Overview

DES vs 3DES Key Type Settings

 

DES vs 3DES Key Type Settings

 

In the processes outlined above, what happens if the user principal and

 

the service principal do not use the same key type? The answer is - the

 

process continues as described. Here’s why.

 

There is no step in which the client or the service accepts a message

 

encrypted by the other’s key. The Kerberos Server acts as the only

 

trusted party. Both the client application and the service share a secret

 

with only the server.

 

The authenticator data that must be encrypted or decrypted by both the

 

service and the client is encrypted in session keys. The server sends the

 

required session keys to the client and service in packets that are

 

encrypted with their respective keys. The Kerberos Server determines

 

the strongest encryption allowed for the session key by checking the key

 

type settings for the user and service principals. If both have a 3DES key

 

stored in the database, the session key type that is returned is of type

 

3DES. If only one has a 3DES key and the other has a DES key, then the

 

session key that is returned is of type DES.

 

Note that the server will never return a session key in the service ticket

 

packet that uses stronger encryption than the session key included with

 

a TGT packet. If a user principal has both a 3DES and DES key, and uses

 

the DES key to obtain a TGT - all service tickets obtained using this TGT

 

will contain DES session keys.

 

The krbtgt/<REALM NAME> is the ticket-granting principal. This is

WARNING

 

a reserved principal that is automatically created when a realm

 

is added to the database. The krbtgt/<REALM NAME>principal

 

must be assigned a key type or default keys issued by the

 

Kerberos Server will use the 3DES encryption type.

 

 

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Chapter 1