On Fri, 2026-01-09 at 21:27 +1100, Geoff Huston wrote:
> Hi
> 
> Could you please expand these PR URLS into this email thread?

Inline;
  
> > > 2. Section 4.1. "IPv6 adoption": "Authoritative DNS servers
> > > SHOULD
> > > use native IPv6 addresses instead of IPv4-converted IPv6
> > > addresses
> > > for receiving queries." Neither RFC4291, nor RFC 6052 define a
> > > "IPv4-converted IPv6 address." The draft should state that:
> > > "Authoritative DNS servers SHOULD NOT use IPv4-Compatible IPv6
> > > Addresses and IPv4-Mapped IPv6 Address [RFC4291]".
> > 
> > The prior instance of this comment was addressed by Med suggesting
> > a
> > definition to be added. We agree that explicit text provided might
> > improve readability.
> > 
> > Please see the following PR:
> > https://github.com/ietf-wg-dnsop/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis/pull/66

diff --git a/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml b/draft-ietf-dnsop-
3901bis.xml
index b59ece6..bf8cb0d 100644
--- a/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml
+++ b/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
             <t indent="0" pn="section-abstract-1">
                 This document provides guidelines and documents Best
Current Practice for operating authoritative DNS servers, recursive
resolvers and stub resolvers in a mixed IPv4/IPv6 environment.
                 This document recommends that both authoritative DNS
servers and recursive resolvers support IPv4 and IPv6.
-                It also provides guidance on how recursive DNS
resolvers should select upstream DNS servers when both native and IPv4-
embedded IPv6 addresses are available.
+                It also provides guidance on how recursive DNS
resolvers should select upstream DNS servers when both native, as well
as IPv4-compatible or IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses are available.
             </t>
             <t indent="0" pn="section-abstract-2">
                 This document obsoletes  RFC 3901.
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@
                     </dt>
                     <dd>
                             Every DNS zone <bcp14>SHOULD</bcp14> be
served by at least two IPv6-reachable authoritative DNS servers to
maintain name space continuity.
-                            To avoid reachability issues,
authoritative DNS servers <bcp14>SHOULD</bcp14> use native IPv6
addresses instead of IPv4-converted IPv6 addresses for receiving
queries.
+                            To avoid reachability issues,
authoritative DNS servers <bcp14>SHOULD NOT</bcp14> use IPv4-Embedded
<xref target="RFC6052"/>, IPv4-Compatible, or IPv4-Mapped IPv6
Addresses <xref target="RFC4291"/> for receiving queries.
                             The delegation configuration (Resolution
of the parent, resolution of sibling domain names, glue) <bcp14>MUST
NOT</bcp14> rely on IPv4 connectivity being available.
                     </dd>
                     <dt>
@@ -441,6 +441,7 @@
                 <xi:include
href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.1034.xml"/>
                 <xi:include
href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.1035.xml"/>
                 <xi:include
href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.2119.xml"/>
+                <xi:include
href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.4291.xml"/>
                 <xi:include
href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.4821.xml"/>
                 <xi:include
href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.6052.xml"/>
                 <xi:include
href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.6724.xml"/>


> > 
> > > 4. Section 4.2: "when responding to recursive queries sent by
> > > stub
> > > DNS". How can a recursive resolver know that a query has been
> > > sent by
> > > a stub resolver?
> > 
> > RFC1035 defines an 'RD' bit in DNS queries. If it is present in a
> > query, a recursive resolver can safely assume that the query has
> > not
> > been sent by a recursive resolver acting as a recursive resolver
> > for
> > this specific query.
> > 
> > We clarify this with the following PR:
> > https://github.com/ietf-wg-dnsop/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis/pull/67

diff --git a/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml b/draft-ietf-dnsop-
3901bis.xml
index b59ece6..a5f3e6a 100644
--- a/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml
+++ b/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@
                     Similarly, a recursive DNS resolver
<bcp14>MAY</bcp14> be IPv4-only, if it uses a configuration where such
resolvers forward queries failing IPv4-only DNS resolution to a
recursive DNS resolver that is able to perform DNS resolution over
IPv6.
                 </t>
                 <t>
-                    Finally, when responding to recursive queries sent
by stub DNS resolvers, a DNS resolver SHOULD follow the above guidance
on fragmentation avoidance (<xref target="guidelines-for-authoritative-
dns-configuration"/>) for communication between authoritative DNS
servers and recursive DNS resolvers analogously.
+                    Finally, when responding to recursive queries,
i.e., a query with the RD bit set <xref target="RFC1035"/>, a DNS
resolver SHOULD follow the above guidance on fragmentation avoidance
(<xref target="guidelines-for-authoritative-dns-configuration"/>) for
communication between authoritative DNS servers and recursive DNS
resolvers analogously.
                 </t>
             </section>
             <section anchor="guidelines-for-dns-stub">


