DNSSEC Trust Anchor Publication for the Root Zone

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

The Domain Name System (DNS) is described in [RFC1034] and [RFC1035]. DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) are described in [RFC9364].¶

In the DNSSEC protocol, Resource Record Sets (RRSets) are signed cryptographically. This means that a response to a query contains signatures that allow the integrity and authenticity of the RRSet to be verified. DNSSEC signatures are validated by following a chain of signatures to a "trust anchor". The reason for trusting a trust anchor is outside the DNSSEC protocol, but having one or more trust anchors is required for the DNSSEC protocol to work.¶

The publication of trust anchors for the root zone of the DNS is an IANA function performed by ICANN, through its affiliate Public Technical Identifiers (PTI). A detailed description of corresponding key management practices can be found in [DPS], which can be retrieved from the IANA Repository at <https://www.iana.org/dnssec/>.¶

This document describes the formats and distribution methods of DNSSEC trust anchors that have been used by IANA for the root zone of the DNS since 2010. Other organizations might have different formats and mechanisms for distributing DNSSEC trust anchors for the root zone; however, most operators and software vendors have chosen to rely on the IANA trust anchors.¶

The formats and distribution methods described in this document are a complement to, not a substitute for, the automated DNSSEC trust anchor update protocol described in [RFC5011]. That protocol allows for secure in-band succession of trust anchors when trust has already been established. This document describes one way to establish an initial trust anchor that can be used by RFC 5011.¶

2. IANA DNSSEC Root Zone Trust Anchor Formats and Semantics

IANA publishes trust anchors for the root zone as an XML document that contains the hashes of the DNSKEY records.¶

This format and the semantics associated are described in the rest of this section.¶

datatypes xsd = "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-datatypes"

start = element TrustAnchor {
    attribute id { xsd:string },
    attribute source { xsd:string },
    element Zone { xsd:string },

    keydigest+
}

keydigest = element KeyDigest {
    attribute id { xsd:string },
    attribute validFrom { xsd:dateTime },
    attribute validUntil { xsd:dateTime }?,

    element KeyTag {
            xsd:nonNegativeInteger { maxInclusive = "65535" } },
    element Algorithm {
            xsd:nonNegativeInteger { maxInclusive = "255" } },
    element DigestType {
            xsd:nonNegativeInteger { maxInclusive = "255" } },
    element Digest { xsd:hexBinary },
    element PublicKey { xsd:base64Binary }?
}
                           Figure 1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<TrustAnchor
   id="AD42165F-3B1A-4778-8F42-D34A1D41FD93"
   source="http://data.iana.org/root-anchors/root-anchors.xml">
<Zone>.</Zone>
<KeyDigest id="Kjqmt7v" validFrom="2010-07-15T00:00:00+00:00">
<KeyTag>19036</KeyTag>
<Algorithm>8</Algorithm>
<DigestType>2</DigestType>
<Digest>
49AAC11D7B6F6446702E54A1607371607A1A41855200FD2CE1CDDE32F24E8FB5
</Digest>
<PublicKey>
AwEAAagAIKlVZrpC6Ia7gEzahOR+9W29euxhJhVVLOyQbSEW0O8gcCjF
FVQUTf6v58fLjwBd0YI0EzrAcQqBGCzh/RStIoO8g0NfnfL2MTJRkxoX
bfDaUeVPQuYEhg37NZWAJQ9VnMVDxP/VHL496M/QZxkjf5/Efucp2gaD
X6RS6CXpoY68LsvPVjR0ZSwzz1apAzvN9dlzEheX7ICJBBtuA6G3LQpz
W5hOA2hzCTMjJPJ8LbqF6dsV6DoBQzgul0sGIcGOYl7OyQdXfZ57relS
Qageu+ipAdTTJ25AsRTAoub8ONGcLmqrAmRLKBP1dfwhYB4N7knNnulq
QxA+Uk1ihz0=
</PublicKey>
</KeyDigest>
</TrustAnchor>

