Network Time Protocol: TCP Services: Key Exchange

Last update: July 11, 2025 16:08 UTC (c5b1023d8)

Workgroup:		Internet Engineering Task Force
Internet-Draft:		draft-stenn-ntp-tcp-services-keyexchange-00
Published:    		10 July 2018 
Intended Status:	Standards Track
Expires:		11 January 2019
Author:			H. Stenn, Network Time Foundation
			D. Mills, Network Time Foundation
			P. Prindeville, Network Time Foundation

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1. Requirements Language
• 2. NTP TCP Services: Key Exchange
• 3. IANA Considerations
• 4. Security Considerations
• 5. Normative References
• Authors' addresses

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1. Introduction

The NTP Secure Network Time proposal relies on the secure pre-exchange of information to create and validate NTP MACs,

This secure pre-exchange is performed using NTP TCP Services.

This document describes that protocol.

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1.1. Requirements Language

The key words “MUST”, “MUST NOT”, “REQUIRED”, “SHALL”, “SHALL NOT”, “SHOULD”, “SHOULD NOT”, “RECOMMENDED”, “MAY”, and “OPTIONAL” in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

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2. NTP TCP Services: Key Exchange

To perform the key exchange for Secure Network Time, one side opens a TCP connection to the other host, performs any initial handshake, and SHOULD issue a STARTTLS directive to create a secure channel between the two processes.

Once that has been done, …

RFC 5705

RFC7301

[Show how this works for Client/Server mode]

[Show how this works for symmetric mode]

[Show how this work for manycast/multicast]

[Show how this would work for broadcast mode where the client can open a connection to the server]

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3. IANA Considerations

TBD

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4. Security Considerations

Additional information TBD

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5. Normative References

[RFC2119]

Bradner, S., “Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels”, BCP 14, RFC 2119, DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997, https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119.

[RFC5705]

Rescorla, E., “Keying Material Exporters for Transport Layer Security (TLS)”, RFC 5705, DOI 10.17487/RFC5705, March 2010, https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5705.

[RFC5905]

Mills, D., Martin, J., Ed., Burbank, J., and W. Kasch, “Network Time Protocol Version 4: Protocol and Algorithms Specification”, RFC 5905, DOI 10.17487/RFC5905, June 2010, https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5905.

[RFC5906]

Haberman, B., Ed. and D. Mills, “Network Time Protocol Version 4: Autokey Specification”, RFC 5906, DOI 10.17487/RFC5906, June 2010, https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5906.

[RFC7301]

Friedl, S., Popov, A., Langley, A., and E. Stephan, “Transport Layer Security (TLS) Application-Layer Protocol Negotiation Extension”, RFC 7301, DOI 10.17487/RFC7301, July 2014, https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7301.

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Authors' Addresses

Harlan Stenn

Network Time Foundation

P.O. Box 918

Talent, OR, 97540

United States of America

Email: stenn@nwtime.org

David L. Mills

Network Time Foundation

P.O. Box 918

Talent, OR, 97540

United States of America

Email: mills@udel.edu

Philip Prindeville

Network Time Foundation

P.O. Box 918

Talent, OR, 97540

United States of America

Email: prindeville@ntp.org

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