fast_ipsec(4) - NetBSD Manual Pages

FAST_IPSEC(4)           NetBSD Kernel Interfaces Manual          FAST_IPSEC(4)


NAME

     Fast IPsec -- hardware-accelerated IP Security Protocols


SYNOPSIS

     options FAST_IPSEC
     pseudo-device crypto


DESCRIPTION

     IPsec is a set of protocols, ESP (for Encapsulating Security Payload) AH
     (for Authentication Header), and IPComp (for IP Payload Compression Pro-
     tocol) that provide security services for IP datagrams.  Fast IPsec is an
     implementation of these protocols that uses the opencrypto(9) subsystem
     to carry out cryptographic operations.  This means, in particular, that
     cryptographic hardware devices are employed whenever possible to optimize
     the performance of these protocols.

     In general, the Fast IPsec implementation is intended to be compatible
     with the KAME IPsec implementation.  This documentation concentrates on
     differences from that software.  The user should refer to ipsec(4) for
     basic information on setting up and using these protocols.

     System configuration requires the opencrypto(9) subsystem.  When the Fast
     IPsec protocols are configured for use, all protocols are included in the
     system.  To selectively enable/disable protocols, use sysctl(8).


DIAGNOSTICS

     To be added.


SEE ALSO

     ipsec(4), setkey(8), sysctl(8), opencrypto(9)


HISTORY

     The protocols draw heavily on the OpenBSD implementation of the IPsec
     protocols.  The policy management code is derived from the KAME implemen-
     tation found in their IPsec protocols.  The Fast IPsec protocols are
     based on code which appeared in FreeBSD 4.7.  The NetBSD version is a
     close copy of the FreeBSD original, and first appeared in NetBSD 2.0.


BUGS

     There is presently no support for IPv6.  Configuring Fast IPsec in con-
     junction with INET6 is explictly experimental and unsupported.  At the
     time of writing, combining Fast IPsec and INET6 in a single kernel is
     believed to yield a working IPv6 stack, provided that no IPv6 traffic
     makes any use whatsoever of ipsec(4).  Attempting to send or receive
     ipsec(4) IPv6 traffic to or from such a kernel may trigger kernel panics,
     or may expose the unprotected plaintext of IPv6 traffic which is config-
     ured to be secured via ipsec(4).  Caveat emptor.

     The IPcomp protocol support does not work.

     Certain legacy authentication algorithms are not supported because of
     issues with the opencrypto(9) subsystem.

     This documentation is incomplete.

NetBSD 3.0.1                    April 25, 2004                    NetBSD 3.0.1