[ntp:questions] Will AutoKey setup work on a NAT host behind a firewall?

Harry simonsharry at gmail.com
Wed Nov 10 11:11:21 UTC 2010


On Nov 10, 2:59 am, "David L. Mills" <mi... at udel.edu> wrote:
> Harry,
>
> Autokey is not designed to work behind NAT boxes. The Autokey server and
> client must have the same (reversed) IP addresses. The intended model is
> using two interfaces, one for the Internet side running Autokey, the
> other for the inside net on the other side of the NAT box.
>
> Dave
>
> Harry wrote:
> >Hello,
>
> >I want to employ the AutoKey method of securing NTP.
>
> >Basically, I want one host that would act as an NTP client of an
> >external NTP server, talking AutoKey. This NTP client is to become the
> >NTP server for other hosts on the intranet. All these hosts are behind
> >a corporate firewall and are very likely using NAT / IP masquerading
> >as well. (I can tell NAT / IP masquerading is in use in our
> >environment because all hosts report the same IP address at
> >http://www.whatismyipaddress.com.)
>
> >I ask this question because I ran into a circa 2004 link (http://
> >www.ecsirt.net/tools/crypto-ntp.html) that says,
> >    Be Aware!
> >    Before we start building ntpd, one important notice:
> >    NTP with Autokey does not work from a host that is behind a
> >masquerading or NAT host!
>
> >Is this a conceptual / fundamental limitation, or something related to
> >NTP version? If latter, I'm hoping that it would probably have been
> >fixed by now.
>
> >If  AutoKey and NAT don't go together conceptually, what would be my
> >next best option of securing NTP? Though MD5 method is there but it is
> >symmetric cryptography and prone to man-in-the-middle attacks... which
> >is why btw I was hoping to be able to employ AutoKey.
>
> >Many thanks,
> >/HS
>
> >_______________________________________________
> >questions mailing list
> >questi... at lists.ntp.org
> >http://lists.ntp.org/listinfo/questions
>
>

Dave, I really appreciate your response to my newbie question.

May I ask (you or other users of this forum)...

1. What, then, would be the next best way (MD5-based symmetric key
mode?) to syncing up a behind-NAT NTP client from an external NTP
server in a tamper-proof manner? I'm not competent/powerful enough to
advise the powers what be in my organization to have an Autokey NTP
client outside our NAT/Firewall; most likely, I'll be told to continue
to operate from behind the NAT/Firewall.

2. What physical/network setup should Autokey-desiring NTP clients
follow? Is it OK, e.g., to have a Autokey client host (AkH) outside
one's NAT network and have all the hosts inside the NAT network use
AkH as a NTP server?


I also skimmed thru your (excellent) book on NTP. I was hoping to find
a mention of NAT in Chapter 9, but didnt. Not complaining, just humbly/
respectfully bringing it up. So, please do elaborate here if you can
on this issue.

Many thanks in advance,
/HS




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