. IN DS 19036 8 2
   49AAC11D7B6F6446702E54A1607371607A1A41855200FD2CE1CDDE32F24E8FB5

. IN DNSKEY 257 3 8
   AwEAAagAIKlVZrpC6Ia7gEzahOR+9W29euxhJhVVLOyQbSEW0O8gcCjF
   FVQUTf6v58fLjwBd0YI0EzrAcQqBGCzh/RStIoO8g0NfnfL2MTJRkxoX
   bfDaUeVPQuYEhg37NZWAJQ9VnMVDxP/VHL496M/QZxkjf5/Efucp2gaD
   X6RS6CXpoY68LsvPVjR0ZSwzz1apAzvN9dlzEheX7ICJBBtuA6G3LQpz
   W5hOA2hzCTMjJPJ8LbqF6dsV6DoBQzgul0sGIcGOYl7OyQdXfZ57relS
   Qageu+ipAdTTJ25AsRTAoub8ONGcLmqrAmRLKBP1dfwhYB4N7knNnulq
   QxA+Uk1ihz0=

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!-- Note that these trust anchors are fictitious. -->

<TrustAnchor
    id="AD42165F-B099-4778-8F42-D34A1D41FD93"
    source="http://data.iana.org/root-anchors/root-anchors.xml">
    <Zone>.</Zone>
    <KeyDigest id="42"
               validFrom="2010-07-01T00:00:00-00:00"
               validUntil="2010-08-01T00:00:00-00:00"> <!-- This key
    is no longer valid, since validUntil is in the past -->
        <KeyTag>34291</KeyTag>
        <Algorithm>5</Algorithm>
        <DigestType>1</DigestType>
        <Digest>c8cb3d7fe518835490af8029c23efbce6b6ef3e2</Digest>
    </KeyDigest>
    <KeyDigest id="53"
               validFrom="2010-08-01T00:00:00-00:00">
        <KeyTag>12345</KeyTag>
        <Algorithm>5</Algorithm>
        <DigestType>1</DigestType>
        <Digest>a3cf809dbdbc835716ba22bdc370d2efa50f21c7</Digest>
    </KeyDigest>
</TrustAnchor>

                           Figure 2

3. Root Zone Trust Anchor Retrieval

4. Accepting DNSSEC Trust Anchors

A validator operator can choose whether or not to accept the trust anchors described in this document using whatever policy they want. In order to help validator operators verify the content and origin of trust anchors they receive, IANA uses digital signatures that chain to an ICANN-controlled Certificate Authority (CA) over the trust anchor data.¶

It is important to note that the ICANN CA is not a DNSSEC trust anchor. Instead, it is an optional mechanism for verifying the content and origin of the XML and certificate trust anchors.¶

The content and origin of the XML file can be verified using a digital signature on the file. IANA provides a detached Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) [RFC5652] signature that chains to the ICANN CA with the XML file. The URL for a detached CMS signature for the XML file is <https://data.iana.org/root-anchors/root-anchors.p7s>.¶

Another method IANA uses to help validator operators verify the content and origin of trust anchors they receive is to use the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol for distributing the trust anchors. Currently, the CA used for data.iana.org is well known, that is, one that is a WebTrust-accredited CA. If a system retrieving the trust anchors trusts the CA that IANA uses for the "data.iana.org" web server, HTTPS SHOULD be used instead of HTTP in order to have assurance of data origin.¶

5. Security Considerations

This document describes how DNSSEC trust anchors for the root zone of the DNS are published. Many DNSSEC clients will only configure IANA- issued trust anchors for the DNS root to perform validation. As a consequence, reliable publication of trust anchors is important.¶

This document aims to specify carefully the means by which such trust anchors are published, with the goal of making it easier for those trust anchors to be integrated into user environments.¶

Appendix A. Historical Note

The first KSK for use in the root zone of the DNS was generated at a key ceremony at an ICANN Key Management Facility (KMF) in Culpeper, Virginia, USA on 2010-06-16. This key entered production during a second key ceremony held at an ICANN KMF in El Segundo, California, USA on 2010-07-12. The resulting trust anchor was first published on 2010-07-15.¶

The second KSK for use in the root zone of the DNS was [ MORE GOES HERE ].¶

Appendix B. Acknowledgemwents

Many pioneers paved the way for the deployment of DNSSEC in the root zone of the DNS, and the authors hereby acknowledge their substantial collective contribution.¶

This document incorporates suggestions made by Alfred Hoenes and Russ Housley, whose contributions are appreciated.¶

Authors' Addresses