RFC 2818

RFC 2818

RFC 2818 is an informational Request for Comments specifying rules for HTTP over TLS, commonly referenced in discussions of secure web communication and transport-layer security. It outlines name-based and URI-related considerations for HTTPS connections and provides guidance adopted by web servers, clients, and certificate authorities in the context of Internet protocol deployments. The document influenced implementations across browser vendors, server projects, and standards bodies during the early 2000s and beyond.

Background and Purpose

RFC 2818 was published by the Internet Engineering Task Force and addresses how the Hypertext Transfer Protocol should operate when layered over Transport Layer Security. The memo arose amid efforts by the IETF and working groups such as the HTTP Working Group to reconcile operational practices seen in products from vendors like Netscape Communications and Microsoft Corporation with formal specifications, influenced by earlier specifications like RFC 2104 and protocols developed by teams at Bell Labs and MCI Communications. Its purpose was to provide implementers — including developers at Apache Software Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Google LLC, and Oracle Corporation — with pragmatic rules for certificate name matching, host identification, and URI interpretation to promote interoperability across deployments such as the World Wide Web Consortium-hosted implementations and academic projects at institutions like MIT and Stanford University.

Content and Recommendations

RFC 2818 defines how HTTPS URIs should be interpreted by clients and how certificate Common Names and Subject Alternative Names should be matched to hostnames. It recommends that clients perform host identity verification using fields populated by certificate authorities such as VeriSign (later Symantec acquisitions), DigiCert, and regional registrars, and outlines handling of wildcard certificates used by entities like Amazon Web Services and content networks deployed by Akamai Technologies. The document discusses port conventions associated with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and ties to service names listed in registries maintained by organizations like the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority and industry groups such as the Internet Society. RFC 2818 also provides guidance on interpreting IP literals and Internationalized Domain Names as used in deployments by registries like ICANN and regional authorities including RIPE NCC and APNIC.

Security Considerations

RFC 2818 emphasizes the role of certificate path validation and hostname verification in preventing man-in-the-middle attacks, reflecting security principles discussed in advisories from CERT Coordination Center and analyses by cryptographers associated with institutions like RSA Security and research groups at Carnegie Mellon University. It highlights risks tied to misissued certificates as seen in incidents involving organizations such as DigiNotar and operational lapses addressed by oversight from entities like the US-CERT and investigations by committees in legislative bodies including the United States Congress. The memo relates to cryptographic algorithm choices influenced by standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology and work on public-key infrastructure practiced in projects at ITU-T and ENISA.

Implementation and Adoption

Following publication, RFC 2818 was referenced in implementations by browser vendors including Netscape Communications, Microsoft Corporation's Internet Explorer, the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox, and later by Google LLC's Chrome and Apple Inc.'s Safari. Server implementations in Apache HTTP Server, NGINX, and Lighttpd reflected RFC 2818 guidance, while certificate handling was integrated into toolchains like OpenSSL and GnuTLS used by distributions such as Debian and Red Hat, Inc.. The memo influenced certificate policies adopted by commercial certification authorities and the operational practices of content providers like Facebook, Inc., Twitter, Inc., and e-commerce platforms operated by Amazon.com, Inc. and eBay Inc..

Relation to Other Standards

RFC 2818 interacts with numerous contemporaneous and subsequent standards, including RFC 5389, RFC 5246, and predecessor documents around TLS and HTTP such as RFC 2246 and RFC 2068. It complements specifications from the World Wide Web Consortium like HTTP/1.1 and relates to naming and registration frameworks overseen by ICANN, IANA, and national registries such as Nominet and DENIC. The memo also interfaces with public-key infrastructure standards developed by IETF working groups, and with policy standards shaped by organizations such as the CA/Browser Forum and regulatory guidance from European Union entities.

Category:Internet standards