[messaging] MITM-safe communication w/o authentication possible?

[Andy Isaacson]

On Sun, Nov 29, 2015 at 09:32:23PM +0100, U.Mutlu wrote:
> SRP and OTR+SMP are IMO good examples for MITM-safe online protocols.
> But they require prior key exchange (ie. a persistent password or
> PKI certificates).
> 
> I wonder if it can be possible, at least theoretically, to have a
> MITM-secure internet channel without the use of PKI and/or
> persistent password (ie. w/o authentication, like in the telephone network)?
> Of course the communication must be encrypted against passive MITM,
> and must also detect active MITM.
> Does anybody know of such a protocol, info, papers etc.?

While it doesn't exactly address your question, I really like the
direction that is hinted at in

https://github.com/graydon/stxt

for addressing this problem.

Unfortunately Graydon is off saving the world a different way, so stxt
hasn't seen any further development in the last 18 months, afaik.

-andy