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iPlanet Directory Server Administrator's Guide



Chapter 11   Managing SSL


To provide secure communications over the network, iPlanet Directory Server includes the LDAPS communications protocol. LDAPS is the standard LDAP protocol, but it runs on top of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

This chapter describes how to use SSL with your Directory Server in the following sections:



Introduction to SSL in the Directory Server

You can use SSL to secure communications between LDAP clients and the Directory Server, or between Directory Servers that are bound by a replication agreement, or between a database link and a remote database. You can use SSL with simple authentication (bind DN and password), or with certificate-based authentication.

Using SSL with simple authentication guarantees confidentiality and data integrity. The benefits of using a certificate to authenticate to the Directory Server instead of a bind DN and password include:

  • Improved efficiency

    When you are using applications that prompt you once for your certificate database password, and then use that certificate for all subsequent bind or authentication operations, it is more efficient than continuously providing a bind DN and password.

  • Improved security

    The use of certificate-based authentication is more secure than non-certificate bind operations. This is because certificate-based authentication uses public-key cryptography. As a result, bind credentials cannot be intercepted across the network.

Directory Server is capable of simultaneous SSL and non-SSL communications. This means that you do not have to choose between SSL or non-SSL communications for your Directory Server; you can use both at the same time.


Note If you are running Directory Server on a UNIX platform, enabling SSL will also enable support the the StartTLS extended operation. The StartTLS extended operation provides security on a regular LDAP connection.



Enabling SSL: Summary of Steps

To use LDAPS, you must do the following:

  1. Obtain and install a certificate for your Directory Server, and configure the Directory Server to trust the certification authority's certificate.

    For information, see "Obtaining and Installing Server Certificates".

  2. Turn on SSL in your directory.

    For information, see "Activating SSL".

  3. Configure the administration server to connect to an SSL-enabled Directory Server.

    For information, see Managing Servers with iPlanet Console.

  4. Optionally, ensure that each user of the Directory Server obtains and installs a personal certificate for all clients that will authenticate with SSL.

    For information, see "Configuring LDAP Clients to Use SSL".

For a complete description of SSL, internet security, and certificates, see Managing Servers with iPlanet Console.



Obtaining and Installing Server Certificates


This section describes the process of creating a certificate database, obtaining and installing a certificate for use with your Directory Server, and configuring Directory Server to trust the certification authority's (CA) certificate.

This process is a necessary first step before you can turn on SSL in your directory. If you have already completed these tasks, see "Activating SSL".

Obtaining and installing certificates consists of the following steps:

You will use the Certificate Request Wizard to generate a certificate request (Step 1) and send it to a Certificate Authority (Step 2). You then use the Certificate Install Wizard to install the certificate (Step 3), and to trust the Certificate Authority's certificate (Step 4).

These wizards automate the process of creating a certificate database, and of installing the key-pair.


Step 1: Generate a Certificate Request

To generate a certificate request and send it to a CA:

  1. On the Directory Server Console, select the Tasks tab and click Manage Certificates.

    The Manage Certificates window is displayed.

  2. Select the Server Certs tab, and click the Request button.

    The Certificate Request Wizard is displayed.

  3. Click Next.

  4. Enter the Requestor Information in the blank text fields, then click Next.

    Enter the following information:

    Server Name. Enter the fully qualified hostname of the Directory Server as it is used in DNS lookups, for example, dir.siroe.com.

    Organization. Enter the legal name of your company or institution. Most CAs require you to verify this information with legal documents such as a copy of a business license.

    Organizational Unit. (Optional). Enter a descriptive name for your organization within your company.

    Locality. (Optional). Enter your company's city name.

    State or Province. Enter the full name of your company's state or province (no abbreviations).

    Country. Select the two-character abbreviation for your country's name (ISO format). The country code for the United States is US. The iPlanet Directory Server Schema Reference contains a complete list of ISO Country Codes.

  5. Enter the password that will be used to protect the private key, and click Next.

    The Next field is greyed out until you supply a password. When you click Next, the Request Submission dialog box is displayed.

  6. Select Copy to Clipboard or Save to File to save the certificate request information that you must send to the Certificate Authority.

  7. Click Done to dismiss the Certificate Request Wizard.

Once you have generated the request, you are ready to send it to the CA.


