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INFORMATIONAL
Internet Architecture Board (IAB)                              R. BarnesRequest for Comments: 7754                                     A. CooperCategory: Informational                                       O. KolkmanISSN: 2070-1721                                                D. Thaler                                                             E. Nordmark                                                              March 2016Technical Considerations for Internet Service Blocking and FilteringAbstract   The Internet is structured to be an open communications medium.  This   openness is one of the key underpinnings of Internet innovation, but   it can also allow communications that may be viewed as undesirable by   certain parties.  Thus, as the Internet has grown, so have mechanisms   to limit the extent and impact of abusive or objectionable   communications.  Recently, there has been an increasing emphasis on   "blocking" and "filtering", the active prevention of such   communications.  This document examines several technical approaches   to Internet blocking and filtering in terms of their alignment with   the overall Internet architecture.  When it is possible to do so, the   approach to blocking and filtering that is most coherent with the   Internet architecture is to inform endpoints about potentially   undesirable services, so that the communicants can avoid engaging in   abusive or objectionable communications.  We observe that certain   filtering and blocking approaches can cause unintended consequences   to third parties, and we discuss the limits of efficacy of various   approaches.Status of This Memo   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is   published for informational purposes.   This document is a product of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)   and represents information that the IAB has deemed valuable to   provide for permanent record.  It represents the consensus of the   Internet Architecture Board (IAB).  Documents approved for   publication by the IAB are not a candidate for any level of Internet   Standard; seeSection 2 of RFC 5741.   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained athttp://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7754.Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 1]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016Copyright Notice   Copyright (c) 2016 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the   document authors.  All rights reserved.   This document is subject toBCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of   publication of this document.  Please review these documents   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect   to this document.Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 2]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016Table of Contents1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42.  Filtering Examples  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53.  Characteristics of Blocking Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . .73.1.  The Party Who Sets Blocking Policies  . . . . . . . . . .83.2.  Purposes of Blocking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83.2.1.  Blacklist vs. Whitelist Model . . . . . . . . . . . .93.3.  Intended Targets of Blocking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93.4.  Components Used for Blocking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104.  Evaluation of Blocking Design Patterns  . . . . . . . . . . .114.1.  Criteria for Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114.1.1.  Scope: What set of hosts and users are affected?  . .12       4.1.2.  Granularity: How specific is the blocking?  Will               blocking one service also block others? . . . . . . .12       4.1.3.  Efficacy: How easy is it for a resource or service to               avoid being blocked?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13       4.1.4.  Security: How does the blocking impact existing trust               infrastructures?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144.2.  Network-Based Blocking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154.2.1.  Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164.2.2.  Granularity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174.2.3.  Efficacy and Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174.2.4.  Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204.3.  Rendezvous-Based Blocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204.3.1.  Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214.3.2.  Granularity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214.3.3.  Efficacy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214.3.4.  Security and Other Implications . . . . . . . . . . .224.3.5.  Examples  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224.3.6.  Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234.4.  Endpoint-Based Blocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244.4.1.  Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244.4.2.  Granularity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244.4.3.  Efficacy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254.4.4.  Security  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254.4.5.  Server Endpoints  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254.4.6.  Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266.  Conclusion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28   IAB Members at the Time of Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32   Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 3]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 20161.  Introduction   The original design goal of the Internet was to enable communications   between hosts.  As this goal was met and people started using the   Internet to communicate, however, it became apparent that some hosts   were engaging in communications that were viewed as undesirable by   certain parties.  The most famous early example of undesirable   communications was the Morris worm [Morris], which used the Internet   to infect many hosts in 1988.  As the Internet has evolved into a   rich communications medium, so too have mechanisms to restrict   communications viewed as undesirable, ranging from acceptable use   policies enforced through informal channels to technical blocking   mechanisms.   Efforts to restrict or deny access to Internet resources and services   have evolved over time.  As noted in [RFC4084], some Internet service   providers perform filtering to restrict which applications their   customers may use and which traffic they allow on their networks.   These restrictions are often imposed with customer consent, where   customers may be enterprises or individuals.  However, governments,   service providers, and enterprises are increasingly seeking to block   or filter access to certain content, traffic, or services without the   knowledge or agreement of affected users.  Where these organizations   do not directly control networks themselves, they commonly aim to   make use of intermediary systems to implement the blocking or   filtering.   While blocking and filtering remain highly contentious in many cases,   the desire to restrict communications or access to content will   likely continue to exist.   The difference between "blocking" and "filtering" is a matter of   scale and perspective.  "Blocking" often refers to preventing access   to resources in the aggregate, while "filtering" refers to preventing   access to specific resources within an aggregate.  Both blocking and   filtering can be implemented at the level of "services" (web hosting   or video streaming, for example) or at the level of particular   "content."  For the analysis presented in this document, the   distinction between blocking and filtering does not create   meaningfully different conclusions.  Hence, in the remainder of this   document, we will treat the terms as being generally equivalent and   applicable to restrictions on both content and services.   This document aims to clarify the technical implications and trade-   offs of various blocking strategies and to identify the potential for   different strategies to potentially cause harmful side effects   ("collateral damage") for Internet users and the overall Internet   architecture.  This analysis is limited to technical blockingBarnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 4]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   mechanisms.  