Re: IPv4 route with IPv6 gateway

"Nitsche, Elia" <[email protected]> Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:13:50 +0000
Newsgroups gmane.os.openbsd.tech
Message-ID <[email protected]>
Hi,

I started implementing this too, but I am using a route flag (currently set by

sbin/route). Your approach might be cleaner though.


Also my diff, does not set the correct ipv4 address in icmp message send from

router nodes without an ivp4 address. I dont see any code for this in your diff

either.

(currently sends as 0.0.0.0, should be 192.0.0.8; see RFC draft-ietf-intarea-v4-via)


elia


Index: route.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sbin/route/route.c,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.267 route.c
--- route.c    9 May 2024 08:35:40 -0000    1.267
+++ route.c    21 Jul 2026 14:05:13 -0000
@@ -790,6 +790,11 @@ newroute(int argc, char **argv)
         flags |= RTF_HOST;
     if (iflag == 0)
         flags |= RTF_GATEWAY;
+    if (so_dst.sin.sin_family == AF_INET && so_gate.sin6.sin6_family == AF_INET6) {
+        flags |= RTF_6NHOB;
+        fmask |= RTF_6NHOB;
+    }
     for (attempts = 1; ; attempts++) {
         errno = 0;
         if ((ret = rtmsg(*cmd, flags, fmask, prio)) == 0)

Index: net/if.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/net/if.c,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.763 if.c
--- net/if.c    22 Mar 2026 23:14:00 -0000    1.763
+++ net/if.c    21 Jul 2026 13:13:55 -0000
@@ -935,7 +935,10 @@ if_output_tso(struct ifnet *ifp, struct
         break;
 #ifdef INET6
     case AF_INET6:
-        ifcap = IFCAP_TSOv6;
+        if (rt == NULL || !(rt->rt_flags & RTF_6NHOP))
+            ifcap = IFCAP_TSOv6;
+        else
+            ifcap = IFCAP_TSOv4;
         break;
 #endif
     default:
@@ -960,7 +963,13 @@ if_output_tso(struct ifnet *ifp, struct
             break;
 #ifdef INET6
         case AF_INET6:
-            in6_proto_cksum_out(*mp, ifp);
+            if (rt == NULL || !(rt->rt_flags & RTF_6NHOP)) {
+                in6_proto_cksum_out(*mp, ifp);
+            } else {
+                in_hdr_cksum_out(*mp, ifp);
+                in_proto_cksum_out(*mp, ifp);
+            }
             break;
 #endif
         }
Index: net/if_ethersubr.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.308 if_ethersubr.c
--- net/if_ethersubr.c    19 Dec 2025 02:04:13 -0000    1.308
+++ net/if_ethersubr.c    21 Jul 2026 13:13:55 -0000
@@ -265,7 +265,11 @@ ether_resolve(struct ifnet *ifp, struct
         error = nd6_resolve(ifp, rt, m, dst, eh->ether_dhost);
         if (error)
             return (error);
-        eh->ether_type = htons(ETHERTYPE_IPV6);
+        if (rt == NULL || !(rt->rt_flags & RTF_6NHOP)) {
+            eh->ether_type = htons(ETHERTYPE_IPV6);
+        } else {
+            eh->ether_type = htons(ETHERTYPE_IP);
+        }
         break;
 #endif
 #ifdef MPLS
Index: net/route.h
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/net/route.h,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.218 route.h
--- net/route.h    14 Jul 2025 08:48:51 -0000    1.218
+++ net/route.h    21 Jul 2026 13:13:55 -0000
@@ -167,11 +167,12 @@ struct rtentry {
 #define RTF_BROADCAST    0x400000    /* route associated to a bcast addr. */
 #define RTF_CONNECTED    0x800000    /* interface route */
 #define RTF_BFD        0x1000000    /* Link state controlled by BFD */
+#define RTF_6NHOP        0x2000000    /* v4 route with v6 next hop */

 /* mask of RTF flags that are allowed to be modified by RTM_CHANGE */
 #define RTF_FMASK    \
     (RTF_LLINFO | RTF_PROTO1 | RTF_PROTO2 | RTF_PROTO3 | RTF_BLACKHOLE | \
-     RTF_REJECT | RTF_STATIC | RTF_MPLS | RTF_BFD)
+     RTF_REJECT | RTF_STATIC | RTF_MPLS | RTF_BFD | RTF_6NHOP)

 /* Routing priorities used by the different routing protocols */
 #define RTP_NONE    0    /* unset priority use sane default */


________________________________
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Denis Fondras <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, July 20, 2026 5:39:24 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: IPv4 route with IPv6 gateway

Hello,

Inspired by https://labs.ripe.net/author/remco-van-mook/a-farewell-to-arps-ipv4-service-on-ipv6-only-networks/ I decided to check how OpenBSD behaves when an IPv4 route uses an IPv6 gateway.

