Re: [TLS] Sending fatal alerts over TCP

Marsh Ray <marsh@extendedsubset.com> Wed, 21 December 2011 19:25 UTC

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Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:24:58 -0600
From: Marsh Ray <marsh@extendedsubset.com>
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Cc: tls@ietf.org
Subject: Re: [TLS] Sending fatal alerts over TCP
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On 12/21/2011 01:13 PM, Martin Rex wrote:
>
> Unless the local application performs a shutdown(), the TCP implementation
> of Y MUST continue to deliver data that was received.

This seems relevant http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc793

> [when in state:] ESTABLISHED  FIN-WAIT-1 FIN-WAIT-2 CLOSE-WAIT
>
>         If the RST bit is set then, any outstanding RECEIVEs and SEND
>         should receive "reset" responses.  All segment queues should be
>         flushed.  Users should also receive an unsolicited general
>         "connection reset" signal.  Enter the CLOSED state, delete the
>         TCB, and return.

This part about "all segment queues should be flushed" suggests to me 
that received-but-undelivered application data MAY or SHOULD be 
discarded. Deleting the TCB altogether certainly sounds final.

- Marsh