The scope of the analyzed blocking is limited to   intentional blocking, not accidental blocking due to misconfiguration   or as an unintentional side effect of something else.   Filtering may be considered legal, illegal, ethical, or unethical in   different places, at different times, and by different parties.  This   document is intended for those who are conducting filtering or are   considering conducting filtering and want to understand the   implications of their decisions with respect to the Internet   architecture and the trade-offs that come with each type of filtering   strategy.  This document does not present formulas on how to make   those trade-offs; it is likely that filtering decisions require   knowledge of context-specific details.  Whether particular forms of   filtering are lawful in particular jurisdictions raises complicated   legal questions that are outside the scope of this document.  For   similar reasons, questions about the ethics of particular forms of   filtering are also out of scope.2.  Filtering Examples   Blocking systems have evolved alongside the Internet technologies   they seek to restrict.  Looking back at the history of the Internet,   there have been several such systems deployed by different parties   and for different purposes.   Firewalls: Firewalls of various sorts are very commonly employed at   many points in today's Internet [RFC2979].  They can be deployed   either on end hosts (under user or administrator control) or in the   network, typically at network boundaries.  While the Internet   Security Glossary [RFC4949] contains an extended definition of a   firewall, informally, most people would tend to think of a firewall   as simply "something that blocks unwanted traffic" (see [RFC4948] for   a discussion on many types of unwanted traffic).  While there are   many sorts of firewalls, there are several specific types of firewall   functionality worth noting.   o  Stateless Packet Filtering: Stateless packet filters block      according to content-neutral rules, e.g., blocking all inbound      connections or outbound connections on certain ports, protocols,      or network-layer addresses.  For example, blocking outbound      connections to port 25.   o  Stateful Packet Filtering: More advanced configurations require      keeping state used to enforce flow-based policies, e.g., blocking      inbound traffic for flows that have not been established.Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 5]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   o  Deep Packet Inspection: Yet more advanced configurations perform      deep packet inspection and filter or block based on the content      carried.  Many firewalls include web filtering capabilities (see      below).   Web Filtering: HTTP and HTTPS are common targets for blocking and   filtering, typically targeted at specific URIs.  Some enterprises use   HTTP blocking to block non-work-appropriate web sites, and several   nations require HTTP and HTTPS filtering by their ISPs in order to   block content deemed illegal.  HTTPS is a challenge for these   systems, because the URI in an HTTPS request is carried inside the   encrypted channel.  To block access to content made accessible via   HTTPS, filtering systems thus must either block based on network- and   transport-layer headers (IP address and/or port), or else obtain a   trust anchor certificate that is trusted by endpoints (and thus act   as a man in the middle).  These filtering systems often take the form   of "portals" or "enterprise proxies" presenting their own,   dynamically generated HTTPS certificates.  (See further discussion inSection 5.)   Spam Filtering: Spam filtering is one of the oldest forms of content   filtering.  Spam filters evaluate messages based on a variety of   criteria and information sources to decide whether a given message is   spam.  For example, DNS Blacklists use the reverse DNS to flag   whether an IP address is a known spam source [RFC5782].  Spam filters   can be installed on user devices (e.g., in a mail client), operated   by a mail domain on behalf of users, or outsourced to a third party   that acts as an intermediate MX proxy.   Domain Name Seizure: A number of approaches are used to block or   modify resolution of a domain name.  One approach is to make use of   ICANN's Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (URDP) for the purposes of   dealing with fraudulent use of a name.  Other authorities may require   that domains be blocked within their jurisdictions.  Substantial   research has been performed on the value and efficacy of such   seizures [Takedown08] [BlackLists14].   The precise method of how domain names are seized will vary from   place to place.  One approach in use is for queries to be redirected   to resolve to IP addresses of the authority that hosts information   about the seizure.  The effectiveness of domain seizures will   similarly vary based on the method.  In some cases, the person whose   name was seized will simply use a new name.  In other cases, the   block may only be effective within a region or when specific name   service infrastructure is used.Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 6]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   Seizures can also have overbroad effects, since access to content is   blocked not only within the jurisdiction of the seizure, but   globally, even when it may be affirmatively legal elsewhere   [RojaDirecta].  When domain redirection is effected via redirections   at intermediate resolvers rather than at authoritative servers, it   directly contradicts end-to-end assumptions in the DNS security   architecture [RFC4033], potentially causing validation failures by   validating end-nodes.   Safe Browsing: Modern web browsers provide some measures to prevent   users from accessing malicious web sites.  For instance, before   loading a URI, current versions of Google Chrome and Firefox use the   Google Safe Browsing service to determine whether or not a given URI   is safe to load [SafeBrowsing].  The DNS can also be used to store   third party information that mark domains as safe or unsafe   [RFC5782].   Manipulation of routing and addressing data: Governments have   recently intervened in the management of IP addressing and routing   information in order to maintain control over a specific set of DNS   servers.  As part of an internationally coordinated response to the   DNSChanger malware, a Dutch court ordered the RIPE NCC to freeze the   accounts of several resource holders as a means to limit the resource   holders' ability to use certain address blocks [GhostClickRIPE] (also   seeSection 4.3).  These actions have led to concerns that the number   resource certification system and related secure routing technologies   developed by the IETF's SIDR working group might be subject to   government manipulation as well [RFC6480], potentially for the   purpose of denying targeted networks access to the Internet.   Ingress filtering: Network service providers use ingress filtering   [RFC2827] [RFC3704] as a means to prevent source address spoofing   which is used as a part of other attacks.   Data loss prevention (DLP): Enterprise and other networks are   concerned with potential leaking of confidential information, whether   accidental or intentional.  Some of the tools used for this are   similar to the main subject of this document of blocking and   filtering.  In particular, enterprise proxies might be part of a DLP   solution.3.  Characteristics of Blocking Systems   At a generic level, blocking systems can be characterized by four   attributes: the party who sets the blocking policy, the purpose of   the blocking, the intended target of the blocking, and the Internet   component(s) used as the basis of the blocking system.Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 7]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 20163.1.  The Party Who Sets Blocking Policies   Parties that institute blocking policies include governments, courts,   enterprises, network operators, reputation trackers, application   providers, and individual end users.  A government might create laws   based on cultural norms and/or their elected mandate.  Enterprises   might use cultural, industry, or legal norms to guide their policies.   There can be several steps of translation and transformation from the   original intended purpose -- first to laws, then to (government)   regulation, followed by high-level policies in, e.g., network   operators, and from those policies to filtering architecture and   implementation.  