2 draft-legg-ldap-acm-admin-03.txt Adacel Technologies
3 Intended Category: Standards Track June 16, 2004
6 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP):
7 Access Control Administration
9 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004). All Rights Reserved.
14 This document is an Internet-Draft and is in full conformance with
15 all provisions of Section 10 of RFC2026.
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36 This Internet-Draft expires on 16 December 2004.
41 This document adapts the X.500 directory administrative model, as it
42 pertains to access control administration, for use by the Lightweight
43 Directory Access Protocol. The administrative model partitions the
44 Directory Information Tree for various aspects of directory data
45 administration, e.g., subschema, access control and collective
46 attributes. This document provides the particular definitions that
47 support access control administration, but does not define a
48 particular access control scheme.
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59 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
60 2. Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
61 3. Access Control Administrative Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
62 4. Access Control Scheme Indication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
63 5. Access Control Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
64 6. Access Control Subentries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
65 7. Applicable Access Control Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
66 8. Security Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
67 9. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
68 10. IANA Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
69 11. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
70 11.1. Normative References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
71 11.2. Informative References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
72 Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
73 Full Copyright Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
77 This document adapts the X.500 directory administrative model [X501],
78 as it pertains to access control administration, for use by the
79 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) [RFC3377].
81 The administrative model [ADMIN] partitions the Directory Information
82 Tree (DIT) for various aspects of directory data administration,
83 e.g., subschema, access control and collective attributes. The parts
84 of the administrative model that apply to every aspect of directory
85 data administration are described in [ADMIN]. This document
86 describes the administrative framework for access control.
88 An access control scheme describes the means by which access to
89 directory information, and potentially to access rights themselves,
90 may be controlled. This document describes the framework for
91 employing access control schemes but does not define a particular
92 access control scheme. Two access control schemes known as Basic
93 Access Control and Simplified Access Control are defined by [BAC].
94 Other access control schemes may be defined by other documents.
96 This document is derived from, and duplicates substantial portions
97 of, Sections 4 and 8 of X.501 [X501].
101 The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
102 "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
103 document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14, RFC 2119
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113 Schema definitions are provided using LDAP description formats
114 [RFC2252]. Note that the LDAP descriptions have been rendered with
115 additional white-space and line breaks for the sake of readability.
117 3. Access Control Administrative Areas
119 The specific administrative area [ADMIN] for access control is termed
120 an Access Control Specific Area (ACSA). The root of the ACSA is
121 termed an Access Control Specific Point (ACSP) and is represented in
122 the DIT by an administrative entry [ADMIN] which includes
123 accessControlSpecificArea as a value of its administrativeRole
124 operational attribute [SUBENTRY].
126 An ACSA MAY be partitioned into subtrees termed inner administrative
127 areas [ADMIN]. Each such inner area is termed an Access Control
128 Inner Area (ACIA). The root of the ACIA is termed an Access Control
129 Inner Point (ACIP) and is represented in the DIT by an administrative
130 entry which includes accessControlInnerArea as a value of its
131 administrativeRole operational attribute.
133 An administrative entry can never be both an ACSP and an ACIP. The
134 corresponding values can therefore never be present simultaneously in
135 the administrativeRole attribute.
137 Each entry necessarily falls within one and only one ACSA. Each such
138 entry may also fall within one or more ACIAs nested inside the ACSA
139 containing the entry.
141 An ACSP or ACIP has zero, one or more subentries that contain Access
142 Control Information (ACI).
144 4. Access Control Scheme Indication
146 The access control scheme (e.g., Basic Access Control [BAC]) in force
147 in an ACSA is indicated by the accessControlScheme operational
148 attribute contained in the administrative entry for the relevant
151 The LDAP description [RFC2252] for the accessControlScheme
152 operational attribute is:
154 ( 2.5.24.1 NAME 'accessControlScheme'
155 EQUALITY objectIdentifierMatch
156 SYNTAX 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.38
157 SINGLE-VALUE USAGE directoryOperation )
159 An access control scheme conforming to the access control framework
160 described in this document MUST define a distinct OBJECT IDENTIFIER
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169 value to identify it through the accessControlScheme attribute.
170 Object Identifier Descriptors for access control scheme identifiers
171 may be registered with IANA [BCP64].
173 Only administrative entries for ACSPs are permitted to contain an
174 accessControlScheme attribute. If the accessControlScheme attribute
175 is absent from a given ACSP, the access control scheme in force in
176 the corresponding ACSA, and its effect on operations, results and
177 errors, is implementation defined.
179 Any entry or subentry in an ACSA is permitted to contain ACI if and
180 only if such ACI is permitted by, and consistent with, the access
181 control scheme identified by the value of the accessControlScheme
182 attribute of the ACSP.
184 5. Access Control Information
186 There are three categories of Access Control Information (ACI):
187 entry, subentry and prescriptive.
189 Entry ACI applies to only the entry or subentry in which it appears,
190 and the contents thereof. Subject to the access control scheme, any
191 entry or subentry MAY hold entry ACI.
193 Subentry ACI applies to only the subentries of the administrative
194 entry in which it appears. Subject to the access control scheme, any
195 administrative entry, for any aspect of administration, MAY hold
198 Prescriptive ACI applies to all the entries within a subtree or
199 subtree refinement of an administrative area (either an ACSA or an
200 ACIA), as defined by the subtreeSpecification attribute of the
201 subentry in which it appears. Prescriptive ACI is only permitted in
202 subentries of an ACSP or ACIP. Prescriptive ACI in the subentries of
203 a particular administrative point never applies to the same or any
204 other subentry of that administrative point, but does apply to the
205 subentries of subordinate administrative points, where those
206 subentries are within the subtree or subtree refinement.
