RFC 2644 on Changing the Default for Directed Broadcasts in Routers

[Tristan Debeaupuis <Tristan.Debeaupuis@hsc.fr>]

I suggest that all GRIP documents dealing with directed broadcasts should add
a reference to the RFC 2644 about Directed Broadcasts in Routers.

As an example, extract from draft-ietf-grip-isp-07.txt :
"5.10 Directed Broadcast
   
   The IP protocol allows for directed broadcast, the sending of a
   packet across the network to be broadcast on to a specific subnet.
   Very few practical uses for this feature exist, but several different
   security attacks (primarily Denial of Service attacks making use of
   the packet multiplication effect of the broadcast) use it.
   Therefore, routers connected to a broadcast medium SHOULD NOT be
   configured to allow directed broadcasts onto that medium.

   
   If it is a packet to which the router would respond if received as a
   unicast, it MAY send a (single) response.  If it is not responding
   (either because it's not appropriate, or because it's been configured
   not to) it MAY send an ICMP error.  It is also appropriate to
   silently discard such packets.  In any case such packets should be
   counted to detect possible attempts to abuse this feature."


----- Forwarded message from RFC Editor <rfc-ed@ISI.EDU> -----

To: IETF-Announce: ;
Subject: BCP34, RFC 2644 on Changing the Default for Directed Broadcasts in Routers 
Cc: rfc-ed@ISI.EDU
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 16:17:50 -0700
From: RFC Editor <rfc-ed@ISI.EDU>


A new Request for Comments is now available in online RFC libraries.


        BCP 34:
        RFC 2644:

        Title:	    Changing the Default for Directed Broadcasts in
                    Routers    
        Author(s):  D. Senie
        Status:     Best Current Practice
	Date:       August 1999
        Mailbox:    dts@senie.com
        Pages:      4
        Characters: 6820
	Updates:    1812
        I-D Tag:    draft-senie-directed-broadcast-03.txt


        URL:        ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2644.txt


Router Requirements [1] specifies that routers must receive and
forward directed broadcasts. It also specifies that routers MUST have
an option to disable this feature, and that this option MUST default
to permit the receiving and forwarding of directed broadcasts.  While
directed broadcasts have uses, their use on the Internet backbone
appears to be comprised entirely of malicious attacks on other
networks.

Changing the required default for routers would help ensure new
routers connected to the Internet do not add to the problems already
present.

This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the
Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
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Joyce K. Reynolds and Sandy Ginoza
USC/Information Sciences Institute

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-- 
Tristan.Debeaupuis@hsc.fr -=- Herve Schauer Consultants -=- TD1678
Après le pain, l'éducation est le premier besoin d'un peuple. DANTON.