Each of those steps is a potential source of   unintended consequences as discussed in this document.   In some cases, the policy setting entity is the same as the entity   that enforces the policy.  For example, a network operator might   install a firewall in its own networking equipment, or a web   application provider might block responses between its web server and   certain clients.   In other cases, the policy setting entity is different from the   entity that enforces the policy.  Such policy might be imposed upon   the enforcing entity, such as in the case of blocking initiated by   governments, or the enforcing entity might explicitly choose to use   policy set by others, such as in the case of a reputation system used   by a spam filter or safe browsing service.  Because a policy might be   enforced by others, it is best if it can be expressed in a form that   is independent of the enforcing technology.3.2.  Purposes of Blocking   There are a variety of motivations to filter:   o  Preventing or responding to security threats.  Network operators,      enterprises, application providers, and end users often block      communications that are believed to be associated with security      threats or network attacks.   o  Restricting objectionable content or services.  Certain      communications may be viewed as undesirable, harmful, or illegal      by particular governments, enterprises, or users.  Governments may      seek to block communications that are deemed to be defamation,      hate speech, obscenity, intellectual property infringement, or      otherwise objectionable.  Enterprises may seek to restrict      employees from accessing content that is not deemed to be work      appropriate.  Parents may restrict their children from accessing      content or services targeted for adults.Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 8]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   o  Restricting access based on business arrangements.  Some networks      are designed so as to only provide access to certain content or      services ("walled gardens"), or to only provide limited access      until end users pay for full Internet services (captive portals      provided by hotspot operators, for example).3.2.1.  Blacklist vs. Whitelist Model   Note that the purpose for which blocking occurs often dictates   whether the blocking system operates on a blacklist model, where   communications are allowed by default but a subset are blocked, or a   whitelist model, where communications are blocked by default with   only a subset allowed.  Captive portals, walled gardens, and   sandboxes used for security or network endpoint assessment usually   require a whitelist model since the scope of communications allowed   is narrow.  Blocking for other purposes often uses a blacklist model   since only individual content or traffic is intended to be blocked.3.3.  Intended Targets of Blocking   Blocking systems are instituted so as to target particular content,   services, endpoints, or some combination of these.  For example, a   "content" filtering system used by an enterprise might block access   to specific URIs whose content is deemed by the enterprise to be   inappropriate for the workplace.  This is distinct from a "service"   filtering system that blocks all web traffic (perhaps as part of a   parental control system on an end-user device) and also distinct from   an "endpoint" filtering system in which a web application blocks   traffic from specific endpoints that are suspected of malicious   activity.   As discussed inSection 4, the design of a blocking system may affect   content, services, or endpoints other than those that are the   intended targets.  For example, when domain name seizures described   above are intended to address specific web pages associated with   illegal activity, by removing the domains from use, they affect all   services made available by the hosts associated with those names,   including mail services and web services that may be unrelated to the   illegal activity.  Depending on where the block is imposed within the   DNS hierarchy, entirely unrelated organizations may be impacted.Barnes, et al.                Informational                     [Page 9]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 20163.4.  Components Used for Blocking   Broadly speaking, the process of delivering an Internet service   involves three different components:   1.  Endpoints: The actual content of the service is typically an       application-layer protocol between two or more Internet hosts.       In many protocols, there are two endpoints, a client and a       server.   2.  Network services: The endpoints communicate by way of a       collection of IP networks that use routing protocols to determine       how to deliver packets between the endpoints.   3.  Rendezvous services: Service endpoints are typically identified       by identifiers that are more "human-friendly" than IP addresses.       Rendezvous services allow one endpoint to figure out how to       contact another endpoint based on an identifier.  An example of a       rendezvous service is the domain name system.  Distributed Hash       Tables (DHTs) have also been used as rendezvous services.   Consider, for example, an HTTP transaction fetching the content of   the URI <http://example.com/index.html>.  The client endpoint is an   end host running a browser.  The client uses the DNS as a rendezvous   service when it performs a AAAA query to obtain the IP address for   the server name "example.com".  The client then establishes a   connection to the server, and sends the actual HTTP request.  The   server endpoint then responds to the HTTP request.   As another example, in the SIP protocol, the two endpoints   communicating are IP phones, and the rendezvous service is provided   by an application-layer SIP proxy as well as the DNS.   Blocking access to Internet content, services, or endpoints is done   by controlling one or more of the components involved in the   provision of the communications involved in accessing the content,   services, or endpoints.  In the HTTP example above, the successful   completion of the HTTP request could have been prevented in several   ways:   o  [Endpoint] Preventing the client from making the request   o  [Endpoint] Preventing the server from responding to the request   o  [Endpoint] Preventing the client from making the DNS request      needed to resolve example.com   o  [Network] Preventing the request from reaching the serverBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 10]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   o  [Network] Preventing the response from reaching the client   o  [Network] Preventing the client from reaching the DNS servers   o  [Network] Preventing the DNS responses from reaching the client   o  [Rendezvous] Preventing the DNS servers from providing the client      the correct IP address of the server   Those who desire to block communications will typically have access   to only one or two components; therefore their choices for how to   perform blocking will be limited.  End users and application   providers can usually only control their own software and hardware,   which means that they are limited to endpoint-based filtering.  Some   network operators offer filtering services that their customers can   activate individually, in which case end users might have network-   based filtering systems available to them.  Network operators can   control their own networks and the rendezvous services for which they   provide infrastructure support (e.g., DNS resolvers) or to which they   may have access (e.g., SIP proxies), but not usually endpoints.   Enterprises usually have access to their own networks and endpoints   for filtering purposes.  Governments might make arrangements with the   operators or owners of any of the three components that exist within   their jurisdictions to perform filtering.   In the next section, blocking systems designed according to each of   the three patterns -- network services, rendezvous services, and   endpoints -- are evaluated for their technical and architectural   implications.  The analysis is as agnostic as possible as to who sets   the blocking policy (government, end user, network operator,   application provider, or enterprise), but in some cases the way in   which a particular blocking design pattern is used might differ,   depending on the who desires a block.  