serval-dna/doc/REST-API-Keyring.md

Keyring REST API
================
[Serval Project][], February 2016

Introduction
------------

The [Serval Mesh network][] is based on [cryptographic identities][] that can
easily be created by any node at any time.  Each [Serval DNA][] daemon that
runs on a node in the network stores its own identities in the [Keyring][], an
encrypted store protected by passwords, and gives applications access to the
Keyring via the **Keyring REST API** described in this document.  Using this
API, client applications can query, unlock, lock, create, and modify identities
in the keyring.

### Basic concepts

#### Serval ID

Every identity in the [Serval mesh network][] is represented by its **Serval
ID**, (usually abbreviated to [SID][], and formerly known as “Subscriber ID”),
which is a unique 256-bit public key in the [Curve25519][] key space that is
generated from the random *Serval ID secret* when the identity is created.  The
SID is used:

*  as the network address in the [Serval Mesh network][]
*  to identify the senders, recipients and authors of [Rhizome bundles][]
*  to identify the parties in a [MeshMS conversation][]

#### Rhizome Secret

The *Rhizome Secret* is a secret key, separate from the [SID](#serval-id)
secret, that is generated randomly for each new identity, and stored in the
keyring as part of the identity.  The Rhizome Secret is used to securely encode
the [Bundle Secret][] of a bundle into its [manifest][], in the form of the
[Bundle Key][], thus relieving [Rhizome][] applications of the burden of having
to store and protect Bundle Secrets themselves.

#### PIN

When an identity is created, it can optionally be given a PIN (passphrase).  If
the PIN is *empty* then the identity is permanently unlocked (visible).

Identities with a non-empty PIN are stored encrypted in the keyring file.
Inspection of the keyring file will not reveal their presence unless the
correct PIN is supplied, because all unused entries in the keyring file are
filled with pseudo-random content that is indistinguishable from encrypted
identities.

If a PIN is lost and forgotten, then the identity (identities) it unlocks will
remain locked and unusable forever.  There is no “master PIN” or back-door.

#### Identity unlocking

All Keyring API requests can supply a passphrase using the optional **pin**
parameter, which unlocks all keyring identities protected by that password,
prior to performing the request.  Serval DNA caches every password it receives
until the password is revoked using the *lock* request, so once an identity is
unlocked, it remains visible until explicitly locked.

### GET /restful/keyring/identities.json

Returns a list of all currently unlocked identities, in [JSON table][] format.
The table columns are:

*   **sid**: the [SID](#serval-id) of the identity, a string of 64 uppercase
    hex digits
*   **did**: the optional [DID][] (telephone number) of the identity, either
    *null* or a string of five or more digits from the set `123456789#0*`
*   **name**: the optional name of the identity, either *null* or a non-empty
    string of [UTF-8] characters

### GET /restful/keyring/add

Creates a new identity with a random [SID](#serval-id).  If the **pin**
parameter is supplied, then the new identity will be protected by that
password, and the password will be cached by Serval DNA so that the new
identity is unlocked.

### GET /restful/keyring/SID/set

Sets the [DID][] and/or name of the unlocked identity that has the given
[SID](#serval-id).  The following parameters are recognised:

*   **did**: sets the DID (phone number); must be a string of five or more
    digits from the set `123456789#0*`
*   **name**: sets the name; must be non-empty

If there is no unlocked identity with the given SID, this request returns [404
Not Found][404].


-----
**Copyright 2015 Serval Project Inc.**  
![CC-BY-4.0](./cc-by-4.0.png)
Available under the [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence][CC BY 4.0].


[Serval Project]: http://www.servalproject.org/
[CC BY 4.0]: ../LICENSE-DOCUMENTATION.md
[Serval Mesh network]: http://developer.servalproject.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=content:tech:mesh_network
[Serval DNA]: ../README.md
[REST-API]: ./REST-API.md
[Keyring]: http://developer.servalproject.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=content:tech:keyring
[cryptographic identities]: http://developer.servalproject.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=content:tech:security_framework
[Curve25519]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curve25519
[SID]: http://developer.servalproject.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=content:tech:sid
[DID]: http://developer.servalproject.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=content:tech:did
[Rhizome]: ./REST-API-Rhizome.md
[Rhizome bundles]: ./REST-API-Rhizome.md#bundle
[manifest]: ./REST-API-Rhizome.md#manifest
[Bundle Secret]: ./REST-API-Rhizome.md#bundle-secret
[Bundle Key]: ./REST-API-Rhizome.md#bundle-key
[MeshMS conversation]: ./REST-API-MeshMS.md#conversation
[JSON table]: ./REST-API.md#json-table
[200]: ./REST-API.md#200-ok
[201]: ./REST-API.md#201-created
[202]: ./REST-API.md#202-accepted
[400]: ./REST-API.md#400-bad-request
[404]: ./REST-API.md#404-not-found
[419]: ./REST-API.md#419-authentication-timeout
[422]: ./REST-API.md#422-unprocessable-entity
[423]: ./REST-API.md#423-locked
[500]: ./REST-API.md#500-server-error