Secure Name Resolution for Identifier-to-Locator Mappings in the Global Internet

Abstract

A recent trend in clean-slate network design has been to separate the role of identifiers from network locators. An essential component to such a separation is the ability to resolve names into network addresses. One challenge facing name resolution is securing the name resolution service. This paper examines the security of a clean-slate name resolution service suitable for mobile networking. We begin with a high-level threat analysis, and identify several types of attacks that may be used against name resolution services. We then present secure protocols that together form a secure global name resolution service. Specifically, we present a secure update protocol that allows users to update their network addresses as they migrate and that includes several checkpoints that prevents spoofing, collusion, stale identifiers and false identifier announcements. Since the primary function behind a name resolution service is to respond to address-lookup queries, we also present a secure query protocol. Finally, we address the security risks associated with IP holes that can arise in a global name resolution service.