For example, a network-based   firewall provided by an ISP that parents can elect to use for   parental control purposes will likely function differently from one   that all ISPs in a particular jurisdiction are required to use by the   local government, even though in both cases the same component   (network) forms the basis of the blocking system.4.  Evaluation of Blocking Design Patterns4.1.  Criteria for Evaluation   To evaluate the technical implications of each of the blocking design   patterns, we compare them based on four criteria: scope, granularity,   efficacy, and security.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 11]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 20164.1.1.  Scope: What set of hosts and users are affected?   The Internet is comprised of many distinct autonomous networks and   applications, which means that the impact of a blocking system will   only be within a defined topological scope.  For example, blocking   within an access network will only affect a well-defined set of users   (namely, those connected to the access network).  Blocking performed   by an application provider can affect users across the entire   Internet.   Blocking systems are generally viewed as less objectionable if the   scope of their impact is as narrow as possible while still being   effective, and as long as the impact of the blocking is within the   administrative realm of the policy setting entity.  As mentioned   previously, enterprise blocking systems are commonly deployed, and   will generally have impact on enterprise users.  However, design   flaws in blocking systems may cause the effects of blocking to be   overbroad.  For example, at least one service provider blocking   content in accordance with a regulation has ended up blocking content   for downstream service providers because it filtered routes to   particular systems and did not distribute the original information to   downstream service providers in other jurisdictions   [IN-OM-filtering].  Other service providers have accidentally leaked   such black hole routes beyond the jurisdiction [NW08].  A substantial   amount of work has gone into BGP security to avoid such attacks, but   deployment of such systems lags.4.1.2.  Granularity: How specific is the blocking?Will blocking one        service also block others?   Internet applications are built out of a collection of loosely   coupled components or "layers".  Different layers serve different   purposes and rely on or offer different functions such as routing,   transport, and naming (see [RFC1122], especiallySection 1.1.3).  The   functions at these layers are developed autonomously and almost   always operated by different parties.  For example, in many networks,   physical and link-layer connectivity is provided by an "access   provider", IP routing is performed by an "Internet service provider,"   and application-layer services are provided by completely separate   entities (e.g., web servers).  Upper-layer protocols and applications   rely on combinations of lower-layer functions in order to work.   Functionality at higher layers tends to be more specialized, so that   many different specialized applications can make use of the same   generic underlying network functions.   As a result of this structure, actions taken at one layer can affect   functionality or applications at other layers.  For example,   manipulating routing or naming functions to restrict access to aBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 12]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   narrow set of resources via specific applications will likely affect   all applications that depend on those functions.  As with the scope   criteria, blocking systems are generally viewed as less objectionable   when they are highly granular and do not cause collateral damage to   content or services unrelated to the target of the blocking   [RFC4924].   Even within the application layer, the granularity of blocking can   vary depending on how targeted the blocking system is designed to be.   Blocking all traffic associated with a particular application   protocol is less granular than blocking only traffic associated with   a subset of application instances that make use of that protocol.   Sophisticated heuristics that make use of information about the   application protocol, lower-layer protocols, payload signatures,   source and destination addresses, inter-packet timing, packet sizes,   and other characteristics are sometimes used to narrow the subset of   traffic to be blocked.4.1.3.  Efficacy: How easy is it for a resource or service to avoid        being blocked?   Although blocking a resource or service might have some immediate   effect, efficacy must be evaluated in terms of whether it is easy to   circumvent.  Simply doing a one-time policy is often unlikely to have   lasting efficacy (e.g., see [CleanFeed] and [BlackLists14]).   Experience has shown that, in general, blacklisting requires   continual maintenance of the blacklist itself, both to add new   entries for unwanted traffic and deleting entries when offending   content is removed.  Experience also shows that, depending on the   nature of the block, it may be difficult to determine when to   unblock.  For instance, if a host is blocked because it has been   compromised and used as a source of attack, it may not be plainly   evident when that site has been fixed.   For blacklist-style blocking, the distributed and mobile nature of   Internet resources limits the effectiveness of blocking actions.  A   service that is blocked in one jurisdiction can often be moved or re-   instantiated in another jurisdiction (see, for example,   [Malicious-Resolution]).  Likewise, services that rely on blocked   resources can often be rapidly reconfigured to use non-blocked   resources.  If a web site is prevented from using a domain name or   set of IP addresses, the content can simply be moved to another   domain name or network, or use alternate syntaxes to express the same   resource name (see the discussion of false negatives in [RFC6943]).Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 13]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   In a process known as "snowshoe spamming," a spam originator uses   addresses in many different networks as sources for spam.  This   technique is already widely used to spread spam generation across a   variety of resources and jurisdictions to prevent spam blocking from   being effective.   In the presence of either blacklist or whitelist systems, there are   several ways in which a user or application can try to circumvent the   filters.   The users may choose to use different sets of protocols or otherwise   alter their traffic characteristics to circumvent the filters.  In   some cases, applications may shift their traffic to port 80 or 443   when other ports are blocked.  Or, services may be tunneled within   other services, proxied by a collaborating external host (e.g., an   anonymous redirector), or simply run over an alternate port (e.g.,   port 8080 vs port 80 for HTTP).  Another means of circumvention is   alteration of the service behavior to use a dynamic port negotiation   phase, in order to avoid use of a constant port address.   One of the primary motivations for arguing that HTTP/2 should be   encrypted by default was that unencrypted HTTP 1.1 traffic was   sometimes blocked or improperly processed.  Users or applications   shifting their traffic to encrypted HTTP has the effect of   circumventing filters that depend on the HTTP plaintext payload.   If voice communication based on SIP [RFC3261] is blocked, users are   likely to use applications which use proprietary protocols that allow   them to talk to each other.   Some filtering systems are only capable of identifying IPv4 traffic   and therefore, by shifting to IPv6, users may be able to evade   filtering.  Using IPv6 with header options, using multiple layers of   tunnels, or using encrypted tunnels can also make it more challenging   for blocking systems to find transport ports within packets, making   port-based blocking more difficult.  Thus, distribution and mobility   can hamper efforts to block communications in a number of ways.4.1.4.  Security: How does the blocking impact existing trust        infrastructures?   Modern security mechanisms rely on trusted hosts communicating via a   secure channel without intermediary interference.  