Quantum Resistance

NetBird implements quantum-resistant encryption through Rosenpass, providing protection against future quantum computer attacks. This feature adds post-quantum key exchange on top of WireGuard’s existing encryption.

What is Rosenpass?

Rosenpass is a formally verified, post-quantum secure key exchange protocol designed to complement WireGuard. It provides additional key material that is resistant to attacks from quantum computers, even hypothetical future ones.

Rosenpass uses the Classic McEliece cryptosystem, a code-based post-quantum algorithm that’s a finalist in NIST’s post-quantum cryptography standardization project.

Why Quantum Resistance Matters

Harvest Now, Decrypt Later Attacks

Adversaries can capture encrypted traffic today and store it, waiting for quantum computers powerful enough to decrypt it in the future. This is particularly concerning for:

Long-lived sensitive data
Regulatory compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA)
National security information
Intellectual property
Financial records

Post-Quantum Cryptography

Quantum computers threaten current public-key cryptography:

Traditional RSA/ECC: Vulnerable to quantum attacks (Shor’s algorithm)
WireGuard alone: Uses Curve25519, susceptible to quantum cryptanalysis
Rosenpass + WireGuard: Adds quantum-resistant key exchange layer

How Rosenpass Works with NetBird

Rosenpass integrates with WireGuard to provide defense-in-depth:

Initial Key Exchange

Rosenpass performs a post-quantum key exchange between peers using Classic McEliece.

Key Material Mixing

The quantum-resistant key material is mixed with WireGuard’s traditional keys.

Periodic Key Rotation

Rosenpass continuously exchanges new key material every 2 minutes, providing forward secrecy.

Encryption

WireGuard encrypts traffic using the combined key material, protecting against both classical and quantum attacks.

Even if WireGuard’s Curve25519 is broken by quantum computers, the Rosenpass-derived keys keep the connection secure.

Enabling Rosenpass

NetBird Client Configuration

Enable Rosenpass when starting the NetBird client:

Command Line
Environment Variable
Configuration File

# Enable Rosenpass for quantum resistance
netbird up --enable-rosenpass

This flag activates Rosenpass for all peer connections where both sides support it.

# Set environment variable
export NB_ENABLE_ROSENPASS=true
netbird up

Or with the legacy prefix:

export WT_ENABLE_ROSENPASS=true
netbird up

Add to your NetBird configuration file:

{
  "EnableRosenpass": true
}

Permissive Mode

Rosenpass permissive mode allows your peer to accept connections from peers that don’t have Rosenpass enabled:

netbird up --enable-rosenpass --rosenpass-permissive

Permissive mode behavior:

Enables Rosenpass for peers that support it
Allows fallback to WireGuard-only for peers without Rosenpass
Useful during migration periods
Less secure than requiring Rosenpass on all connections

Checking Rosenpass Status

Verify Rosenpass is active:

# Check peer connections
netbird status

# Look for Rosenpass indicators in peer status
netbird status --detail

Deployment Strategies

Phased Rollout

Roll out Rosenpass gradually to minimize disruption:

Test Environment

Enable Rosenpass in a test environment with a few peers.

netbird up --enable-rosenpass --rosenpass-permissive

Pilot Group

Deploy to a pilot group using permissive mode.Monitor for compatibility issues and performance impact.

Organization-Wide

Roll out to all peers once pilot is successful.Keep permissive mode enabled during transition.

Enforce Rosenpass

After all peers are upgraded, disable permissive mode.

netbird up --enable-rosenpass

Network-Wide Configuration

For managed deployments, distribute configuration via:

Configuration Management

Use Ansible, Puppet, or Chef to deploy Rosenpass-enabled configurations.

Group Policy

Deploy Windows configurations via Group Policy Objects (GPO).

Mobile Device Management

Push configurations to mobile devices via MDM solutions.

Container Orchestration

Configure Rosenpass in container environment variables or config maps.

Performance Considerations

Computational Overhead

Rosenpass adds minimal overhead:

Key exchange: Initial handshake takes slightly longer
Ongoing overhead: Negligible impact on throughput
CPU usage: Minimal increase for key rotation every 2 minutes
Memory: Small additional memory footprint for Rosenpass daemon

Network Impact

Rosenpass protocol characteristics:

Metric	Impact
Handshake size	Larger than WireGuard-only (~1.3MB initial exchange)
Key rotation	Every 2 minutes (small periodic packets)
Bandwidth	Less than 1% increase for typical workloads
Latency	No measurable impact on established connections

The larger initial handshake is due to Classic McEliece’s post-quantum security properties. After the initial exchange, performance is nearly identical to WireGuard-only.

