TLS

Table of contents

1. OQS-OpenSSL
2. OQS-BoringSSL
3. OQS-Engine
4. Demo integrations
   1. Apache httpd
   2. nginx
   3. haproxy
   4. curl
   5. Chromium
   6. (Interoperability) Test server

We’ve integrated liboqs into forks of BoringSSL and OpenSSL to provide prototype post-quantum key exchange and authentication and ciphersuites in the TLS protocol. Researchers looking to try additional post-quantum algorithms can easily add more algorithms that follow the OQS API. You can use our modified implementations to prototype quantum-resistant cryptography in applications that rely on OpenSSL (such as Apache httpd, nginx, haproxy, curl, or OpenVPN) or on BoringSSL (such as Chromium).

An Internet-Draft is available describing how the TLS 1.3 protocol was adapted to include the hybrid PQ key exchange algorithms.

The goal of these integration is to provide easy prototyping of quantum-resistant cryptography and should not be considered “production quality”. Please see more about limitations of our prototype software.

OQS-OpenSSL

Our OpenSSL fork implements post-quantum and hybrid key exchange and post-quantum public key authentication in TLS 1.3, and also supports post-quantum algorithms in X.509 certificate generation and S/MIME / CMS message handling.

See the OQS-OpenSSL README for the list of supported algorithms and usage instructions.

Releases

The OQS-OpenSSL-1.1.1 series provides post-quantum algorithms in TLS 1.3, X.509, and S/MIME and is actively maintained, including regular updates to follow/merge the upstream/main OpenSSL project releases:

• OQS-OpenSSL 1.1.1 snapshot 2021-03 aligned with liboqs 0.5.0 (March 26, 2021) current version
• OQS-OpenSSL 1.1.1 snapshot 2020-08 aligned with liboqs 0.4.0 (August 11, 2020)
• OQS-OpenSSL 1.1.1 snapshot 2020-07 aligned with liboqs 0.3.0 (July 10, 2020)
• OQS-OpenSSL 1.1.1 snapshot 2019-10 aligned with liboqs 0.2.0 (October 8, 2019)
• OQS-OpenSSL 1.1.1 snapshot 2018-11 aligned with liboqs 0.1.0 (November 13, 2018)
• all releases

The OQS-OpenSSL-1.0.2 series provided post-quantum algorithms in TLS 1.2. It is deprecated and no longer maintained. The archived releases are listed below (click on “OQS-OpenSSL 1.0.2 releases” below to see details).

OQS-OpenSSL 1.0.2 releases

• OQS-OpenSSL 1.0.2 snapshot 2019-10 aligned with liboqs 0.2.0 (October 8, 2019)
• OQS-OpenSSL 1.0.2 snapshot 2018-11 aligned with liboqs 0.1.0 (November 13, 2018)
• OQS-OpenSSL 1.0.2 snapshot 2018-05 (May 30, 2018)
• OQS-OpenSSL 1.0.2 snapshot 2018-04 (April 10, 2018)

OQS-BoringSSL

Our BoringSSL fork implements post-quantum and hybrid key exchange and post-quantum public key authentication in TLS 1.3.

See the OQS-BoringSSL README for the list of supported algorithms and usage instructions.

Releases

• OQS-BoringSSL snapshot 2021-03 aligned with liboqs 0.5.0 (March 26, 2021) current version
• OQS-BoringSSL snapshot 2020-08 aligned with liboqs 0.4.0 (August 11, 2020)
• OQS-BoringSSL snapshot 2020-07 aligned with liboqs 0.3.0 (July 10, 2020)

OQS-Engine

oqs-engine is a C-based OpenSSL ENGINE that enables in (vanilla) OpenSSL the use of post-quantum digital signature algorithms from liboqs. Changes and/or additions to the algorithms supported by liboqs will be dynamically reflected in the ENGINE, thereby facilitating the deployment and evaluation of post-quantum digital signature algorithms in contexts where it might be expensive or infeasible to replace OpenSSL wholesale with our corresponding fork.

We are grateful to Senetas for contributing this ENGINE to the OQS project. Hear about Senetas’ work on the ENGINE for OQS in their interview on episode 581 of the Risky Business podcast.

Demo integrations

The easiest way to get started with experimenting with post-quantum cryptography is to use our pre-built Docker images containing post-quantum-enabled versions of the web servers Apache httpd and nginx, the high-availability web proxy haproxy or the command-line web client curl. You can also download a pre-built binary of post-quantum-enabled Chromium.

There also exists a post-quantum-enabled docker image for SSH.

OQS Docker images on Docker Hub

HTTP(s) servers

Using our fork of OpenSSL, we’ve enabled support for post-quantum and hybrid key exchange and authentication in the Apache httpd web server, the nginx web server and the haproxy load balancer. There are links below to instructions on how to use the pre-built Docker images, or you can build your own.

Apache httpd

• Getting and running the pre-built post-quantum enabled Apache httpd demo Docker image
• Building your own Apache httpd demo Docker image

nginx

• Getting and running the pre-built post-quantum enabled nginx demo Docker image
• Building your own nginx demo Docker image

haproxy

• Getting and running the pre-built post-quantum enabled haproxy demo Docker image
• Building your own haproxy demo Docker image

HTTP(s) clients

Using our forks of OpenSSL and BoringSSL, we’ve enabled support for post-quantum and hybrid key exchange and authentication in the curl command-line web client and the Chromium web browser.

curl

• Getting and running the pre-built post-quantum enabled curl demo Docker image
• Building your own curl demo Docker image

Chromium

• Pre-built Chromium binary for Ubuntu 18.04 (64bit x86) (149 MB)
• Building your own Chromium binary (warning: painful!)

(Interoperability) Test server

We’re interested in design and draft standards for hybrid authentication and key exchange as well as interoperability testing with other implementers. As an initial step to facilitate such testing we have set up a first iteration of such a demonstration and interoperability test server. All of the clients above can be used with this test server using the above post-quantum enabled nginx. Any usage and all feedback is very welcome.

Test server

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