Protocols such as   Transport Layer Security (TLS) [RFC5246] and IPsec [RFC4301] are   designed to ensure that each endpoint of the communication knows the   identity of the other endpoint(s) and that only the endpoints of the   communication can access the secured contents of the communication.   For example, when a user connects to a bank's web site, TLS ensuresBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 14]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   that the user's banking information is securely communicated to the   bank and nobody else, ensuring the data remains confidential while in   transit.   Some blocking strategies require intermediaries to insert themselves   within the end-to-end communications path, potentially breaking   security properties of Internet protocols [RFC4924].  In these cases,   it can be difficult or impossible for endpoints to distinguish   between attackers and "authorized" parties conducting blocking.  For   example, an enterprise firewall administrator could gain access to   users' personal bank accounts when users on the enterprise network   connect to bank web sites.   Finally, one needs to evaluate whether a blocking mechanism can be   used by an end user to efficiently locate blocked resources that can   then be accessed via other mechanisms that circumvent the blocking   mechanism.  For example, Clayton [CleanFeed] showed how special   treatment in one blocking system could be detected by end users in   order to efficiently locate illegal web sites, which was thus   counterproductive to the policy objective of the blocking mechanism.4.2.  Network-Based Blocking   Being able to block access to resources without the consent or   cooperation of either endpoint is viewed as a desirable feature by   some that deploy blocking systems.  Systems that have this property   are often implemented using intermediary devices in the network, such   as firewalls or filtering systems.  These systems inspect traffic as   it passes through the network, decide based on the characteristics or   content of a given communication whether it should be blocked, and   then block or allow the communication as desired.  For example, web   filtering devices usually inspect HTTP requests to determine the URI   being requested, compare that URI to a list of blacklisted or   whitelisted URIs, and allow the request to proceed only if it is   permitted by policy.  Firewalls perform a similar function for other   classes of traffic in addition to HTTP.  Some blocking systems focus   on specific application-layer traffic, while others, such as router   Access Control Lists (ACLs), filter traffic based on lower-layer   criteria (transport protocol and source or destination addresses or   ports).   Intermediary systems used for blocking are often not far from the   edge of the network.  For example, many enterprise networks operate   firewalls that block certain web sites, as do some residential ISPs.   In some cases, this filtering is done with the consent or cooperation   of the affected endpoints.  PCs within an enterprise, for example,   might be configured to trust an enterprise proxy, a residential ISP   might offer a "safe browsing" service, or mail clients mightBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 15]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   authorize mail servers on the local network to filter spam on their   behalf.  These cases share some of the properties of the "Endpoint-   Based Blocking" scenarios discussed inSection 4.4 below, since the   endpoint has made an informed decision to authorize the intermediary   to block on its behalf and is therefore unlikely to attempt to   circumvent the blocking.  From an architectural perspective, however,   they may create many of the same problems as network-based filtering   conducted without consent.4.2.1.  Scope   In the case of government-initiated blocking, network operators   subject to a specific jurisdiction may be required to block or   filter.  Thus, it is possible for laws to be structured to result in   blocking by imposing obligations on the operators of networks within   a jurisdiction, either via direct government action or by allowing   private actors to demand blocking (e.g., through lawsuits).   Regardless of who is responsible for a blocking policy, enforcement   can be done using Stateless Packet Filtering, Stateful Packet   Filtering, or Deep Packet Inspection as defined inSection 2.  While   network-based Stateless Packet Filtering has granularity issues   discussed inSection 4.2.2, network-based Stateful Packet Filtering   and Deep Packet Inspection approaches often run into several   technical issues that limit their viability in practice.  For   example, many issues arise from the fact that an intermediary needs   to have access to a sufficient amount of traffic to make its blocking   determinations.   For residential or consumer networks with many egress points, the   first step to obtaining this traffic is simply gaining access to the   constituent packets.  The Internet is designed to deliver packets   independently from source to destination -- not to any particular   point along the way.  Thus, the sequence of packets from the sender   can only be reliably reconstructed at the intended receiver.  In   addition, inter-network routing is often asymmetric, and for   sufficiently complex local networks, intra-network traffic flows can   be asymmetric as well [asymmetry].  Thus, packets in the reverse   direction use a different sent of paths than the forward direction.   This asymmetry means that an intermediary in a network with many   egress points may, depending on topology and configuration, see only   one half of a given communication, which may limit the scope of the   communications that it can filter.  For example, a filter aimed at   requests destined for particular URIs cannot make accurate blocking   decisions based on the URI if it is only in the data path for HTTP   responses and not requests, since the URI is not included in the   responses.  Asymmetry may be surmountable given a filtering systemBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 16]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   with enough distributed, interconnected filtering nodes that can   coordinate information about flows belonging to the same   communication or transaction, but depending on the size of the   network this may imply significant complexity in the filtering   system.  Routing can sometimes be forced to be symmetric within a   given network using routing configuration, NAT, or Layer 2 mechanisms   (e.g., MPLS), but these mechanisms are frequently brittle, complex,   and costly -- and can sometimes result in reduced network performance   relative to asymmetric routing.  Enterprise networks may also be less   susceptible to these problems if they route all traffic through a   small number of egress points.4.2.2.  Granularity   Once an intermediary in a network has access to traffic, it must   identify which packets must be filtered.  This decision is usually   based on some combination of information at the network layer (e.g.,   IP addresses), transport layer (ports), or application layer (URIs or   other content).  Deep Packet Inspection type blocking based on   application-layer attributes can be potentially more granular and   less likely to cause collateral damage than blocking all traffic   associated with a particular address, which can impact unrelated   occupants of the same address.  However, more narrowly focused   targeting may be more complex, less efficient, or easier to   circumvent than filtering that sweeps more broadly, and those who   seek to block must balance these attributes against each other when   choosing a blocking system.4.2.3.  Efficacy and Security   Regardless of the layer at which blocking occurs, it may be open to   circumvention, particularly in cases where network endpoints have not   authorized the blocking.  The communicating endpoints can deny the   intermediary access to attributes at any layer by using encryption   (see below).  IP addresses must be visible, even if packets are   protected with IPsec, but blocking based on IP addresses can be   trivial to circumvent.  A filtered site may be able to quickly change   its IP address using only a few simple steps: changing a single DNS   record and provisioning the new address on its server or moving its   services to the new address [BT-TPB].   