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0 pointsandrewstuart28y ago0 comments

The expiration date is the fallback if you don't have confirmation from the timestamp server that it was signed prior to expiration.

Ideally it's not used except by the timestamp service, but it seems like a fairly reasonable fallback.

0 comments

wtallis8y ago

> The expiration date is the fallback if you don't have confirmation from the timestamp server that it was signed prior to expiration.

The fact that the driver was installed locally before the expiration should be taken as proof that the driver was signed before expiration.

slededit8y ago

Then you would need an internet connection just to install a driver. It would make getting your network driver installed pretty difficult.

You could look at the system clock but that was not designed to be secure for this purpose.

wtallis8y ago

> Then you would need an internet connection just to install a driver.

If you think I'm proposing any changes to how drivers are installed, then you have misread me. I'm proposing a change to how already-installed drivers are handled: absent any new information, the code that was trusted yesterday should be trusted today, and be allowed to keep running.

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Retric8y ago

Even then you only need to verify that once and can save a time stamp in case the cert is revoked afterwards. Breaking system that has already been verified is still unjustified.

mattnewton8y ago

Can’t Microsoft give you an error report when they do this, to let you know what you are doing is probably very dumb?

I guess I don’t know the time when Microsoft has their code and heir contact information and is doing some kind of preflight check, or if that ever actually happens, and there are already so many ways to be very dumb with drivers...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

wtallis8y ago

> The expiration date is the fallback if you don't have confirmation from the timestamp server that it was signed prior to expiration.

The fact that the driver was installed locally before the expiration should be taken as proof that the driver was signed before expiration.

slededit8y ago

Then you would need an internet connection just to install a driver. It would make getting your network driver installed pretty difficult.

You could look at the system clock but that was not designed to be secure for this purpose.

wtallis8y ago

> Then you would need an internet connection just to install a driver.

1 more reply

Retric8y ago

Even then you only need to verify that once and can save a time stamp in case the cert is revoked afterwards. Breaking system that has already been verified is still unjustified.

mattnewton8y ago

Can’t Microsoft give you an error report when they do this, to let you know what you are doing is probably very dumb?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse