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author | peter <peter@FreeBSD.org> | 2008-07-12 05:00:28 +0000 |
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committer | peter <peter@FreeBSD.org> | 2008-07-12 05:00:28 +0000 |
commit | ba8f85b49c38af7bc2a9acdef5dcde2de008d25e (patch) | |
tree | ceac31a567976fd5866cb5791b059781f6e045de /doc/rfc/rfc1535.txt | |
parent | 0f328cea2580ffb8f9e363be671a517787111472 (diff) | |
download | FreeBSD-src-ba8f85b49c38af7bc2a9acdef5dcde2de008d25e.zip FreeBSD-src-ba8f85b49c38af7bc2a9acdef5dcde2de008d25e.tar.gz |
Flatten bind9 vendor work area
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/rfc/rfc1535.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | doc/rfc/rfc1535.txt | 283 |
1 files changed, 283 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc1535.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc1535.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..03bddee --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc1535.txt @@ -0,0 +1,283 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group E. Gavron +Request for Comments: 1535 ACES Research Inc. +Category: Informational October 1993 + + + A Security Problem and Proposed Correction + With Widely Deployed DNS Software + +Status of this Memo + + This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does + not specify an Internet standard. Distribution of this memo is + unlimited. + +Abstract + + This document discusses a flaw in some of the currently distributed + name resolver clients. The flaw exposes a security weakness related + to the search heuristic invoked by these same resolvers when users + provide a partial domain name, and which is easy to exploit (although + not by the masses). This document points out the flaw, a case in + point, and a solution. + +Background + + Current Domain Name Server clients are designed to ease the burden of + remembering IP dotted quad addresses. As such they translate human- + readable names into addresses and other resource records. Part of + the translation process includes understanding and dealing with + hostnames that are not fully qualified domain names (FQDNs). + + An absolute "rooted" FQDN is of the format {name}{.} A non "rooted" + domain name is of the format {name} + + A domain name may have many parts and typically these include the + host, domain, and type. Example: foobar.company.com or + fooschool.university.edu. + +Flaw + + The problem with most widely distributed resolvers based on the BSD + BIND resolver is that they attempt to resolve a partial name by + processing a search list of partial domains to be added to portions + of the specified host name until a DNS record is found. This + "feature" is disabled by default in the official BIND 4.9.2 release. + + Example: A TELNET attempt by User@Machine.Tech.ACES.COM + to UnivHost.University.EDU + + + +Gavron [Page 1] + +RFC 1535 DNS Software Enhancements October 1993 + + + The resolver client will realize that since "UnivHost.University.EDU" + does not end with a ".", it is not an absolute "rooted" FQDN. It + will then try the following combinations until a resource record is + found: + + UnivHost.University.EDU.Tech.ACES.COM. + UnivHost.University.EDU.ACES.COM. + UnivHost.University.EDU.COM. + UnivHost.University.EDU. + +Security Issue + + After registering the EDU.COM domain, it was discovered that an + unliberal application of one wildcard CNAME record would cause *all* + connects from any .COM site to any .EDU site to terminate at one + target machine in the private edu.com sub-domain. + + Further, discussion reveals that specific hostnames registered in + this private subdomain, or any similarly named subdomain may be used + to spoof a host. + + Example: harvard.edu.com. CNAME targethost + + Thus all connects to Harvard.edu from all .com sites would end up at + targthost, a machine which could provide a Harvard.edu login banner. + + This is clearly unacceptable. Further, it could only be made worse + with domains like COM.EDU, MIL.GOV, GOV.COM, etc. + +Public vs. Local Name Space Administration + + The specification of the Domain Name System and the software that + implements it provides an undifferentiated hierarchy which permits + delegation of administration for subordinate portions of the name + space. Actual administration of the name space is divided between + "public" and "local" portions. Public administration pertains to all + top-level domains, such as .COM and .EDU. For some domains, it also + pertains to some number of sub-domain levels. The multi-level nature + of the public administration is most evident for top-level domains + for countries. For example in the Fully Qualified Domain Name, + dbc.mtview.ca.us., the portion "mtview.ca.us" represents three levels + of public administration. Only the left-most portion is subject to + local administration. + + + + + + + + +Gavron [Page 2] + +RFC 1535 DNS Software Enhancements October 1993 + + + The danger of the heuristic search common in current practise is that + it it is possible to "intercept" the search by matching against an + unintended value while walking up the search list. While this is + potentially dangerous at any level, it is entirely unacceptable when + the error impacts users outside of a local administration. + + When attempting to resolve a partial domain name, DNS resolvers use + the Domain Name of the searching host for deriving the search list. + Existing DNS resolvers do not distinguish the portion of that name + which is in the locally administered scope from the part that is + publically administered. + +Solution(s) + + At a minimum, DNS resolvers must honor the BOUNDARY between local and + public administration, by limiting any search lists to locally- + administered portions of the Domain Name space. This requires a + parameter which shows the scope of the name space controlled by the + local administrator. + + This would permit progressive searches from the most qualified to + less qualified up through the locally controlled domain, but not + beyond. + + For example, if the local user were trying to reach: + + User@chief.admin.DESERTU.EDU from + starburst,astro.DESERTU.EDU, + + it is reasonable to permit the user to enter just chief.admin, and + for the search to cover: + + chief.admin.astro.DESERTU.EDU + chief.admin.DESERTU.EDU + + but not + + chief.admin.EDU + + In this case, the value of "search" should be set to "DESERTU.EDU" + because that's the scope of the name space controlled by the local + DNS administrator. + + This is more than a mere optimization hack. The local administrator + has control over the assignment of names within the locally + administered domain, so the administrator can make sure that + abbreviations result in the right thing. Outside of the local + control, users are necessarily at risk. + + + +Gavron [Page 3] + +RFC 1535 DNS Software Enhancements October 1993 + + + A more stringent mechanism is implemented in BIND 4.9.2, to respond + to this problem: + + The DNS Name resolver clients narrows its IMPLICIT search list IF ANY + to only try the first and the last of the examples shown. + + Any additional search alternatives must be configured into the + resolver EXPLICITLY. + + DNS Name resolver software SHOULD NOT use implicit search lists in + attempts to resolve partial names into absolute FQDNs other than the + hosts's immediate parent domain. + + Resolvers which continue to use implicit search lists MUST limit + their scope to locally administered sub-domains. + + DNS Name resolver software SHOULD NOT come pre-configured with + explicit search lists that perpetuate this problem. + + Further, in any event where a "." exists in a specified name it + should be assumed to be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and + SHOULD be tried as a rooted name first. + + Example: Given user@a.b.c.d connecting to e.f.g.h only two tries + should be attempted as a result of using an implicit + search list: + + e.f.g.h. and e.f.g.h.b.c.d. + + Given user@a.b.c.d. connecting to host those same two + tries would appear as: + + x.b.c.d. and x. + + Some organizations make regular use of multi-part, partially + qualified Domain Names. For example, host foo.loc1.org.city.state.us + might be used to making references to bar.loc2, or mumble.loc3, all + of which refer to whatever.locN.org.city.state.us + + The stringent implicit search rules for BIND 4.9.2 will now cause + these searches to fail. To return the ability for them to succeed, + configuration of the client resolvers must be changed to include an + explicit search rule for org.city.state.us. That is, it must contain + an explicit rule for any -- and each -- portion of the locally- + administered sub-domain that it wishes to have as part of the search + list. + + + + + +Gavron [Page 4] + +RFC 1535 DNS Software Enhancements October 1993 + + +References + + [1] Mockapetris, P., "Domain Names Concepts and Facilities", STD 13, + RFC 1034, USC/Information Sciences Institute, November 1987. + + [2] Mockapetris, P., "Domain Names Implementation and Specification", + STD 13, RFC 1035, USC/Information Sciences Institute, November + 1987. + + [3] Partridge, C., "Mail Routing and the Domain System", STD 14, RFC + 974, CSNET CIC BBN, January 1986. + + [4] Kumar, A., Postel, J., Neuman, C., Danzig, P., and S. Miller, + "Common DNS Implementation Errors and Suggested Fixes", RFC 1536, + USC/Information Sciences Institute, USC, October 1993. + + [5] Beertema, P., "Common DNS Data File Configuration Errors", RFC + 1537, CWI, October 1993. + +Security Considerations + + This memo indicates vulnerabilities with all too-forgiving DNS + clients. It points out a correction that would eliminate the future + potential of the problem. + +Author's Address + + Ehud Gavron + ACES Research Inc. + PO Box 14546 + Tucson, AZ 85711 + + Phone: (602) 743-9841 + EMail: gavron@aces.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Gavron [Page 5] + |