tighten and tidy the changelog; pick a date

Changes in version 0.2.7.2-alpha - 2015-07-2?

Changes in version 0.2.7.2-alpha - 2015-07-27

  This, the second alpha in the Tor 0.2.7 series, has a number of new

  features, including a way to manually pick the number of introduction

  points for hidden services, and the much stronger Ed25519

  signing key algorithm for regular Tor relays (including support for

  encrypted offline identity keys in the new algorithm).

  points for hidden services, and the much stronger Ed25519 signing key

  algorithm for regular Tor relays (including support for encrypted

  offline identity keys in the new algorithm).

  Support for Ed25519 on relays is currently limited to signing router

  descriptors; later alphas in this series will extend Ed25519 key

  o Major features (Hidden services):

    - Add the torrc option HiddenServiceNumIntroductionPoints, to

      specify a fixed number of introduction points. Its maximum value

      is 10 and default is 3. Closes ticket 4862.

      is 10 and default is 3. Using this option can increase a hidden

      service's reliability under load, at the cost of making it more

      visible that the hidden service is facing extra load. Closes

      ticket 4862.

    - Remove the adaptive algorithm for choosing the number of

      introduction points, which tended to leak popularity information

      by changing the number of introduction points depending on the

      number of clients the HS sees. Closes ticket 4862.

      introduction points, which used to change the number of

      introduction points (poorly) depending on the number of

      connections the HS sees. Closes ticket 4862.

  o Major features (onion key cross-certification):

    - Relay descriptors now include signatures of their own identity

      regression detailed in bug 16381). This is a temporary fix since

      we can live with the minor issue in bug 14219 (it just results in

      some load on the network) but the regression of 16381 is too much

      of a setback. First-round fix for bug 16381; bugfix on 0.2.6.3-alpha.

      of a setback. First-round fix for bug 16381; bugfix

      on 0.2.6.3-alpha.

  o Major bugfixes (hidden services):

    - When cannibalizing a circuit for an introduction point, always

    - The HSDir flag given by authorities now requires the Stable flag.

      For the current network, this results in going from 2887 to 2806

      HSDirs. Also, it makes it harder for an attacker to launch a sybil

      attack by raising the effort for a relay to become Stable to require

      at the very least 7 days, while maintaining the 96

      hours uptime requirement for HSDir. Implements ticket 8243.

      attack by raising the effort for a relay to become Stable to

      require at the very least 7 days, while maintaining the 96 hours

      uptime requirement for HSDir. Implements ticket 8243.

  o Minor features (client):

    - Relax the validation of hostnames in SOCKS5 requests, allowing the

  o Removed features:

    - Tor no longer supports copies of OpenSSL that are missing support

      for Elliptic Curve Cryptography. In particular support for at

      least one of P256 or P224 is now required, with manual

      configuration needed if only P224 is available. Resolves

      ticket 16140.

      for Elliptic Curve Cryptography. (We began using ECC when

      available in 0.2.4.8-alpha, for more safe and efficient key

      negotiation.) In particular, support for at least one of P256 or

      P224 is now required, with manual configuration needed if only

      P224 is available. Resolves ticket 16140.

    - Tor no longer supports versions of OpenSSL before 1.0. (If you are

      on an operating system that has not upgraded to OpenSSL 1.0 or

      later, and you compile Tor from source, you will need to install a

      more recent OpenSSL to link Tor against.) Resolves ticket 16034.

      more recent OpenSSL to link Tor against.) These versions of

      OpenSSL are still supported by the OpenSSL, but the numerous

      cryptographic improvements in later OpenSSL releases makes them a

      clear choice. Resolves ticket 16034.

    - Remove the HidServDirectoryV2 option. Now all relays offer to

      store hidden service descriptors. Related to 16543.

    - Remove the VoteOnHidServDirectoriesV2 option, since all

  o Testing:

    - Document use of coverity, clang static analyzer, and clang dynamic

      undefined behavior and address sanitizers in doc/HACKING. Add

      clang dynamic sanitizer blacklist in

      contrib/clang/sanitizer_blacklist.txt to exempt known undefined

      behavior. Include detailed usage instructions in the blacklist.

      Patch by "teor". Closes ticket 15817.

      undefined behavior and address sanitizers in doc/HACKING. Include

      detailed usage instructions in the blacklist. Patch by "teor".

      Closes ticket 15817.

    - The link authentication protocol code now has extensive tests.

    - The relay descriptor signature testing code now has

      extensive tests.