Platform Support

Rosenpass availability by platform:

Platform	Support	Notes
Linux	✅ Full	Native support
macOS	✅ Full	Supported on all versions
Windows	✅ Full	Windows 10/11
Android	✅ Full	Mobile support
iOS	✅ Full	Mobile support
OpenWRT	✅ Full	Router/embedded support
Docker	✅ Full	Container deployments
Serverless	✅ Full	FaaS environments

Security Properties

Cryptographic Guarantees

Rosenpass provides:

Post-quantum security: Resistant to Grover’s and Shor’s quantum algorithms
Forward secrecy: Periodic key rotation every 2 minutes
Defense in depth: Complements WireGuard’s encryption
Formal verification: Mathematically proven security properties

Threat Model

Rosenpass protects against:

Quantum Computer Attacks

Even if a sufficiently powerful quantum computer breaks Curve25519:

Rosenpass keys remain secure
Traffic stays encrypted
No retroactive decryption possible

Harvest Now, Decrypt Later

Adversaries capturing encrypted traffic today cannot:

Decrypt it when quantum computers arrive
Recover historical key material
Break forward secrecy guarantees

Classical Attacks

Rosenpass doesn’t weaken existing security:

WireGuard’s classical security remains intact
No reduction in current threat protection
Additional layer, not a replacement

What Rosenpass Doesn’t Protect

Rosenpass does not protect against:

Compromised endpoints (malware, keyloggers)
Social engineering attacks
Weak passwords or authentication
Physical access to devices
Zero-day vulnerabilities in the OS or NetBird client

Use in combination with other security measures (MFA, posture checks, access policies).

Compliance and Standards

Regulatory Considerations

Post-quantum cryptography is becoming a compliance requirement:

NIST: Standardizing post-quantum algorithms
NSA: Recommends planning for quantum-resistant cryptography
EU: Quantum-safe cryptography in digital security strategies
Financial sector: Moving towards quantum-resistant solutions

Algorithm Selection

Why Classic McEliece:

NIST Finalist

Classic McEliece is a finalist in NIST’s PQC standardization.

Proven Security

Code-based cryptography has decades of cryptanalysis without breaks.

Conservative Choice

Relies on well-understood mathematical problems.

Long-term Confidence

Likely to remain secure even as quantum computing advances.

Troubleshooting

Rosenpass Handshake Failures

Symptoms:

Peers fail to establish quantum-resistant connection
Falling back to WireGuard-only in permissive mode

Solutions:

Verify both peers have Rosenpass enabled
Check firewall rules allow Rosenpass packets
Ensure peers are running compatible NetBird versions
Review logs for specific error messages

# Check logs for Rosenpass errors
netbird debug log

Performance Issues

If experiencing slowdowns:

Measure baseline performance without Rosenpass
Check CPU usage during key rotation
Verify network bandwidth isn’t saturated
Rule out other factors (firewall, NAT, routing)

Rosenpass should not cause noticeable performance degradation. If you see significant impact, investigate other potential causes.

Compatibility Problems

Mixed version environments:

Older NetBird versions may not support Rosenpass
Use permissive mode during upgrade period
Plan coordinated upgrades for best results

Platform-specific:

Ensure all platforms in your deployment support Rosenpass
Test in staging environment first

Best Practices

Enable by Default

Make Rosenpass the default for all new deployments.

Document Rollout

Keep records of which peers have Rosenpass enabled.

Monitor Adoption

Track Rosenpass adoption rate across your network.

Plan for Post-Quantum Future

Stay informed about NIST PQC standardization progress.

Test Regularly

Verify Rosenpass continues working after client updates.

Combine with Other Security

Use alongside MFA, posture checks, and access policies.

Learn More

Rosenpass Project

Official Rosenpass documentation and research papers

NetBird Blog

NetBird’s quantum resistance announcement

NIST PQC

NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography project

Classic McEliece

Classic McEliece algorithm details

Next Steps

SSO Setup

Configure identity provider integration

Network Access

Set up access control policies

Get Started

Architecture

Deployment

Client Setup

Network Management

Security

Operations

​What is Rosenpass?

​Why Quantum Resistance Matters

​Harvest Now, Decrypt Later Attacks

​Post-Quantum Cryptography

​How Rosenpass Works with NetBird

​Enabling Rosenpass

​NetBird Client Configuration

​Permissive Mode

​Checking Rosenpass Status

​Deployment Strategies

​Phased Rollout

​Network-Wide Configuration

Configuration Management

Group Policy

Mobile Device Management

Container Orchestration

​Performance Considerations

​Computational Overhead

​Network Impact

​Platform Support

​Security Properties

​Cryptographic Guarantees

​Threat Model

​What Rosenpass Doesn’t Protect

​Compliance and Standards

​Regulatory Considerations

​Algorithm Selection

​Troubleshooting

​Best Practices

​Learn More

Rosenpass Project

NetBird Blog

NIST PQC

Classic McEliece

​Next Steps

SSO Setup

Network Access

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

What is Rosenpass?

Why Quantum Resistance Matters

Harvest Now, Decrypt Later Attacks

Post-Quantum Cryptography

How Rosenpass Works with NetBird

Enabling Rosenpass

NetBird Client Configuration

Permissive Mode

Checking Rosenpass Status

Deployment Strategies

Phased Rollout

Network-Wide Configuration

Performance Considerations

Computational Overhead

Network Impact

Platform Support

Security Properties

Cryptographic Guarantees

Threat Model

What Rosenpass Doesn’t Protect

Compliance and Standards

Regulatory Considerations

Algorithm Selection

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Learn More

Next Steps