remote attestation

The term "measured component" refers to an object within the attester's target environment whose state can be sampled and typically digested using a cryptographic hash function. Examples of measured components include firmware stored in flash memory, software loaded into memory at start time, data stored in a file system, or values in a CPU register. This document provides the information model for the measured component and two associated data models. This separation is intentional: The JSON and Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR) serializations, coupled with the media types and associated Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) Content-Formats, enable the immediate use of the semantics within the Entity Attestation Token (EAT) framework. Meanwhile, the information model can be reused in future specifications to provide additional serializations, for example, using ASN.1.

The conceptual messages introduced by the Remote ATtestation procedureS (RATS) architecture (RFC 9334) are protocol-agnostic data units that are conveyed between RATS roles during RATS interactions. Conceptual messages describe the meaning and function of such data units within RATS data flows without specifying a wire format, encoding, transport mechanism, or processing details. The initial set of conceptual messages is defined in Section 8 of RFC 9334 and includes Evidence, Attestation Results, Endorsements, Reference Values, and Appraisal Policies.

This document introduces the Conceptual Message Wrapper (CMW) that provides a common structure to encapsulate these messages. It defines a dedicated Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR) tag, corresponding JSON Web Token (JWT) and CBOR Web Token (CWT) claims, and an X.509 extension.

Together, these mechanisms allow CMWs to be used in CBOR-based protocols, web APIs using JWTs and CWTs, and PKIX artifacts such as X.509 certificates. Additionally, this document defines media types and CoAP Content-Formats that may be used to identify CMWs when transported over protocols such as HTTP, MIME, and CoAP.

The goal is to improve the interoperability and flexibility of remote attestation protocols. Introducing a shared message format such as CMW enables consistent support for different attestation message types, enables the evolution of message serialization formats without breaking compatibility, and avoids the need to redefine how messages are handled within each protocol.

Arm's Platform Security Architecture (PSA) is a family of hardware and firmware security specifications, along with open-source reference implementations, aimed at helping device makers and chip manufacturers integrate best-practice security into their products. Devices that comply with PSA can generate attestation tokens as described in this document, which serve as the foundation for various protocols, including secure provisioning and network access control. This document specifies the structure and semantics of the PSA attestation token.

The PSA attestation token is a profile of the Entity Attestation Token (EAT). This specification describes the claims used in an attestation token generated by PSA-compliant systems, how these claims are serialized for transmission, and how they are cryptographically protected.

This Informational document is published as an Independent Submission to improve interoperability with Arm's architecture. It is not a standard nor a product of the IETF.

This document defines the Unprotected CWT Claims Set (UCCS), a data format for representing a CBOR Web Token (CWT) Claims Set without protecting it by a signature, Message Authentication Code (MAC), or encryption. UCCS enables the use of CWT claims in environments where protection is provided by other means, such as secure communication channels or trusted execution environments. This specification defines a CBOR tag for UCCS and describes the UCCS format, its encoding, and its processing considerations. It also discusses security implications of using unprotected claims sets.

The payloads used in Remote ATtestation procedureS (RATS) may require an associated media type for their conveyance, for example, when the payloads are used in RESTful APIs.

This memo defines media types to be used for Entity Attestation Tokens (EATs).

An Entity Attestation Token (EAT) provides an attested claims set that describes the state and characteristics of an entity, a device such as a smartphone, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, network equipment, or such. This claims set is used by a relying party, server, or service to determine the type and degree of trust placed in the entity.

An EAT is either a CBOR Web Token (CWT) or a JSON Web Token (JWT) with attestation-oriented claims.

This document describes a workflow for remote attestation of the integrity of firmware and software installed on network devices that contain Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs), as defined by the Trusted Computing Group (TCG), or equivalent hardware implementations that include the protected capabilities, as provided by TPMs.

This document defines the YANG Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) and configuration nodes that are required to retrieve attestation evidence about integrity measurements from a device, following the operational context defined in RFC 9683 "TPM-based Network Device Remote Integrity Verification". Complementary measurement logs originating from one or more Roots of Trust for Measurement (RTMs) are also provided by the YANG RPCs. The defined module requires the inclusion of the following in the device components of the composite device on which the YANG server is running: at least one Trusted Platform Module (TPM) of either version 1.2 or 2.0 as well as a corresponding TPM Software Stack (TSS), or an equivalent hardware implementation that includes the protected capabilities as provided by TPMs as well as a corresponding software stack.

In network protocol exchanges, it is often useful for one end of a communication to know whether the other end is in an intended operating state. This document provides an architectural overview of the entities involved that make such tests possible through the process of generating, conveying, and evaluating evidentiary Claims. It provides a model that is neutral toward processor architectures, the content of Claims, and protocols.