Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Wed, 12 Jun 2024 15:05:39 -0700
From:      Chris <bsd-lists@bsdforge.com>
To:        "Rodney W. Grimes" <freebsd-rwg@gndrsh.dnsmgr.net>
Cc:        Ed Maste <emaste@freebsd.org>, freebsd-net@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Discarding inbound ICMP REDIRECT by default
Message-ID:  <72ceb2fe26812a237a17bd8de4024b7f@bsdforge.com>
In-Reply-To: <202406122147.45CLlsgN042313@gndrsh.dnsmgr.net>
References:  <202406122147.45CLlsgN042313@gndrsh.dnsmgr.net>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On 2024-06-12 14:47, Rodney W. Grimes wrote:
>> I propose that we start dropping inbound ICMP REDIRECTs by default, by
>> setting the net.inet.icmp.drop_redirect sysctl to 1 by default (and
>> changing the associated rc.conf machinery). I've opened a Phabricator
>> review at https://reviews.freebsd.org/D45102.
> 
> I propse that we NOT do this.  If you need this to protect your end
> node your probably doing something really unsafe network wise.  The
> place that ICMP REDIRECTS should be dropped, and is most places, is
> at access routers and firewalls.
> 
> Any one that needs this change to protect there network has larger
> issues than an ICMP REDIECT causing some issues.
> 
> ICMP redirectr are very usefull for not having to run routing
> protocols on all your end nodes and allowing your edge/access
> routers tell your internal hosts via redirects how to get to
> places more efficiently.
> 
>> 
>> ICMP REDIRECTs served a useful purpose in earlier networks, but on
> They still serve this very usefull purpose.
> 
>> balance are more likely to represent a security issue today than to
>> provide a routing benefit. With the change in review it is of course
>> still possible to enable them if desired for a given installation.
>> This change would appear in FreeBSD 15.0 and would not be MFC'd.
>> 
>> One question raised in the review is about switching the default to
>> YES but keeping the special handling for "auto" (dropping ICMP
>> REDIRECT if a routing daemon is in use, honouring them if not). I
>> don't think this is particularly valuable given that auto was
>> introduced to override the default NO when necessary; there's no need
>> for it with the default being YES. That functionality could be
>> maintained if there is a compelling use case, though.
> 
> The policy that is there now is exactly how things should be configured
> for a host in a network protected by a proper router w/firewall.
> The existing "auto" does exactly the right thing.
> 
>> 
>> If you have any questions or feedback please follow up here or in the 
>> review.
As Rodeney already effectively explains; dropping packets makes routing,
and discovery exceedingly difficult. Which is NOT what the average user 
wants,
or expects. I use "set block-policy drop" in pf(4). But as already noted,
this is for "filtering" purposes. Your suggestion also has the negative 
affect
of hanging remote ports. Which can result in other negative results by peers.

Please don't. :)
>> 
>> 
--Chris



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?72ceb2fe26812a237a17bd8de4024b7f>