Indeed, Poort, et al. [Poort] found that "any behavioural change in   response to blocking access to The Pirate Bay has had no lasting net   impact on the overall number of downloaders from illegal sources, as   new consumers have started downloading from illegal sources and   people learn to circumvent the blocking while new illegal sources may   be launched, causing file sharing to increase again", and that theseBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 17]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   results "are in line with a tendency found in the literature that any   effects of legal action against file sharing often fade out after a   period of typically six months."   If application content is encrypted with a security protocol such as   IPsec or TLS, then the intermediary will require the ability to   decrypt the packets to examine application content, or resort to   statistical methods to guess what the content is.  Since security   protocols are generally designed to provide end-to-end security   (i.e., to prevent intermediaries from examining content), the   intermediary would need to masquerade as one of the endpoints,   breaking the authentication in the security protocol, reducing the   security of the users and services affected, and interfering with   legitimate private communication.  Besides, various techniques that   use public databases with whitelisted keys (e.g., DANE [RFC6698])   enable users to detect these sort of intermediaries.  Those users are   then likely to act as if the service is blocked.   If the intermediary is unable to decrypt the security protocol, then   its blocking determinations for secure sessions can only be based on   unprotected attributes, such as IP addresses, protocol IDs, port   numbers, packet sizes, and packet timing.  Some blocking systems   today still attempt to block based on these attributes, for example   by blocking TLS traffic to known proxies that could be used to tunnel   through the blocking system.   However, as the Telex project [Telex] recently demonstrated, if an   endpoint cooperates with a relay in the network (e.g., a Telex   station), it can create a TLS tunnel that is indistinguishable from   legitimate traffic.  For example, if an ISP used by a banking web   site were to operate a Telex station at one of its routers, then a   blocking system would be unable to distinguish legitimate encrypted   banking traffic from Telex-tunneled traffic (potentially carrying   content that would have been filtered).   Thus, in principle in a blacklist system it is impossible to block   tunneled traffic through an intermediary device without blocking all   secure traffic from that system.  (The only limitation in practice is   the requirement for special software on the client.)  Those who   require that secure traffic be blocked from such sites risk blocking   content that would be valuable to their users, perhaps impeding   substantial economic activity.  Conversely, those who are hosting a   myriad of content have an incentive to see that law abiding content   does not end up being blocked.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 18]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   Governments and network operators should, however, take care not to   encourage the use of insecure communications in the naming of   security, as doing so will invariably expose their users to the   various attacks that the security protocols were put in place to   prevent.   Some operators may assume that only blocking access to resources   available via unsecure channels is sufficient for their purposes --   i.e., that the size of the user base that will be willing to use   secure tunnels and/or special software to circumvent the blocking is   low enough to make blocking via intermediaries worthwhile.  Under   that assumption, one might decide that there is no need to control   secure traffic and thus that network-based blocking is an attractive   option.   However, the longer such blocking systems are in place, the more   likely it is that efficient and easy-to-use tunneling tools will   become available.  The proliferation of the Tor network, for example,   and its increasingly sophisticated blocking-avoidance techniques   demonstrate that there is energy behind this trend [Tor].  Thus,   network-based blocking becomes less effective over time.   Network-based blocking is a key contributor to the arms race that has   led to the development of such tools, the result of which is to   create unnecessary layers of complexity in the Internet.  Before   content-based blocking became common, the next best option for   network operators was port blocking, the widespread use of which has   driven more applications and services to use ports (80 and 443 most   commonly) that are unlikely to be blocked.  In turn, network   operators shifted to finer-grained content blocking over port 80,   content providers shifted to encrypted channels, and operators began   seeking to identify those channels (although doing so can be   resource-prohibitive, especially if tunnel endpoints begin to change   frequently).  Because the premise of network-based blocking is that   endpoints have incentives to circumvent it, this cat-and-mouse game   is an inevitable by-product of this form of blocking.   One reason above all stands as an enormous challenge to network-based   blocking: the Internet was designed with the premise that people will   want to connect and communicate.  IP will run on anything up to and   including carrier pigeons [RFC1149].  It often runs atop TLS and has   been made to run on other protocols that themselves run atop IP.   Because of this fundamental layering approach, nearly any authorized   avenue of communication can be used as a transport.  This same   "problem" permits communications to succeed in the most challenging   of environments.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 19]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 20164.2.4.  Summary   In sum, network-based blocking is only effective in a fairly   constrained set of circumstances.  First, the traffic needs to flow   through the network in such a way that the intermediary device has   access to any communications it intends to block.  Second, the   blocking system needs an out-of-band mechanism to mitigate the risk   of secure protocols being used to avoid blocking (e.g., human   analysts identifying IP addresses of tunnel endpoints).  If the   network is sufficiently complex, or the risk of tunneling too high,   then network-based blocking is unlikely to be effective, and in any   case this type of blocking drives the development of increasingly   complex layers of circumvention.  Network-based blocking can be done   without the cooperation of either endpoint to a communication, but it   has the serious drawback of breaking end-to-end security assurances   in some cases.  The fact that network-based blocking is premised on   this lack of cooperation results in arms races that increase the   complexity of both application design and network design.4.3.  Rendezvous-Based Blocking   Internet applications often require or rely on support from common,   global rendezvous services, including the DNS, certificate   authorities, search engines, WHOIS databases, and Internet Route   Registries.  These services control or register the structure and   availability of Internet applications by providing data elements that   are used by application code.  Some applications also have their own   specialized rendezvous services.  For example, to establish an end-   to-end SIP call, the end-nodes (terminals) rely on presence and   session information supplied by SIP servers.   Global rendezvous services are comprised of generic technical   databases intended to record certain facts about the network.  The   DNS, for example, stores information about which servers provide   services for a given name, and the Resource Public Key Infrastructure   (RPKI) stores information about which organizations have been   allocated IP addresses.  To offer specialized Internet services and   applications, different people rely on these generic records in   different ways.  Thus, the effects of changes to the databases can be   much more difficult to predict than, for example, the effect of   shutting down a web server (which fulfills the specific purpose of   serving web content).   Although rendezvous services are discussed as a single category, the   precise characteristics and implications of blocking each kind of   rendezvous service are slightly different.  This section provides   examples to highlight these differences.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 20]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 20164.3.1.  