Trust on First Use (TOFU)

For devices running Android 13 or higher, Android supports the Trust on First Use (TOFU) authentication approach (RFC7435), which lets users trust an enterprise (EAP) network by installing the root CA used by the server and setting its domain name in a saved network. TOFU allows the device to obtain an unauthenticated public key when a user first connects to an enterprise network and retain the key for subsequent connections.

Background

Compared to personal networks that just require a password, enterprise networks use public key infrastructure (PKI) authentication, which requires the client to preinstall certificates. In Android 11 or lower, users can select the Do not validate option for the server CA certificate in the network settings, bypassing the validation of the server side certificate. However, to strengthen security and comply with the WPA R2 specification, Android 12 introduced a requirement for enterprise networks to have server certificate validation. This additional requirement created a barrier for users as they need to install a CA certificate for such networks. TOFU provides a way for users to connect to a PKI-based enterprise network by simply accepting its root CA.

Feature behavior

Devices that support TOFU display the following behavior when a user connects to an enterprise network that doesn't have an already-installed authenticated public key.

Connect to new network through Wi-Fi picker

  1. Select a new enterprise network in Wi-Fi picker.

    The device displays a dialog (Figure 1) to confirm whether the network is trusted.

  2. Tap Yes, connect to accept the network connection, or tap No, don't connect to decline.

    • If you tap Yes, connect, the device automatically configures the security parameters, connects to the network, and enables autoconnect for the network.

    • If you tap No, don't connect, the device disconnects from the network and disables autoconnect for the network.

    Dialog for TOFU feature

    Figure 1. Dialog for the TOFU feature

Connect to existing network with autoconnect enabled

When connecting to an enterprise network that has autoconnect enabled but doesn't have a valid CA certificate, the device connects automatically, then displays a sticky (nondismissable) notification.

  1. Tap the notification.

    The device displays a dialog (Figure 1) to confirm whether the network is trusted.

  2. Tap Yes, connect to accept the network connection, or tap No, don't connect to decline.

    • If you tap Yes, connect, the device automatically configures the security parameters, connects to the network, and enables autoconnect for the network.

    • If you tap No, don't connect, the device disconnects from the network and disables autoconnect for the network.

Implementation

To support the TOFU feature, implement the supplicant HALs provided in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) at /hardware/interfaces/wifi/supplicant/aidl/android/hardware/wifi/supplicant.

The following public APIs are available in Android 13 for use by apps:

Validation

To validate the implementation of TOFU on your device, use the following tests:

  • CTS: CtsWifiTestCases
  • VTS: VtsHalWifiSupplicantStaNetworkTargetTest