attempt at footnote with more detail on fingerprint uniqueness. the exact content might need more tweaking.

This commit is contained in:
Heiko Schaefer 2023-11-25 18:38:30 +01:00
parent a431853832
commit 111f6cca41
No known key found for this signature in database
GPG key ID: DAE9A9050FCCF1EB

View file

@ -96,9 +96,11 @@ For example, an OpenPGP version 4 certificate with the fingerprint `B3D2 7B09 FB
Historically, even shorter 32-bit identifiers were used, like this: `2455 4239`, or `0x24554239`. Such identifiers still appear in very old documents about PGP. However, [32-bit identifiers have been long deemed unfit for purpose](https://evil32.com/). At one point, 32-bit identifiers were called "short Key ID," while 64-bit identifiers were referred to as "long Key ID."
```{note}
In practice, the fingerprint of a component key, while not theoretically unique, functions effectively as a unique identifier. The use of a [cryptographic hash algorithm](crypto-hash) in generating fingerprints makes the occurrence of two different component keys with the same fingerprint extremely unlikely.
In practice, the fingerprint of a component key, while not theoretically unique, functions effectively as a unique identifier. The use of a [cryptographic hash algorithm](crypto-hash) in generating fingerprints makes the occurrence of two different component keys with the same fingerprint extremely unlikely[^finger-unique].
```
[^finger-unique]: For both OpenPGP version 6 and version 4, the likelihood of accidental occurrence of duplicate fingerprints is negligible when key material is generated based on an acceptable source of entropy. A separate question is if an attacker can purposely craft a second key with the same fingerprint as a given pre-existing component key. With the current state of the art, this is not possible for OpenPGP version 6 and version 4 keys. However, at the time of this writing, the SHA-1-based fingerprints of OpenPGP version 4 are considered insufficiently strong at protecting against the generation of pairs of key material with the same fingerprint.
### Primary key
The OpenPGP primary key is a component key that serves a distinct, central role in an OpenPGP certificate: