Difference between STARTTLS and TLS

demo

# So TLS, which is the successor of SSL, is "Transport Layer Security".
# It is a kind of super protocol that initiates an encrypted tunnel between the client and the server,
# and then, you can use your normal verbs from your protocol as it was not encrypted.
# For instance with http. Let's say you want to get a page from ubicast.eu
# go to your terminal, and you can get it with
telnet ubicast.eu 80
GET / HTTP/1.0

# and you get the index of the site.

# Basically, you could do the same with openssl to start a TLS connection with ubicast.eu, and then do your normal discussion in HTTP.
openssl s_client -connect ubicast.eu:443
GET / HTTP/1.0

# and you get a different index (because, I don't know, but you can verify on your browser :) )


# But this technique requires a new port to distinguish normal protocal and TLS endpoint.
# indeed, if I discuss HTTP or TLS it is different verbs that are used.
# So that's why you have the port 80 for http, and 443 wich is HTTP over TLS or HTTPS.
# But this anoying to give a new port to distinguish the secure version of the protocol. Like 80 and 443...
# This is not beautiful from an engineering point of view :)

# So they created STARTTLS that is a verb for all protocols :) We could imagine that we had this verb to http protocol.
# And when we you use this verb, it would mean that you want to start a TLS connection.
# So this is jsut a way to keep the normal protocol, and add encryption :)
# you can try by yourself
telnet smtp.gmail.com 587
helo pierre.ozoux@gmail.com
AUTH LOGIN
STARTTLS
# but you will not be able to do it by hand, it's kind of complicated :)
# but as you can see, they do not allow login without starttls :)

# You can do it also, directly on the SMTP over TLS:
openssl s_client -crlf -connect smtp.gmail.com:465
helo pierre.ozoux@gmail.com
AUTH LOGIN

# Hope it helped :)
# And to respond to your question, STARTTLS and TLS are vulnerables to heartbleed as it is on the TLS implementation :)
# STARTTLS is just a verb for normal protocol to start a TLS tunnel (as well described by the name :) )