Erlang Distribution over TLS — ssl v11.7.3

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# Erlang Distribution over TLS

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This section describes how the Erlang distribution can use TLS to get extra verification and security.

The Erlang distribution can in theory use almost any connection-based protocol as bearer. However, a module that implements the protocol-specific parts of the connection setup is needed. The default distribution module is `inet_tcp_dist` in the Kernel application. When starting an Erlang node distributed, `net_kernel` uses this module to set up listen ports and connections.

In the SSL application, an extra distribution module, `inet_tls_dist`, can be used as an alternative. All distribution connections will use TLS and all participating Erlang nodes in a distributed system must use this distribution module.

The security level depends on the parameters provided to the TLS connection setup. Erlang node cookies are however always used, as they can be used to differentiate between two different Erlang networks.

To set up Erlang distribution over TLS:

- Step 1: Build boot scripts including the SSL application.
- Step 2: Specify the distribution module for `net_kernel`.
- Step 3: Specify the security options and other SSL options.
- Step 4: Set up the environment to always use TLS.

The following sections describe these steps.

## Building Boot Scripts Including the SSL Application

Boot scripts are built using the `systools` utility in the SASL application. For more information on `systools`, see the SASL documentation. This is only an example of what can be done.

The simplest boot script possible includes only the Kernel and STDLIB applications. Such a script is located in the `bin` directory of the Erlang distribution. The source for the script is found under the Erlang installation top directory under `releases/<OTP version>/start_clean.rel`.

Do the following:

- Copy that script to another location (and preferably another name).
- Add the applications Crypto, Public Key, and SSL with their current version numbers after the STDLIB application.

The following shows an example `.rel` file with TLS added:

          {release, {"OTP  APN 181 01","R15A"}, {erts, "5.9"},
          [{kernel,"2.15"},
          {stdlib,"1.18"},
          {crypto, "2.0.3"},
          {public_key, "0.12"},
          {asn1, "4.0"},
          {ssl, "5.0"}
          ]}.

The version numbers differ in your system. Whenever one of the applications included in the script is upgraded, change the script.

Do the following:

- Build the boot script.

  Assuming the `.rel file` is stored in a file `start_ssl.rel` in the current directory, a boot script can be built as follows:

       1> systools:make_script("start_ssl",[]).

There is now a `start_ssl.boot` file in the current directory.

Do the following:

- Test the boot script. To do this, start Erlang with the `-boot` command-line parameter specifying this boot script (with its full path, but without the `.boot` suffix). In UNIX it can look as follows:

    $ erl -boot /home/me/ssl/start_ssl
    Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.0

    Eshell V5.0  (abort with ^G)
    1> whereis(ssl_manager).
    <0.41.0>

The `whereis` function-call verifies that the SSL application is started.

As an alternative to building a bootscript, you can explicitly add the path to the SSL `ebin` directory on the command line. This is done with command-line option `-pa`. This works as the SSL application does not need to be started for the distribution to come up, as a clone of the SSL application is hooked into the Kernel application. So, as long as the SSL application code can be reached, the distribution starts. The `-pa` method is only recommended for testing purposes.

#### Note

The clone of the SSL application must enable the use of the SSL code in such an early bootstage as needed to set up the distribution. However, this makes it impossible to soft upgrade the SSL application.

## Specifying Distribution Module for net_kernel

The distribution module for TLS is named `inet_tls_dist` and is specified on the command line with option `-proto_dist`. The argument to `-proto_dist` is to be the module name without suffix `_dist`. So, this distribution module is specified with `-proto_dist inet_tls` on the command line.

Extending the command line gives the following:

    $ erl -boot /home/me/ssl/start_ssl -proto_dist inet_tls

For the distribution to be started, give the emulator a name as well:

    $ erl -boot /home/me/ssl/start_ssl -proto_dist inet_tls -sname ssl_test
    Erlang (BEAM) emulator version 5.0 [source]

    Eshell V5.0  (abort with ^G)
    (ssl_test@myhost)1>

However, a node started in this way refuses to talk to other nodes, as no TLS parameters are supplied (see the next section).

## Specifying TLS Options

The TLS distribution options can be written into a file that is consulted when the node is started. This file name is then specified with the command line argument `-ssl_dist_optfile`.

Any available TLS option can be specified in an options file.

#### Note

Options that take a `fun()` has to use the syntax `fun Mod:Func/Arity` since a function body cannot be compiled when consulting a file. Also the encoding of the file can be specified as defined by module `epp`.

