NAME

register − command to register set-top-box identity with signer

SYNOPSIS

­mux/register [ ­signer ]

DESCRIPTION

­Register is intended for use on a set top box (or similar device).  It connects to signer, a machine configured to sign certificates, and obtains an authenticated certificate based on the contents of ­/nvfs/ID (the set top box ID in non-volatile memory).  The certificate is saved in the file ­/nvfs/default for later use.  If no ­signer is named explicitly, the ­$SIGNER named in db(6) is used instead.

There are several phases to obtaining the certificate. 

1.The register command interacts with signer(8) on the signing host to construct the certificate. This certificate is ‘blinded’ by a random bit mask, sent back to ­register which displays it in textual or graphical form to the user. 

2.The user running ­register must use an independent, secure mechanism (for example, an untapped telephone call) to communicate with a human agent at the site acting as signer. That agent runs verify(8) to display the same ‘blinded’ certificate that was shown to register’s user at the client. Once the agent is convinced that the ‘blinded’ certificate has been delivered to the correct party, the agent tells ­verify to accept the identity of the caller. 

3.­Register then connects to the ­countersigner process (see signer(8)) to obtain the bitmask needed to ‘unblind’ the previously received certificate. This step can only validly be performed after the successful completion of ­verify on the ­signer. 

FILES

­/nvfs/ID File emulating set top box-id in ROM. 

­/nvfs/default Repository of authenticated certificate. 

­/services/cs/db
Default definition of ‘signer’ host.

SOURCE

­/appl/mux/register.b

SEE ALSO

db(6), manufacture(8), signer(8)

Plan 9  —  May 18, 2000