208 6. Access Control Subentries
210 Each subentry which contains prescriptive ACI MUST have
211 accessControlSubentry as a value of its objectClass attribute. Such
212 a subentry is called an access control subentry.
214 The LDAP description [RFC2252] for the accessControlSubentry
215 auxiliary object class is:
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225 ( 2.5.17.1 NAME 'accessControlSubentry' AUXILIARY )
227 A subentry of this object class MUST contain at least one
228 prescriptive ACI attribute of a type consistent with the value of the
229 accessControlScheme attribute of the corresponding ACSP.
231 The subtree or subtree refinement for an access control subentry is
232 termed a Directory Access Control Domain (DACD). A DACD can contain
233 zero entries, and can encompass entries that have not yet been added
234 to the DIT, but does not extend beyond the scope of the ACSA or ACIA
235 with which it is associated.
237 Since a subtreeSpecification may define a subtree refinement, DACDs
238 within a given ACSA may arbitrarily overlap.
240 7. Applicable Access Control Information
242 Although particular items of ACI may specify attributes or values as
243 the protected items, ACI is logically associated with entries.
245 The ACI that is considered in access control decisions regarding an
248 (1) Entry ACI from that particular entry.
250 (2) Prescriptive ACI from access control subentries whose DACDs
251 contain the entry. Each of these access control subentries is
252 necessarily either a subordinate of the ACSP for the ACSA
253 containing the entry, or a subordinate of the ACIP for an ACIA
254 that contains the entry.
256 The ACI that is considered in access control decisions regarding a
259 (1) Entry ACI from that particular subentry.
261 (2) Prescriptive ACI from access control subentries whose DACDs
262 contain the subentry, excluding those belonging to the same
263 administrative point as the subentry for which the decision is
266 (3) Subentry ACI from the administrative point associated with the
269 8. Security Considerations
271 This document defines a framework for employing an access control
272 scheme, i.e., the means by which access to directory information and
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281 potentially to access rights themselves may be controlled, but does
282 not itself define any particular access control scheme. The degree
283 of protection provided, and any security risks, are determined by the
284 provisions of the access control schemes (defined elsewhere) making
285 use of this framework.
287 Security considerations that apply to directory administration in
288 general [ADMIN] also apply to access control administration.
292 This document is derived from, and duplicates substantial portions
293 of, Sections 4 and 8 of X.501 [X501].
295 10. IANA Considerations
297 The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is requested to update
298 the LDAP descriptors registry [BCP64] as indicated by the following
301 Subject: Request for LDAP Descriptor Registration
302 Descriptor (short name): accessControlScheme
303 Object Identifier: 2.5.24.1
304 Person & email address to contact for further information:
305 Steven Legg <steven.legg@adacel.com.au>
306 Usage: attribute type
307 Specification: RFC XXXX
308 Author/Change Controller: IESG
310 Subject: Request for LDAP Descriptor Registration
311 Descriptor (short name): accessControlSubentry
312 Object Identifier: 2.5.17.1
313 Person & email address to contact for further information:
314 Steven Legg <steven.legg@adacel.com.au>
316 Specification: RFC XXXX
317 Author/Change Controller: IESG
321 11.1. Normative References
323 [RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
324 Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
326 [RFC2252] Wahl, M., Coulbeck, A., Howes, T. and S. Kille,
327 "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (v3): Attribute
328 Syntax Definitions", RFC 2252, December 1997.
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337 [RFC3377] Hodges, J. and R. Morgan, "Lightweight Directory Access
338 Protocol (v3): Technical Specification", RFC 3377,
341 [BCP64] Zeilenga, K., "Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA
342 Considerations for the Lightweight Directory Access
343 Protocol (LDAP)", BCP 64, RFC 3383, September 2002.
345 [SUBENTRY] Zeilenga, K. and S. Legg, "Subentries in the Lightweight
346 Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)", RFC 3672, December
349 [ADMIN] Legg, S., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP):
350 Directory Administrative Model",
351 draft-legg-ldap-admin-xx.txt, a work in progress, June
354 11.2. Informative References
356 [COLLECT] Zeilenga, K., "Collective Attributes in the Lightweight
357 Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)", RFC 3671, December
360 [BAC] Legg, S., "Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP):
361 Basic and Simplified Access Control",
362 draft-legg-ldap-acm-bac-xx.txt, a work in progress, June
365 [X501] ITU-T Recommendation X.501 (02/01) | ISO/IEC 9594-2:2001,
366 Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection -
367 The Directory: Models
372 Adacel Technologies Ltd.
374 Brighton, Victoria 3186
377 Phone: +61 3 8530 7710
379 EMail: steven.legg@adacel.com.au
381 Full Copyright Statement
383 Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004). This document is subject
384 to the rights, licenses and restrictions contained in BCP 78, and
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393 except as set forth therein, the authors retain all their rights.
395 This document and the information contained herein are provided on an
396 "AS IS" basis and THE CONTRIBUTOR, THE ORGANIZATION HE/SHE REPRESENTS
397 OR IS SPONSORED BY (IF ANY), THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET
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399 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE
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429 Section 4 has been extracted to become a separate Internet draft,
430 draft-legg-ldap-admin-00.txt. The subsections of Section 5 have
431 become the new Sections 3 to 7. Editorial changes have been made to
432 accommodate this split. No technical changes have been introduced.
436 RFC 3377 replaces RFC 2251 as the reference for LDAP.
438 An IANA Considerations section has been added.
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449 The document has been reformatted in line with current practice.
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