilitate configuration of eduroam and its roaming
>     use; and so we always include the SSID eduroam in all installers.
> 
>     However if you want to do local testing, you may not even need CAT - if
>     you are testing on a small number of select devices, these can just as
>     well be configured by hand?
> 
>     If the test device population is larger and/or diverse and you really
>     want/need to include CAT installers in the testing phase, I'd suggest:
> 
>     - create a second deployment profile for your IdP
>     - only in that profile add the additional SSID eduroam-test
>     - if you want to enable download of these installers on the CAT UI: in
>     the profile description, include text to say that this is for testing
>     purposes and may disturb normal eduroam operations
>     - if you do not want to enable public download: do not set the
>     "Production-Ready" flag - then only you as an administrator can download
>     the installers in the "Fine-Tuning" page and distribute to the testers
>     via your own means.
> 
>     Greetings,
> 
>     Stefan Winter
> 
> 
>     -- 
>     Stefan WINTER
>     Ingenieur de Recherche
>     Fondation RESTENA - Réseau Téléinformatique de l'Education Nationale et
>     de la Recherche
>     2, avenue de l'Université
>     L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette
> 
>     Tel: +352 424409 1
>     Fax: +352 422473
> 
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> 
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> 
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-- 
Stefan WINTER
Ingenieur de Recherche
Fondation RESTENA - Réseau Téléinformatique de l'Education Nationale et
de la Recherche
2, avenue de l'Université
L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette

Tel: +352 424409 1
Fax: +352 422473

PGP key updated to 4096 Bit RSA - I will encrypt all mails if the
recipient's key is known to me

http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xC0DE6A358A39DC66

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