Re: NSS_NoDB_Init(".") and FIPS mode

Wan-Teh Chang <[email protected]>
Newsgroups gmane.comp.mozilla.crypto
Message-ID <CALTJjxEWXSNKijU5_aj2_BZRJD3SGu6N=mnFDge6XTqzgRZg0Q@mail.gmail.com>
Hi Andrew,

On Fri, Mar 18, 2016 at 9:14 AM, Andrew Cagney <[email protected]> wrote:
> Is it possible to put NSS (softtoken) in FIPS mode (PK11_IsFIPS()) without
> a "modutil -fips true" database?

The standard definition of the NSS FIPS mode requires an NSS database.

The reason is that NSS went for FIPS 140-2 validation at Level 2.
Level 2 requires user authentication. NSS does its own user
authentication (rather than relying on the user authentication of the
operating system, which I think may be allowed by FIPS) and the user
password needs to be stored. (It's actually done by encrypting the NSS
database with the user password.)

> By FIPS mode I guess I really mean confirm that NSS has performed some sort
> of FIPS self-check.

I seem to remember NSS always performs most of the FIPS self tests. I
haven't worked on that part of NSS for several years, so it may have
changed.

Wan-Teh Chang
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