> > > 5. Section 5. Security Considerations: "introduce no new security
> > > considerations into the DNS protocol." This reviewer differs with
> > > respect to the recommendation that under certain circumstances a
> > > recursive resolver may forward a query to another recursive
> > > resolver.
> > > As already noted, the DNS resolution protocol has no form of
> > > query
> > > loop detection or excessive resolver query chain detection, and
> > > there
> > > is the potential for scenarios that can be used to launch a DOS
> > > attacks on recursive resolvers. The authors should reconsider
> > > this
> > > section in the light of the existing advice relating to resover-
> > > to-
> > > resolver forwarding in this document.
> > 
> > We still argue that this is a corner case that would require an
> > intentional misconfiguration on the recursive resolver operator's
> > side.
> > 
> > Nevertheless, we added corresponding text to the section, see:
> > https://github.com/ietf-wg-dnsop/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis/pull/68
> > > 
diff --git a/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml b/draft-ietf-dnsop-
3901bis.xml
index b59ece6..2e3b83d 100644
--- a/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml
+++ b/draft-ietf-dnsop-3901bis.xml
@@ -369,11 +369,11 @@
                 </t>
                 <t>
                     While the zones that IPv6-only recursive DNS
resolvers can resolve are growing, they do not yet cover all zones.
-                    Hence, a recursive DNS resolver <bcp14>MAY</bcp14>
be IPv6-only, if it uses a transition mechanism that allows it to also
query IPv4-only authoritative DNS servers, or uses a configuration
where it forwards queries failing IPv6-only DNS resolution to a
recursive DNS resolver that is able to perform DNS resolution over
IPv4.
+                    Hence, a recursive DNS resolver <bcp14>MAY</bcp14>
be IPv6-only, if it uses a transition mechanism that allows it to also
query IPv4-only authoritative DNS servers, or uses a configuration
where it forwards queries failing IPv6-only DNS resolution to a dual-
stack recursive DNS resolver, i.e., one that is also able to perform
DNS resolution over IPv4.
                     If a recursive DNS resolver is aware of a PREF64
to use for NAT64 <xref target="RFC6146"/>, either through static
configuration or by discovering it (e.g., <xref target="RFC8781"/>), it
<bcp14>MAY</bcp14> synthesize IPv6 addresses for remote authoritative
DNS servers.
                 </t>
                 <t>
-                    Similarly, a recursive DNS resolver
<bcp14>MAY</bcp14> be IPv4-only, if it uses a configuration where such
resolvers forward queries failing IPv4-only DNS resolution to a
recursive DNS resolver that is able to perform DNS resolution over
IPv6.
+                    Similarly, a recursive DNS resolver
<bcp14>MAY</bcp14> be IPv4-only, if it uses a configuration where such
resolvers forward queries failing IPv4-only DNS resolution to a dual-
stack recursive DNS resolver, i.e., one that is also able to perform
DNS resolution over IPv6.
                 </t>
                 <t>
                     Finally, when responding to recursive queries sent
by stub DNS resolvers, a DNS resolver SHOULD follow the above guidance
on fragmentation avoidance (<xref target="guidelines-for-authoritative-
dns-configuration"/>) for communication between authoritative DNS
servers and recursive DNS resolvers analogously.
@@ -398,7 +398,34 @@
         <section anchor="security-considerations">
             <name>Security Considerations</name>
             <t>
-                The guidelines described in this memo introduce no new
security considerations into the DNS protocol.
+                The guidelines described in this memo introduce no new
security considerations into the DNS protocol itself.
+            </t>
+            <t>
+                Nevertheless, corner cases exist where forwarding
queries requiring an IP address family for resolution that is not
supported by the initial resolver lead to an endless loop, when:
+            </t>
+            <ul spacing="normal">
+                <li>
+                    <t>Two resolvers handle queries for a set of
clients, and,</t>
+                </li>
+                <li>
+                    <t>One of the resolvers only supports DNS
resolution via IPv4, and,</t>
+                </li>
+                <li>
+                    <t>The other resolver only supports DNS reslution
via IPv6, and,</t>
+                </li>
+                <li>
+                    <t>Both resolvers are configured to forward
queries requiring DNS resolution via the IP address family they do not
support to the other, and,</t>
+                </li>
+                <li>
+                    <t>A query for a zone that is not resolvable via
IPv4 and not resolvable via IPv6 is received.</t>
+                </li>
+            </ul>
+            <t>
+                In that case, a query for the non-resolvable zone
would be endlessly forwarded between the resolvers.
+            </t>
+            <t>
+                To prevent this, single stack recrusive DNS resolvers
<bcp14>SHOULD</bcp14> only be configured to forward queries they cannot
resolve due to lacking support for one address family to dual-stack
recursive DNS resolvers.
+                Furthermore, recursive DNS resolvers <bcp14>MUST
NOT</bcp14> be configured to forward queries to DNS resolvers that are
configured to forward queries to them in the first place, i.e., the
above cornercase <bcp14>MUST</bcp14> be avoided.
             </t>
             <t>
                 Recommendations for recursive and stub resolvers rely
on a correctly discovered PREF64.


> > 

-- 
Dr.-Ing. Tobias Fiebig
T +31 616 80 98 99
M [email protected]
Pronouns: he/him/his

_______________________________________________
DNSOP mailing list -- [email protected]
To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]

Reply via email to