[DNSOP] Re: Is DELEXT too restrictive?

Roy Arends <[email protected]> Tue, 4 Aug 2026 13:36:35 +0100
Newsgroups gmane.ietf.dnsop
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Thanks for the explanation, Philip!

> On 4 Aug 2026, at 13:29, Philip Homburg <[email protected]> =
wrote:
>=20
>>   If anyone
>>   is aware of tests demonstrating DNSSEC validation failures
>>   without DE, I'd be interested to see them.
>=20
> I tried this a long time ago with a server that would always return =
DELEG
> records independent of the DE flag.
>=20
>>   As for DELEG records with a parent-side signature: In absence
>>   of an NS RRset (and corresponding proof of absence), the legacy
>>   validating resolver is not aware that it is looking at a delegation
>>   point. As a result, it does not apply any special delegation
>>   semantics to the DELEG RRset. Instead, it treats DELEG as an
>>   unknown authoritative RR type in the responding zone and validates
>>   its RRSIG in the usual way for an unknown RR type.
>>=20
>>   I'm happy to be proven otherwise. However, it is independent of
>>   the discussion about DELEXT being too restrictive.
>=20
> Assume a nameserver ns.example.com, it serves two zones, example.com =
and
> child.example.com. Example.com has delegations to child.example.com =
with
> both NS and DELEG. Both example.com and child.example.com are DNSSEC =
signed.
>=20
> A legacy DNSSEC validating resolver is asked to resolve
> child.example.com/DELEG. Because it is a legacy resolver it expects to =
find
> the DELEG record at the apex of child.example.com. It send a query to=20=

> ns.example.com because that server is authoritative for =
child.example.com.
>=20
> ns.example.com is DELEG-aware and responds to the query with the=20
> child.example.com/DELEG RRset as well as the (parent side) signatures.
>=20
> The resolver expects signatures from child.example.com and not the
> parent-side signatures that it got and concludes bogus.

Yes! Thank you for enlightening me, and I stand corrected. You=E2=80=99ve =
provided a genuine scenario where the DE flag prevents a validating =
resolver from declaring a response bogus.

Roy


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<html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" =
content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body =
style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
line-break: after-white-space;"><p style=3D"margin: 0px; font-width: =
normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; =
font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; =
font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; =
font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; =
font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; =
font-variation-settings: normal;">Thanks for the explanation, =
Philip!</p><div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On 4 Aug 2026, at =
13:29, Philip Homburg &lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div><blockquote type=3D"cite"> =
&nbsp;&nbsp;If anyone<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;is aware of tests demonstrating =
DNSSEC validation failures<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;without DE, I'd be interested =
to see them.<br></blockquote><br>I tried this a long time ago with a =
server that would always return DELEG<br>records independent of the DE =
flag.<br><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"> &nbsp;&nbsp;As for DELEG records =
with a parent-side signature: In absence<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;of an NS RRset =
(and corresponding proof of absence), the legacy<br> =
&nbsp;&nbsp;validating resolver is not aware that it is looking at a =
delegation<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;point. As a result, it does not apply any =
special delegation<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;semantics to the DELEG RRset. =
Instead, it treats DELEG as an<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;unknown authoritative RR =
type in the responding zone and validates<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;its RRSIG in =
the usual way for an unknown RR type.<br><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;I'm happy to =
be proven otherwise. However, it is independent of<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;the =
discussion about DELEXT being too =
restrictive.<br></blockquote><br>Assume a nameserver ns.example.com, it =
serves two zones, example.com and<br>child.example.com. Example.com has =
delegations to child.example.com with<br>both NS and DELEG. Both =
example.com and child.example.com are DNSSEC signed.<br><br>A legacy =
DNSSEC validating resolver is asked to =
resolve<br>child.example.com/DELEG. Because it is a legacy resolver it =
expects to find<br>the DELEG record at the apex of child.example.com. It =
send a query to <br>ns.example.com because that server is authoritative =
for child.example.com.<br><br>ns.example.com is DELEG-aware and responds =
to the query with the <br>child.example.com/DELEG RRset as well as the =
(parent side) signatures.<br><br>The resolver expects signatures from =
child.example.com and not the<br>parent-side signatures that it got and =
concludes bogus.<br></div></div></blockquote><br></div><div>Yes! Thank =
you for enlightening me, and I stand corrected. You=E2=80=99ve provided =
a genuine scenario where the DE flag prevents a validating resolver from =
declaring a response =
bogus.</div><div><br></div><div>Roy</div><br></body></html>=

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