How can one tell what kind of a key one has set up?

[David Shaw]

On Fri, Nov 28, 2003 at 12:47:21PM -0500, gabriel rosenkoetter wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 28, 2003 at 10:58:28AM -0500, David Shaw wrote:
> > Yep, that's an Elgamal sign+encrypt key.  Still, at least you can just
> > revoke the subkey.  You don't have to revoke your entire key.
> 
> Is that really true?
> 
> It doesn't matter that anyone he's sent a signed message too
> theoretically has access to private key data? (Or do I misunderstand
> the attack?)

The attack allows for a signature issued by an Elgamal sign+encrypt
key to be used to reveal the secret key.  For an Elgamal sign+encrypt
primary key, this pretty much means the whole key is compromised from
the start since the self-signatures on that key are of course issued
by itself.  For an Elgamal sign+encrypt subkey, while you still should
revoke it, you at least don't have to revoke the entire key.  Revoking
the subkey is sufficient.

David
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