RE: S/MIME v3.2 IDs key size text

[pgut001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Peter Gutmann)]

"Turner, Sean P." <turners@xxxxxxxx> writes:

>A receiving agent needs to be able to verify signatures whose key length is
>chosen by the signer. For interoperability, a receiving agent MUST be able to
>verify signatures whose key length is 1024 bits or shorter.

[...]

>Receiving agents are only required to validate signatures that are the same
>length as sending agents are required to produce, namely 1024 bits.

Aren't these mutually exclusive?

(The "or shorter" attached to the "1024" is also going to prove problematic
with FIPS-evaluated crypto implementations, since you can't do < 1024 bits for
those).

Peter.