[cfarm-users] Is RSA really insecure? (was: account email address)

[Jacob Bachmeyer]

Alexandre Oliva via cfarm-users wrote:
> I had some trouble accessing gcc210 and gcc211, because openssh on my
> end wouldn't allow ssh-rsa host and authorized keys any more.  I've
> (insecurely) sorted that out with:
>
>   PubkeyAcceptedKeyTypes +ssh-rsa
>   HostKeyAlgorithms +ssh-rsa
>
> in the host-specific part of .ssh/config, so the most immediate issue is
> solved.

This is a pet peeve of mine:  unless you have a citation for an actual 
viable attack on RSA as used in SSH, or perhaps on the protocol SSH uses 
for RSA-based authentication, this is *not* insecure at all and those 
changed defaults indicate that either OpenSSH or your distribution is 
doing something stupid.

I will also note that, in light of Snowden's whistleblowing, 
particularly the efforts to weaken cryptographic standards, I find the 
continued campaign against RSA in favor of elliptic curve systems at 
least mildly suspicious.  While I do not have knowledge of an actual 
viable attack on any of the elliptic curve schemes, I do find the 
promise of equivalent security with vastly shorter keys uncomfortably 
close to a "something for nothing" promise.


-- Jacob