[cap-talk] Password capabilities ?? (was: Re: Confused Deputies in Capability Systems)

[Jed Donnelley]

At 09:53 AM 2/6/2009, Sandro Magi wrote:
>A password capability is an identity token of sorts,
>in which case you've turned your service into an ACL system with the
>same possibility for confused deputies, and must therefore vet the
>arguments.

I don't understand the above.  You must mean something by "password 
capability" other than what I've understood by that terminology in the past.

What I've meant is:

http://www.webstart.com/jed/papers/Managing-Domains/#s8

I thought that was also modern terminology.  A "password capability" 
is essentially a "Swiss Number" (large unguessable number) associated 
with the address of a server that will service requests when 
presented with such a "Swiss Number".

Password capability systems have appeared in many variations such as 
Monash, Amoeba, and NLTSS, but I believe they all have this basic 
property.  I think of YURLs as password capabilities (as data) also.

Hmmm.  When I look up "web keys" I find things like:

http://www.gadgets2order.com/USB%20Web%20Keys.aspx

https://www.gimmees.com/detail~pNum~3670~pcategory~10~psubcategory~3.asp

etc.  Perhaps that "Web key" expression is too overloaded for use with YURLs?

--Jed  http://www.webstart.com/jed-signature.html