Brandon McCombs wrote:
Howard Chu wrote:
Brandon McCombs wrote:
I actually read the manpage this time on password-crypt-salt-format but still have some questions. It seems that only one salt format can be
One last question, if a salt is used with MD5 for example, is the password's hash prefixed with {SMD5} or is {MD5} still used?
All these hashes are confusing so I'm trying to get things clear in my head.
No. No salt is used with MD5 or SHA. The salt that is used with SMD5 or SSHA is generated randomly. The password-crypt-salt-format only applies to crypt, just as it's documented.
That doesn't seem to answer all my questions. I realize no salt is used with MD5/SHA , otherwise they would be SMD5 and SSHA. And I realize the salt used is generated randomly. The question is how does a person choose to use a salt or not use a salt if they have no control over what the salt is?
They don't.
What determines whether a salt is applied?
Whether the configured hash uses a salt or not.
If a salt is specified on the conf file then it applies to everyone and no one can choose *not* to use it, is that correct?
You don't specify a salt in the slapd.conf file. You *can* specify a *format* for a salt *for the crypt mechanism* but that's all. If the crypt hash isn't being used, then all of this is irrelevant.
If so then if they want to use MD5 or SMD5, what do they need to do differently for each in order for the password to be stored correctly?
Nothing.
If I'm calculating the hash for them to store the hashed password using an API, then I need to know what I need to do about the salt (so far it seems nothing) but I also need to know whether it even makes sense to give them the option of making salted or unsalted hashes or if the server is going to control all that anyway.
The server controls all of that, you shouldn't be computing any hashes in client side code. The PasswordModify exop takes a plaintext password as input; all hashing is done on the server.