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Version: 9.2605.x.x RR

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)

To protect against future quantum computing threats, nevisProxy (version 8.2511.2.0 and above) supports Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM) for key exchange and Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA) for certificate signatures.

Frontend Configuration (Client to Proxy)​

Enforcing PQC-safe Key Exchanges​

By default, nevisProxy supports ML-KEM but still allow traditional key exchange methods. To disable non-PQC safe key exchange methods, you have to limit the OpenSSL Curves in navajo.xml within the SSL tag:

<SSL
    ...
    SSLProtocol="-all +TLSv1.3"
>
    <SSLOpenSSLConfCmd value="Curves MLKEM512:MLKEM768:MLKEM1024:X25519MLKEM768:SecP256r1MLKEM768:SecP384r1MLKEM1024"/>
</SSL>

Note that X448MLKEM1024 is currently not supported and will prevent the proxy from starting.

Using ML-DSA Certificate Signatures​

To use post-quantum signatures, you must provide a certificate signed with an ML-DSA algorithm (e.g., ML-DSA-65). Update your <SSL> configuration in navajo.xml to point to these files:

<SSL
    SSLCACertificateFile="/path/to/ca-mldsa87.crt"
    SSLCertificateFile="/path/to/server-mldsa65.crt"
    SSLCertificateKeyFile="/path/to/server-mldsa65.key"
    ...
/>

Backend Configuration​

The communication between nevisProxy and your backend services can also be secured using PQC by configuring the relevant servlets.

Enforcing PQC on Backend Connections​

To ensure that nevisProxy uses post-quantum key exchange when connecting to a backend, add the SSLOpenSSLConfCmd parameter to the servlet configuration in web.xml:

<servlet>
    <servlet-name>PostQuantumBackendServlet</servlet-name>
    <servlet-class>ch::nevis::isiweb4::servlet::connector::http::HttpsConnectorServlet</servlet-class>
    ...
    <init-param>
        <param-name>SSLOpenSSLConfCmd</param-name>
        <param-value>Curves MLKEM512:MLKEM768:MLKEM1024:X25519MLKEM768:SecP256r1MLKEM768:SecP384r1MLKEM1024</param-value>
    </init-param>
</servlet>

To use ML-DSA certificate signatures, you must provide a certificate signed with an ML-DSA algorithm to the servlet.