With the help of a small diff below, I can :

```
$ doas ifconfig iwm0 192.168.21.234/32 up
$ doas ifconfig iwm0 inet6 eui64
$ doas route add default fe80::764d:28ff:fe83:fbdc%iwm0
$ route -n get default
   route to: 0.0.0.0
destination: 0.0.0.0
       mask: 0.0.0.0
    gateway: fe80::764d:28ff:fe83:fbdc%iwm0
  interface: iwm0
 if address: 192.168.21.234
   priority: 12 ()
      flags: <UP,GATEWAY,DONE,STATIC>
     use       mtu    expire
     665         0         0
$ ping 8.8.8.8
PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=0 ttl=116 time=12.392 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_seq=1 ttl=116 time=11.987 ms
^C
--- 8.8.8.8 ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/std-dev = 11.987/12.190/12.392/0.202 ms
$ arp -an
Host                                 Ethernet Address    Netif Expire    Flags
192.168.21.234                       fe:e1:ba:d0:c9:9b    iwm0 permanent l
$ ndp -an
Neighbor                                Linklayer Address   Netif Expire    S Flags
fe80::764d:28ff:fe83:fbdc%iwm0          74:4d:28:83:fb:dc    iwm0 23h59m6s  S R
fe80::fce1:baff:fed0:c99b%iwm0          fe:e1:ba:d0:c9:9b    iwm0 permanent R l
```

Index: net/if.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/net/if.c,v
diff -u -p -r1.763 if.c
--- net/if.c    22 Mar 2026 23:14:00 -0000      1.763
+++ net/if.c    20 Jul 2026 15:28:03 -0000
@@ -928,8 +928,12 @@ if_output_tso(struct ifnet *ifp, struct
 {
         uint32_t ifcap;
         int error;
+       int af = dst->sa_family;

-       switch (dst->sa_family) {
+       if (*mp != NULL)
+               af = (*mp)->m_pkthdr.ph_family;
+
+       switch (af) {
         case AF_INET:
                 ifcap = IFCAP_TSOv4;
                 break;
@@ -939,7 +943,7 @@ if_output_tso(struct ifnet *ifp, struct
                 break;
 #endif
         default:
-               unhandled_af(dst->sa_family);
+               unhandled_af(af);
         }

         /*
@@ -953,7 +957,7 @@ if_output_tso(struct ifnet *ifp, struct
                 return error;

         if ((*mp)->m_pkthdr.len <= mtu) {
-               switch (dst->sa_family) {
+               switch (af) {
                 case AF_INET:
                         in_hdr_cksum_out(*mp, ifp);
                         in_proto_cksum_out(*mp, ifp);
Index: net/if_ethersubr.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c,v
diff -u -p -r1.308 if_ethersubr.c
--- net/if_ethersubr.c  19 Dec 2025 02:04:13 -0000      1.308
+++ net/if_ethersubr.c  20 Jul 2026 15:28:03 -0000
@@ -265,7 +265,10 @@ ether_resolve(struct ifnet *ifp, struct
                 error = nd6_resolve(ifp, rt, m, dst, eh->ether_dhost);
                 if (error)
                         return (error);
-               eh->ether_type = htons(ETHERTYPE_IPV6);
+               if (rt != NULL && rt->rt_dest->sa_family == AF_INET)
+                       eh->ether_type = htons(ETHERTYPE_IP);
+               else
+                       eh->ether_type = htons(ETHERTYPE_IPV6);
                 break;
 #endif
 #ifdef MPLS
Index: netinet/ip_output.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/netinet/ip_output.c,v
diff -u -p -r1.417 ip_output.c
--- netinet/ip_output.c 6 May 2026 11:36:13 -0000       1.417
+++ netinet/ip_output.c 20 Jul 2026 15:28:03 -0000
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ reroute:
         /*
          * If TSO or small enough for interface, can just send directly.
          */
+       m->m_pkthdr.ph_family = AF_INET;
         error = if_output_tso(ifp, &m, sintosa(dst), ro->ro_rt, mtu);
         if (error || m == NULL)
                 goto done;
Index: netinet6/ip6_forward.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/netinet6/ip6_forward.c,v
diff -u -p -r1.130 ip6_forward.c
--- netinet6/ip6_forward.c      23 Jun 2026 15:45:00 -0000      1.130
+++ netinet6/ip6_forward.c      20 Jul 2026 15:28:03 -0000
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ reroute:
         }
 #endif

+       m->m_pkthdr.ph_family = AF_INET6;
         error = if_output_tso(ifp, &m, dst, rt, ifp->if_mtu);
         if (error)
                 ip6stat_inc(ip6s_cantforward);
Index: netinet6/ip6_output.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/sys/netinet6/ip6_output.c,v
diff -u -p -r1.306 ip6_output.c
--- netinet6/ip6_output.c       25 Jun 2026 13:16:44 -0000      1.306
+++ netinet6/ip6_output.c       20 Jul 2026 15:28:03 -0000
@@ -661,6 +661,7 @@ reroute:
          * transmit packet without fragmentation
          */
         if (dontfrag || tlen <= mtu) {                  /* case 1-a and 2-a */
+               m->m_pkthdr.ph_family = AF_INET6;
                 error = if_output_tso(ifp, &m, sin6tosa(dst), ro->ro_rt,
                     ifp->if_mtu);
                 if (error || m == NULL)