DNSSEC : once correct, always correct ?

Marc Lampo marc.lampo at eurid.eu
Wed Aug 17 14:18:50 UTC 2011


Hello,

Experimenting with key roll-over timing conditions,
with a Bind 9.7.3 setup, I noticed, today, that this
version does not re-validate DNSSEC data, once
something makes it into its cache.

I wonder though, if that is correct ?

What I noticed :
- some data (with "long" TTL) is queried for a first time
 --> answer is with AD bit set (I know : for info only)
               and with corresponding RRSIG (generated with old ZSK)
- then I replaced the ZSK :
   old ZSK --> new ZSK (a "quick" ZSK roll-over)
  and resigned the zone
   --> new RRSIG (generated with new ZSK)
- when the DNSKEY RRset timed-out from the caching name server,
  I queried for the same data again
  (to my surprise)
  --> the answer is again with AD bit set,
                    and again with the (old) RRSIG
      (querylog from the auth NS does not show any query
       for DNSKEY information)
- indeed, when queried for DNSKEY RRset, with "+norecurse",
 --> no DNSKEY's in the cache, 0 returned
- when queried for DNSKEY RRset, *without* "+norecurse",
 --> *new* DNSKEY RRset is in the cache
     (in the cache are now both the *old* RRSIG and the *new* ZSK)
- again : querying for the initial data (with "long" TTL)
          still yields the old RRSIG
          (that cannot be decrypted with the new DNSKEY)


It looks like once DNSSEC'd data validates correctly,
that version of Bind will keep reusing that data (until TTL expires).


While it may make sense, to save on CPU cycles,
I am unsure if that behaviour is correct :
suppose a validating *forwarding* name server
 (or validating resolvers in clients, once we they become available)
 addresses this caching name server in that "condition".
It would :
1) receive, from the cache, the data + (old) RRSIG
2) when queried for it, because the forwarding name server wants to
   validate, it will deliver the (new) DNSKEY's
--> validation should now fail !!!

Very confusing for debugging :
One validating name server yields AD-'d data;
the other, using the first one, yields SERVFAIL ...

If I overlooked something obvious,
sorry for the interrupt (but thanks for sending clarifying references).

Thanks and kind regards,


Marc Lampo
Security Officer
 
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