Re: [Tsv-art] [Last-Call] Tsvart last call review of draft-ietf-6man-icmp-limits-07

Benjamin Kaduk <kaduk@mit.edu> Tue, 25 February 2020 19:34 UTC

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Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2020 11:34:03 -0800
From: Benjamin Kaduk <kaduk@mit.edu>
To: Bernard Aboba <bernard.aboba@gmail.com>
Cc: tsv-art@ietf.org, last-call@ietf.org, ipv6@ietf.org, draft-ietf-6man-icmp-limits.all@ietf.org
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Subject: Re: [Tsv-art] [Last-Call] Tsvart last call review of draft-ietf-6man-icmp-limits-07
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On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 01:02:21PM -0800, Bernard Aboba via Datatracker wrote:
> Reviewer: Bernard Aboba
> Review result: Ready with Issues
> 
> TSV-ART Review of draft-ietf-6man-icmp-limits
> Bernard Aboba
> 
> Result: Ready with Issues
> 
> This document specifies several new ICMPv6 errors that can be sent
> when a node discards a packet due to it being unable to process the
> necessary protocol headers because of processing constraints or
> limits.  Reasons include:
> 
>       Code (pertinent to this specification)
>          1 - Unrecognized Next Header type encountered
>          TBA - Extension header too big
>          TBA - Extension header chain too long
>          TBA - Too many options in extension header
>          TBA - Option too big
> 
> ICMP Reliability
> 
> Section 5.2 states: 
> 
> "  ICMP is fundamentally an unreliable protocol and in real deployment
>    it may consistently fail over some paths. As with any other use of
>    ICMP, it is assumed that the errors defined in this document are only
>    best effort to be delivered. No protocol should be implemented that
>    relies on reliable delivery of ICMP messages. If necessary,
>    alternative or additional mechanisms may used to augment the
>    processes used to to deduce the reason that packets are being
>    discarded. Such alternative mechanisms are out of scope of this
>    specification."
> 
> [BA] The last sentence is a bit vague. My assumption is that this is
> referring to techniques such as are used in Path MTU discovery (e.g.
> tweaking of packets so as to determine potential reasons why packets
> are being discarded).  However, a reference might be helpful.
> 
> Security Concerns
> 
> Pointer field
> 
> In Section 3.1, the description of the Pointer field states: 
> 
> "      Pointer
>          Identifies the octet offset within the invoking packet where
>          the problem occurred.
> 
>          The pointer will point beyond the end of the ICMPv6 packet if
>          the field having a problem is beyond what can fit in the
>          maximum size of an ICMPv6 error message."
> 
> [BA] I worry about attackers using the Pointer field for
> mischief, such as buffer overflows.  The draft currently
> does not provide advice to implementers about validating
> the Pointer field (e.g. checking it against the length of
> the offending packet). Do we really need a 32-bit Pointer field? 

Very reminiscent of heartbleed, even with the note that "The pointer will
point beyond the end of the ICMPv6 packet if the field having a problem is
beyond what can fit in the maximum size of an ICMPv6 error message."

-Ben

> Use by attackers
> 
> Section 4.2 states: 
> 
> "  A host MAY modify its usage of protocol headers in subsequent packets
>    to avoid repeated occurrences of the same error."
> 
> [BA] While this response is optional, I do worry about the potential for
> spoofed ICMP packets to modify the host's security posture. Are there any
> types of usage modifications that a host should be particularly wary
> of?
> 
> Section 6 states: 
> 
> "  In some circumstances, the sending of ICMP errors might conceptually
>    be exploited for denial of service attack or as a means to covertly
>    deduce processing capabilities of nodes. As such, an implementation
>    SHOULD allow configurable policy to withhold sending of the ICMP
>    errors described in this specification in environments where security
>    of ICMP errors is a concern."
> 
> [BA] This concern seems quite realistic to me, and as a result, it would
> not surprise me if implementations either do not send these ICMP errors,
> or withhold them by default. Do you have a position on that? 
> 
> 
> 
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