[Linux-ha-dev] Heartbeat authentication [was Re: Heartbeat 0.45 experiences]

[Crispin Cowan]

Alan Robertson wrote:

> The authentication was added to prevent an outside computer from being
> accepted as a cluster member by the cluster itself, and thereby obtaining the
> rights and privileges that go with that.  It is believed that it will also
> make it somewhat more difficult for an outside computer to disrupt
> intracluster communications.

Thanks!  That does clarify the intent.


> I haven't been worried about things I didn't create (like old holes).

A very reasonable philosophy for a project who's main aim is not security.  All too
many projects don't even do that :-(

So it's my understanding that the nodes keep sending each other "I know a secret, and
here's a hash of the secret" packets, and the "secret" in question is a key shared
among all the nodes.  There's something interesting going on with the way you're using
crypto hashes, but I haven't thought about it very carefully.

Crispin
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Crispin Cowan, CTO, WireX Communications, Inc.    http://wirex.com
Free Hardened Linux Distribution:                 http://immunix.org