Step 2: Send the Certificate Request

Follow these steps to send the certificate information to the CA:

  1. Use your email program to create a new email message.

  2. Copy the certificate request information from the clipboard or the saved file into the body of the message.

    The content will look similar to the following example:

    -----BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
    MIIBrjCCARcCAQAwbjELMAkGA1UEBhMCVXMxEzARBgNVBAgTCkNBTElGT1JOSUExLD
    AqBgVBAoTI25ldHNjYXBlIGNvbW11bmljYXRpb25zIGNvcnBvcmF0aW9uMRwwGgYDV
    QQDExNtZWxsb24ubmV0c2NhcGUuY29tMIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQK
    BgQCwAbskGh6SKYOgHy+UCSLnm3ok3X3u83Us7ug0EfgSLR0f+K41eNqqWRftGR83e
    mqPLDOf0ZLTLjVGJaH4Jn4l1gG+JDf/n/zMyahxtV7+mT8GOFFigFfuxJaxMjr2j7I
    vELlxQ4IfZgWwqCm4qQecv3G+N9YdbjveMVXW0v4XwIDAQABoAAwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQ
    EEBQADgYEAZyZAm8UmP9PQYwNy4Pmypk79t2nvzKbwKVb97G+MT/gw1pLRsI1uBoKi
    nMfLgKp1Q38K5Py2VGW1E47K7/rhm3yVQrIiwV+Z8Lcc=
    -----END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----

  3. Send the email message to the CA.

Once you have emailed your request, you must wait for the CA to respond with your certificate. Response time for your request varies. For example, if your CA is internal to your company, it may only take a day or two to respond to your request. If your selected CA is external to your company, it could take several weeks to respond to your request.

When the CA sends a response, be sure to save the information in a text file. You will need the data when you install the certificate.

You should also back up the certificate data in a safe location. If your system ever loses the certificate data, you can reinstall the certificate using your backup file.

Once you receive your certificate, you are ready to install it in your server's certificate database.


Step 3: Install the Certificate

To install a server certificate:

  1. On the Directory Server Console, select the Tasks tab and click Manage Certificates.

    The Manage Certificates window is displayed.

  2. Select the Server Certs tab, and click Install.

    The Certificate Install Wizard is displayed.

  3. Choose one of the following options for the certificate location, then click Next.

    In this file.Enter the absolute path to the certificate in this field.

    In the following encoded text block. Copy the text from the CAs email or from the text file you created and paste it in this field. For example:

    -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
    MIICMjCCAZugAwIBAgICCEEwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEFBQAwfDELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMx
    IzAhBgNVBAoTGlBhbG9va2FWaWxsZSBXaWRnZXRzLCBJbmMuMR0wGwYDVQQLExRX
    aWRnZXQgTWFrZXJzICdSJyBVczEpMCcGA1UEAxMgVGVzdCBUZXN0IFRlc3QgVGVz
    dCBUZXN0IFRlc3QgQ0EwHhcNOTgwMzEyMDIzMzU3WhcNOTgwMzI2MDIzMzU3WjBP
    MQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzEoMCYGA1UEChMfTmV0c2NhcGUgRGlyZWN0b3J5IFB1Ymxp
    Y2F0aW9uczEWMBQGA1UEAxMNZHVgh49dq2itLmNvbTBaMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUA
    A0kAMEYCQQCksMR/aLGdfp4m0OiGcgijG5KgOsyRNvwGYW7kfW+8mmijDtZRjYNj
    jcgpF3VnlsbxbclX9LVjjNLC57u37XZdAgEDozYwNDARBglghkgBhvhCAQEEBAMC
    APAwHwYDVR0jBBgwFoAU67URjwCaGqZuUpSpdLxlzweJKiMwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEF
    BQADgYEAJ+BVem3vBOP/BveNdLGfjlb9hucgmaMcQa98A/db8qimKT/ue9UGOJqL
    bwbMKBBopsD56p2yV3PLJIsBgrcuSoBCuFFnxBnqSiTS/7YiYgCWqWaUAExJFmD6
    6hBLseqkSWulk+hXHN7L/NrViO+7zNtKcaZLlFPf7d7j2MgX4Bo=
    -----END CERTIFICATE-----

  4. Check that the certificate information displayed is correct, and click Next.

  5. Specify a name for the certificate, and click Next.

  6. Verify the certificate by providing the password that protects the private key.

    This password is the same as the one you provided in "Step 1: Generate a Certificate Request".

Now that you have installed your certificate, you need to configure your server to trust the Certificate Authority from which you obtained the server's certificate.


Step 4: Trust the Certificate Authority

Configuring your Directory Server to trust the certificate authority consists of obtaining your CA's certificate and installing it into your server's certificate database. This process differs depending on the certificate authority you use. Some commercial CAs provide a website that allows you to automatically download the certificate. Others will email it to you upon request.

