On Mon, May 25, 2015 at 05:31:31PM +0200, DTNX Postmaster wrote:

> Except that the 'tls_medium_cipherlist' setting defaults to 
> 'aNULL:-aNULL:ALL:!EXPORT:!LOW:+RC4:@STRENGTH', and thus leaves 
> anonymous ciphers enabled for your MSA.

Which is a feature, not a bug.

> As well as PSK, DSS, SEED, SRP, 
> and quite a few other ciphers very few people will need for client 
> authentication, making the list of ciphers to exclude longer than an 
> explicit cipherlist.

Which do no harm on the receiving side.  None of PSK, SRP or DSS
are enabled without suitable server key material anyway.  Simplicity
of configuration trumps OCD precision.

> Turning on 'tls_preempt_cipherlist' for that cipherlist means that 
> you're explicitly preferring a chunk of those anonymous ciphers over 
> the better options available. Oh, so add 'aNULL' to the exclusion list 
> as well, right?

No.  If the client sends aDH ciphers in the handshake, let it.  You learn
which clients are not verifying your server certificate:

    https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-dane-smtp-with-dane-17#section-8.2

> Plus the "Wait, is the Postfix 'medium' not the same as the 'MEDIUM' I 
> am reading about in the OpenSSL docs?"

No it is not the same.  It is actually "at least MEDIUM" and thus
includes HIGH.

> It makes verifying which ciphers are actually active on the MSA harder 
> for the average user, because there's no easy way for them to test what 
> they can expect.

It makes it unnecessary for users to obsess over which ciphers they are
using.

> They have to assemble several bits to generate the 
> active list, or test a running configuration to be certain.

None of this is wise or necessary.

> And no, not everyone gives the wrong recommendations ;-)

The wrong advice vastly outnumbers the right and is cargo-culted
by many.

-- 
        Viktor.

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