Scope   In the case of government-initiated blocking, the operators of   servers used to provide rendezvous service that are subject to a   specific jurisdiction may be required to block or filter.  Thus, it   is possible for laws to be structured to result in blocking by   imposing obligations on the operators of rendezvous services within a   jurisdiction, either via direct government action or by allowing   private actors to demand blocking (e.g., through lawsuits).   The scope of blocking conducted by others will depend on which   servers they can access.  For example, network operators and   enterprises may be capable of conducting blocking using their own DNS   resolvers or application proxies within their networks, but not   authoritative servers controlled by others.   However, if a service is hosted and operated within a jurisdiction   where it is considered legitimate, then blocking access at a global   rendezvous service (e.g., one within a jurisdiction where it is   considered illegitimate) might deny services in jurisdictions where   they are considered legitimate.  This type of collateral damage is   lessened when blocking is done at a local rendezvous server that only   has local impact, rather than at a global rendezvous server with   global impact.4.3.2.  Granularity   Blocking at a global rendezvous service can be overbroad if the   resources blocked support multiple services, since blocking service   can cause collateral damage to legitimate uses of other services.   For example, a given address or domain name might host both   legitimate services as well as services that some would desire to   block.4.3.3.  Efficacy   The distributed nature of the Internet limits the efficacy of   blocking based on rendezvous services.  If the Internet community   realizes that a blocking decision has been made and wishes to counter   it, then local networks can "patch" the authoritative data that a   global rendezvous service provides to avoid the blocking (although   the development of DNSSEC and the RPKI are causing this to change by   requiring updates to be authorized).  In the DNS case, registrants   whose names get blocked can relocate their resources to different   names.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 21]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   Endpoints can also choose not to use a particular rendezvous service.   They might switch to a competitor or use an alternate mechanism (for   example, IP literals in URIs to circumvent DNS filtering).4.3.4.  Security and Other Implications   Blocking of global rendezvous services also has a variety of other   implications that may reduce the stability, accessibility, and   usability of the global Internet.  Infrastructure-based blocking may   erode the trust in the general Internet and encourage the development   of parallel or "underground" infrastructures causing forms of   Internet fragmentation, for example.  This risk may become more acute   as the introduction of security infrastructures and mechanisms such   as DNSSEC and RPKI "hardens" the authoritative data -- including   blocked names or routes -- that the existing infrastructure services   provide.  Those seeking to circumvent the blocks may opt to use less-   secure but unblocked parallel services.  As applied to the DNS, these   considerations are further discussed inRFC 2826 [RFC2826], in the   advisory [SAC-056] from ICANN's Security and Stability Advisory   Committee (SSAC), and in the Internet Society's whitepaper on DNS   filtering [ISOCFiltering], but they also apply to other global   Internet resources.4.3.5.  Examples   Below we provide a few specific examples for routing, DNS, and WHOIS   services.  These examples demonstrate that for these types of   rendezvous services (services that are often considered a global   commons), jurisdiction-specific legal and ethical motivations for   blocking can both have collateral effects in other jurisdictions and   be circumvented because of the distributed nature of the Internet.   In 2008, Pakistan Telecom attempted to deny access to YouTube within   Pakistan by announcing bogus routes for YouTube address space to   peers in Pakistan.  YouTube was temporarily denied service on a   global basis as a result of a route leak beyond the Pakistani ISP's   scope, but service was restored in approximately two hours because   network operators around the world reconfigured their routers to   ignore the bogus routes [RenesysPK].  In the context of SIDR and   secure routing, a similar reconfiguration could theoretically be done   if a resource certificate were to be revoked in order to block   routing to a given network.   In the DNS realm, one of the recent cases of U.S. law enforcement   seizing domain names involved RojaDirecta, a Spanish web site.  Even   though several of the affected domain names belonged to Spanish   organizations, they were subject to blocking by the U.S. government   because certain servers were operated in the United States.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 22]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   Government officials required the operators of the parent zones of a   target name (e.g., "com" for "example.com") to direct queries for   that name to a set of U.S.-government-operated name servers.  Users   of other services (e.g., email) under a target name would thus be   unable to locate the servers providing services for that name,   denying them the ability to access these services.   Similar workarounds as those that were used in the Pakistan Telecom   case are also available in the DNS case.  If a domain name is blocked   by changing authoritative records, network operators can restore   service simply by extending TTLs on cached pre-blocking records in   recursive resolvers, or by statically configuring resolvers to return   unblocked results for the affected name.  However, depending on the   availability of valid signature data, these types of workarounds will   not work with DNSSEC-signed data.   The action of the Dutch authorities against the RIPE NCC, where RIPE   was ordered to freeze the accounts of Internet resource holders, is   of a similar character.  By controlling the account holders' WHOIS   information, this type of action limited the ability of the ISPs in   question to manage their Internet resources.  This example is   slightly different from the others because it does not immediately   impact the ability of ISPs to provide connectivity.  While ISPs use   (and trust) the WHOIS databases to build route filters or use the   databases for trouble-shooting information, the use of the WHOIS   databases for those purposes is voluntary.  Thus, seizure of this   sort may not have any immediate effect on network connectivity, but   it may impact overall trust in the common infrastructure.  It is   similar to the other examples in that action in one jurisdiction can   have broader effects, and in that the global system may encourage   networks to develop their own autonomous solutions.4.3.6.  Summary   In summary, rendezvous-based blocking can sometimes be used to   immediately block a target service by removing some of the resources   it depends on.  However, such blocking actions can have harmful side   effects due to the global nature of Internet resources and the fact   that many different application-layer services rely on generic,   global databases for rendezvous purposes.  The fact that Internet   resources can quickly shift between network locations, names, and   addresses, together with the autonomy of the networks that comprise   the Internet, can mean that the effects of rendezvous-based blocking   can be negated on short order in some cases.  For some applications,   rendezvous services are optional to use, not mandatory.  Hence, they   are only effective when the endpoint or the endpoint's network   chooses to use them; they can be routed around by choosing not to useBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 23]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   the rendezvous service or migrating to an alternative one.  To adapt   a quote by John Gilmore, "The Internet treats blocking as damage and   routes around it".4.4.  Endpoint-Based Blocking   Internet users and their devices constantly make decisions as to   whether to engage in particular Internet communications.  Users   decide whether to click on links in suspect email messages; browsers   advise users on sites that have suspicious characteristics; spam   filters evaluate the validity of senders and messages.  