Once you have the CA certificate, you can use the Certificate Install Wizard to configure the Directory Server to trust the Certificate Authority.

  1. On the Directory Server Console, select the Tasks tab and click Manage Certificates.

    The Manage Certificates window is displayed.

  2. Go to the CA Certs tab, and click Install.

    The Certificate Install Wizard is displayed.

  3. If you saved the CA's certificate to a file, enter the path in the field provided. If you received the CA's certificate via email, copy and paste the certificate including the headers into the text field provided. Click Next.

  4. Check that the certificate information that is displayed is correct, and click Next.

  5. Specify a name for the certificate, and click Next.

  6. Select the purpose of trusting this Certificate Authority (you can select both):

    Accepting connections from clients (Client Authentication). The server checks that the client's certificate has been issued by a trusted Certificate Authority.

    Accepting connections to other servers (Server Authentication). This server checks that the directory to which it is making a connection (for example, for replication updates) has a certificate that has been issued by a trusted Certificate Authority.

  7. Click Done to dismiss the wizard.

Once you have installed your certificate and trusted the CA's certificate, you are ready to activate SSL. However, you should first make sure that the certificates have been installed correctly.


Step 5: Confirm That Your New Certificates Are Installed

  1. On the Directory Server Console, select the Tasks tab and click Manage Certificates.

    The Manage Certificates window is displayed.

  2. Select the Server Certs tab.

    A list of all the installed certificates for the server is displayed.

  3. Scroll through the list. You should find the certificates you installed.

    Your server is now ready for SSL activation.



Activating SSL

Most of the time, you want your server to run with SSL enabled. If you temporarily disable SSL, make sure you re-enable it before processing transactions that require confidentiality, authentication, or data integrity.

Before you can activate SSL, you must create a certificate database, obtain and install a server certificate and trust the CA's certificate as described in "Obtaining and Installing Server Certificates".

To activate SSL communications:

  1. Set the secure port you want the server to use for SSL communications. See "Changing Directory Server Port Numbers" for information.

    The encrypted port number that you specify must not be the same port number you use for normal LDAP communications. By default, the standard port number is 389 and the secure port is 636.

  2. On the Directory Server Console, select the Configuration tab and then select the topmost entry in the navigation tree in the left pane.

  3. Select the Encryption tab in the right pane.

    The tab displays the current server encryption settings.

  4. Indicate that you want encryption enabled by selecting the "Enable SSL for this Server" checkbox.

  5. Check the "Use this Cipher Family" checkbox.

  6. Select the certificate that you want to use from the drop-down menu.

  7. Click Cipher Settings .

    The Cipher Preference dialog box is displayed.

  8. Select the checkbox next to the cipher you want to use, and click OK to dismiss the Cipher Preference dialog box.

    For more information about specific ciphers, see "Setting Security Preferences".

  9. Set your preferences for client authentication.

    Do not allow client authentication. With this option, the server will ignore the client's certificate. This does not mean that the bind will fail.

    Allow client authentication. This is the default setting. With this option, authentication is performed on the client's request. For more information about certificate-based authentication, see ""Using Certificate-Based Authentication".

    Require client authentication. With this option, the server requests authentication from the client.


    Note If you are using certificate-based authentication with replication, then you must configure the consumer server to either allow or require client authentication.


  10. If you want iPlanet Console to use SSL during communications with Directory Server, select Use SSL in iPlanet Console.

  11. Click Save.

  12. Restart the Directory Server.

    See "Starting the Server with SSL Enabled" for more information.



Setting Security Preferences

You can choose the type of ciphers you want to use for SSL communications. A cipher is the algorithm used in encryption. Some ciphers are more secure or stronger than others. Generally speaking, the more bits a cipher uses during encryption, the more difficult it is to decrypt the key. For a more complete discussion of algorithms and their strength, see Managing Servers with iPlanet Console.

When a client initiates an SSL connection with a server, the client tells the server what ciphers it prefers to use to encrypt information. In any two-way encryption process, both parties must use the same ciphers. There are a number of ciphers available. Your server needs to be able to use the ciphers that will be used by client applications connecting to the server.

iPlanet Directory Server provides the following SSL 3.0 ciphers:

  • RC4 cipher with 40-bit encryption and MD5 message authentication.

  • RC2 cipher with 40-bit encryption and MD5 message authentication.

  • No encryption, only MD5 message authentication.

  • DES with 56-bit encryption and SHA message authentication.