#### Warning

Do not tamper with the socket options `list`, `binary`, `active`, `packet`, `nodelay` and `deliver` since they are used by the distribution protocol handler itself. Other raw socket options such as `packet_size` may interfere severely, so beware!

For TLS to work, at least a public key and a certificate must be specified for the server side and the client needs to specify CAs that it trusts (client certification is optional and requires more configuration).

In the following example (to keep it simple), the PEM file `"/home/me/ssl/erlserver.pem"` contains both the server certificate and its private key .

Create a file named for example `"/home/me/ssl/ssl_test@myhost.conf"`:

    [{server,
      [{certfile, "/home/me/ssl/erlserver.pem"}]},
     {client,
      [{cacertfile, "/home/me/ssl/client_trusted.pem"}]}].

And then start the node like this (line breaks in the command are for readability, and shall not be there when typed):

    $ erl -boot /home/me/ssl/start_ssl -proto_dist inet_tls
      -ssl_dist_optfile "/home/me/ssl/ssl_test@myhost.conf"
      -sname ssl_test

The options in the `{server, Opts}` tuple are used when calling `ssl:handshake/3`, and the options in the `{client, Opts}` tuple are used when calling `ssl:connect/4`.

For the client, the option `{server_name_indication, atom_to_list(TargetNode)}` is added when connecting. This makes it possible to use the client option `{verify, verify_peer}`, and the client will verify that the certificate matches the node name you are connecting to. This only works if the the server certificate is issued to the name `atom_to_list(TargetNode)`.

For the server it is also possible to use the option `{verify, verify_peer}` and the server will only accept client connections with certificates that are trusted by a root certificate that the server knows. A client that presents an untrusted certificate will be rejected. This option is preferably combined with `{fail_if_no_peer_cert, true}` or a client will still be accepted if it does not present any certificate.

A node started in this way is fully functional, using TLS as the distribution protocol.

## verify_fun Configuration Example

The `verify_fun` option creates a reference to the implementing function since the configuration is evaluated as an Erlang term. In an example file for use with `-ssl_dist_optfile`:

    [{server,[{fail_if_no_peer_cert,true},
              {certfile,"/home/me/ssl/cert.pem"},
              {keyfile,"/home/me/ssl/privkey.pem"},
              {cacertfile,"/home/me/ssl/ca_cert.pem"},
              {verify,verify_peer},
              {verify_fun,{fun mydist:verify/3,"any initial value"}}]},
     {client,[{certfile,"/home/me/ssl/cert.pem"},
              {keyfile,"/home/me/ssl/privkey.pem"},
              {cacertfile,"/home/me/ssl/ca_cert.pem"},
              {verify,verify_peer},
              {verify_fun,{fun mydist:verify/3,"any initial value"}}]}].

`mydist:verify/3` will be called with:

- OtpCert, the other party's certificate PKIX Certificates
- SslStatus, OTP's verification outcome, such as `valid` or a tuple `{bad_cert, unknown_ca}`
- Init will be `"any initial value"`

A pattern for `verify/3` will look like:

    verify(OtpCert, _SslStatus, Init) ->
        IsOk = is_ok(OtpCert, Init),
        NewInitValue = "some new value",
        case IsOk of
           true ->
               {valid, NewInitValue};
           false ->
               {failure, NewInitValue}
        end.

`verify_fun` can accept a `verify/4` function, which will receive:

- OtpCert, the other party's certificate PKIX Certificates
- DerCert, the other party's original DER Encoded certificate
- SslStatus, OTP's verification outcome, such as `valid` or a tuple `{bad_cert, unknown_ca}`
- Init will be `"any initial value"`

The `verify/4` can use the DerCert for atypical workarounds such as handling decoding errors and directly verifying signatures.

For more details see `{verify_fun, Verify}` in common_option_cert

## Using TLS distribution over IPv6

It is possible to use TLS distribution over IPv6 instead of IPv4. To do this, pass the option `-proto_dist inet6_tls` instead of `-proto_dist inet_tls` when starting Erlang, either on the command line or in the `ERL_FLAGS` environment variable.

An example command line with this option would look like this:

    $ erl -boot /home/me/ssl/start_ssl -proto_dist inet6_tls
      -ssl_dist_optfile "/home/me/ssl/ssl_test@myhost.conf"
      -sname ssl_test

A node started in this way will only be able to communicate with other nodes using TLS distribution over IPv6.

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