  • RC4 cipher with 128-bit encryption and MD5 message authentication.

  • Triple DES with 168-bit encryption and SHA message authentication.

  • FIPS DES with 56-bit encryption and SHA message authentication. This cipher meets the FIPS 140-1 U.S. government standard for implementations of cryptographic modules.

  • FIPS Triple DES with 168-bit encryption and SHA message authentication. This cipher meets the FIPS 140-1 US government standard for implementations of cryptographic modules.

To select the ciphers you want the server to use:

  1. Make sure SSL is enabled for your server.

    For information, see "Activating SSL".

  2. On the Directory Server Console, select the Configuration tab and then select the topmost entry in the navigation tree in the left pane.

  3. Select the Encryption tab in the right pane.

    This displays the current server encryption settings.

  4. Click Cipher Settings.

    The Cipher Preference dialog box is displayed.

  5. In theCipher Preference dialog box, specify which ciphers you want your server to use by selecting them from the list, and click OK.

    Unless you have a security reason to not use a specific cipher, you should select all of the ciphers, except for none,MD5.

  6. On the Encryption tab, click Save.


    Caution

    		Avoid selecting the none,MD5 cipher because the server will use this option if no other ciphers are available on the client. It is not secure because encryption doesn't occur.


In order to continue using the iPlanet Console with SSL, you must select at least one of the following ciphers:

  • RC4 cipher with 40-bit encryption and MD5 message authentication.

  • No encryption, only MD5 message authentication.

  • DES with 56-bit encryption and SHA message authentication.

  • RC4 cipher with 128-bit encryption and MD5 message authentication.

  • Triple DES with 168-bit encryption and SHA message authentication.



Using Certificate-Based Authentication

Directory Server allows you to use certificate-based authentication for the command-line tools (which are LDAP clients) and for replication communications. Certificate-based authentication can occur between:

  • An LDAP client connecting to the Directory Server

  • A Directory Server connecting to another Directory Server (replication or chaining)


Setting up Certificate-Based Authentication

To set up certificate-based authentication, you must:

  1. Create a certificate database for the client and the server, or for both servers involved in replication.

    On the Directory Server, the certificate database creation automatically takes place when you install a certificate. For information on creating a certificate database for a client, see "Configuring LDAP Clients to Use SSL".

  2. Obtain and install a certificate on both the client and the server, or on both servers involved in replication.

  3. Enable SSL on the server, or on both servers involved in replication.

    For information on enabling SSL, refer to "Activating SSL".


    Note If iPlanet Console connects to Directory Server over SSL, selecting "Require client authentication" disables communication. This is because although iPlanet Console supports SSL, it does not have a certificate to use for client authentication.


  4. Map the certificate's distinguished name to a distinguished name known by your directory.

    This allows you to set access control for the client when it binds using this certificate. This mapping process is described in Managing Servers with iPlanet Console.


Allowing/Requiring Client Authentication

If you have configured iPlanet Console to connect to your Directory Server using SSL and your Directory Server requires client authentication, you can no longer use iPlanet Console to manage any of your iPlanet servers. You will have to use the appropriate command-line utilities instead.

However, if at a later date you wish to change your directory configuration to no longer require but allow client authentication, so that you can use iPlanet Console, you must follow these steps:

  1. Stop Directory Server.

    For information on stopping and starting the server from the command line, see "Starting/Stopping the Server From the Command Line".

  2. Modify the cn=encryption,cn=config entry by changing the value of the nsSSLClientAuth attribute from required to allowed.

    For information on modifying entries from the command line, see Chapter 2 "Creating Directory Entries."

  3. Start Directory Server.

    You can now start iPlanet Console.



Configuring LDAP Clients to Use SSL

If you want all the users of your Directory Server to use SSL or certificate-based authentication when they connect using LDAP client applications, you must make sure they perform the following tasks:

  • Create a certificate database.

  • Trust the Certificate Authority (CA) that issues the server certificate.

These operations are sufficient if you want to ensure that LDAP clients recognize the server's certificate. However, if you also want LDAP clients to use their own certificate to authenticate to the directory, make sure that all your directory users obtain and install a personal certificate.


Note Some client applications do not verify that the server has a trusted certificate.


The following procedure describes how to use Netscape Communicator 4.7 to perform these tasks.

  1. To create a certificate, it is sufficient to start Netscape Communicator 4.7.

    If it does not already exist, the certificate database will be created.

  2. Use Communicator to connect to your Certificate Authority.

    If you are using an internally deployed iPlanet Certificate Server, you will go to a URL of the form:

    https://hostname:444

    Some Certificate Authorities provide a link that allows you to download the CA's certificate.

  3. Trust the Certificate Authority.

    This task differs depending on the CA. In some cases, such as if you are connecting to a iPlanet Certificate Server, Communicator will automatically prompt you to see if you want to trust the CA.

These steps are sufficient to ensure that your client applications will accept connections to take place with the Directory Server, because the clients recognize that the Directory Server's certificate has been issued by a trusted CA.

However, if you also want the Directory Server to authenticate clients using the clients' certificate, you must perform the following additional steps:

  1. On the client system, obtain a client certificate from the CA.

  2. On your client system, install your client certificate.

    Regardless of how you receive your certificate (either in email or on a web page), there should be a link that you click to install the certificate. Click it and step through the dialog boxes that Communicator presents to you.

    Make sure you record the certificate information that is sent to you in a file. In particular, you must know the subject DN of the certificate because you must configure the server to map it to an entry in the directory. Your client certificate will be similar to:

    -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
    MIICMjCCAZugAwIBAgICCEEwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEFBQAwfDELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMx
    IzAhBgNVBAoTGlBhbG9va2FWaWxsZSBXaWRnZXRzLCBJbmMuMR0wGwYDVQQLExRX
    aWRnZXQgTWFrZXJzICdSJyBVczEpMCcGA1UEAxMgVGVzdCBUZXN0IFRlc3QgVGVz
    dCBUZXN0IFRlc3QgQ0EwHhcNOTgwMzEyMDIzMzU3WhcNOTgwMzI2MDIzMzU3WjBP
    MQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzEoMCYGA1UEChMfTmV0c2NhcGUgRGlyZWN0b3J5IFB1Ymxp
    Y2F0aW9uczEWMBQGA1UEAxMNZHVgh49dq2itLmNvbTBaMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUA
    A0kAMEYCQQCksMR/aLGdfp4m0OiGcgijG5KgOsyRNvwGYW7kfW+8mmijDtZRjYNj
    jcgpF3VnlsbxbclX9LVjjNLC57u37XZdAgEDozYwNDARBglghkgBhvhCAQEEBAMC
    APAwHwYDVR0jBBgwFoAU67URjwCaGqZuUpSpdLxlzweJKiMwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEF
    BQADgYEAJ+BVem3vBOP/BveNdLGfjlb9hucgmaMcQa98A/db8qimKT/ue9UGOJqL
    bwbMKBBopsD56p2yV3PLJIsBgrcuSoBCuFFnxBnqSiTS/7YiYgCWqWaUAExJFmD6
    6hBLseqkSWulk+hXHN7L/NrViO+7zNtKcaZLlFPf7d7j2MgX4Bo=
    -----END CERTIFICATE-----

  3. You must convert the client certificate into binary format using the certutil utility. To do this:

    1. Download the certutil utility from http://www.iplanet.com.

      On the iPlanet home page, search for certutil. Download the most recent PKCS package. It will contain the certutil utility.

    2. Run certutil as follows:

      certutil -L -d cert7.db_path -n user_cert_name -r > user_cert.bin

      where cert7.db_path is the location of your certificate database, user_cert_name is the name you gave to your certificate when you installed it, and user_cert.bin is the name you must specify for the output file that will contain the binary certificate.

  4. On the server, map the subject DN of the certificate that you obtained to the appropriate directory entry by editing the certmap.conf file.

    This procedure is described in Managing Servers with iPlanet Console. Make sure that the verifyCert parameter is set to on in the certmap.conf file.


    Note Note that if this parameter is not set to on, Directory Server simply searches for an entry in the directory that matches the information in the certmap.conf file. If the search is successful, it grants access without actually checking the value of the userCertificate attribute.


  5. On the Directory Server, you must modify the directory entry for the user who owns the client certificate to add the userCertificate attribute.

    1. Select the Directory tab, and navigate to the user entry.

    2. Double click the user entry, and use the Property Editory to add the userCertificate attribute, with the binary subtype.

      When you add this attribute, instead of an editable field, the server provides a Set Value button.

    3. Click Set Value.

      A file selector is displayed. Use it to select the binary file you created in Step 6.

    For information on using the Directory Server Console to edit entries, refer to "Modifying Directory Entries".

You can now use SSL with your LDAP clients. For information on how to use SSL with ldapmodify, ldapdelete and ldapsearch, refer to iPlanet Directory Server Configuration, Command, and File Reference.


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Last Updated March 23, 2001