If the   hardware and software making these decisions can be instructed not to   engage in certain communications, then the communications are   effectively blocked because they never happen.   There are several systems in place today that advise user systems   about which communications they should engage in.  As discussed   above, several modern browsers consult with "Safe Browsing" services   before loading a web site in order to determine whether the site   could potentially be harmful.  Spam filtering is one of the oldest   types of filtering in the Internet; modern filtering systems   typically make use of one or more "reputation" or "blacklist"   databases in order to make decisions about whether a given message or   sender should be blocked.  These systems typically have the property   that many filtering systems (browsers, Mail Transfer Agents (MTAs))   share a single reputation service.  Even the absence of provisioned   PTR records for an IP address may result in email messages not being   accepted.4.4.1.  Scope   In an endpoint-based blocking system, blocking actions are performed   autonomously, by individual endpoints or their delegates.  The   effects of blocking are thus usually local in scope, minimizing the   effects on other users or other, legitimate services.4.4.2.  Granularity   Endpoint-based blocking avoids some of the limitations of rendezvous-   based blocking: while rendezvous-based blocking can only see and   affect the rendezvous service at hand (e.g., DNS name resolution),   endpoint-based blocking can potentially see into the entire   application, across all layers and transactions.  This visibility can   provide endpoint-based blocking systems with a much richer set of   information for making narrow blocking decisions.  Support for narrow   granularity depends on how the application protocol client and server   are designed, however.  A typical endpoint-based firewall applicationBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 24]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   may have less ability to make fine-grained decisions than an   application that does its own blocking (see [RFC7288] for further   discussion).4.4.3.  Efficacy   Endpoint-based blocking deals well with mobile adversaries.  If a   blocked service relocates resources or uses different resources, a   rendezvous- or network-based blocking approach may not be able to   affect the new resources (at least not immediately).  A network-based   blocking system may not even be able to tell whether the new   resources are being used, if the previously blocked service uses   secure protocols.  By contrast, endpoint-based blocking systems can   detect when a blocked service's resources have changed (because of   their full visibility into transactions) and adjust blocking as   quickly as new blocking data can be sent out through a reputation   system.   The primary challenge to endpoint-based blocking is that it requires   the cooperation of endpoints.  Where this cooperation is willing,   this is a fairly low barrier, requiring only reconfiguration or   software update.  Where cooperation is unwilling, it can be   challenging to enforce cooperation for large numbers of endpoints.   That challenge is exacerbated when the endpoints are a diverse set of   static, mobile, or visiting endpoints.  If cooperation can be   achieved, endpoint-based blocking can be much more effective than   other approaches because it is so coherent with the Internet's   architectural principles.4.4.4.  Security   Endpoint-based blocking is performed at one end of an Internet   communication, and thus avoids the problems related to end-to-end   security mechanisms that network-based blocking runs into and the   challenges to global trust infrastructures that rendezvous-based   blocking creates.4.4.5.  Server Endpoints   In this discussion of endpoint-based blocking, the focus has been on   the consuming side of the end-to-end communication, mostly the client   side of a client-server type connection.  However, similar   considerations apply to the content-producing side of end-to-end   communications, regardless of whether that endpoint is a server in a   client-server connection or a peer in a peer-to-peer type of   connection.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 25]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   For instance, for blocking of web content, narrow targeting can be   achieved through whitelisting methods like password authentication,   whereby passwords are available only to authorized clients.  For   example, a web site might only make adult content available to users   who provide credit card information, which is assumed to be a proxy   for age.   The fact that content-producing endpoints often do not take it upon   themselves to block particular forms of content in response to   requests from governments or other parties can sometimes motivate   those latter parties to engage in blocking elsewhere within the   Internet.   If a service is to be blocked, the best way of doing that is to   disable the service at the server endpoint.4.4.6.  Summary   Out of the three design patterns, endpoint-based blocking is the   least likely to cause collateral damage to Internet services or the   overall Internet architecture.  Endpoint-based blocking systems can   potentially see into all layers involved in a communication, allowing   blocking to be narrowly targeted and can minimize unintended   consequences.  Adversary mobility can be accounted for as soon as   reputation systems are updated with new adversary information.  One   potential drawback of endpoint-based blocking is that it requires the   endpoint's cooperation; implementing blocking at an endpoint when it   is not in the endpoint's interest is therefore difficult to   accomplish because the endpoint's user can disable the blocking or   switch to a different endpoint.5.  Security Considerations   The primary security concern related to Internet service blocking is   the effect that it has on the end-to-end security model of many   Internet security protocols.  When blocking is enforced by an   intermediary with respect to a given communication, the blocking   system may need to obtain access to confidentiality-protected data to   make blocking decisions.  Mechanisms for obtaining such access often   require the blocking system to defeat the authentication mechanisms   built into security protocols.   For example, some enterprise firewalls will dynamically create TLS   certificates under a trust anchor recognized by endpoints subject to   blocking.  These certificates allow the firewall to authenticate as   any web site, so that it can act as a man-in-the-middle on TLSBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 26]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   connections passing through the firewall.  This is not unlike an   external attacker using compromised certificates to intercept TLS   connections.   Modifications such as these obviously make the firewall itself an   attack surface.  If an attacker can gain control of the firewall or   compromise the key pair used by the firewall to sign certificates,   the attacker will have access to the unencrypted data of all current   and recorded TLS sessions for all users behind that firewall, in a   way that is undetectable to users.  Besides, if the compromised key-   pairs can be extracted from the firewall, all users, not only those   behind the firewall, that rely on that public key are vulnerable.   We must also consider the possibility that a legitimate administrator   of such a firewall could gain access to privacy-sensitive   information, such as the bank accounts or health records of users who   access such secure sites through the firewall.  These privacy   considerations motivate legitimate use of secure end-to-end protocols   that often make it difficult to enforce granular blocking policies.   When blocking systems are unable to inspect and surgically block   secure protocols, it is tempting to completely block those protocols.   For example, a web blocking system that is unable to inspect HTTPS   connections might simply block any attempted HTTPS connection.   However, since Internet security protocols are commonly used for   critical services such as online commerce and banking, blocking these   protocols would block access to these services as well, or worse,   force them to be conducted over insecure communication.   Security protocols can, of course, also be used as mechanisms for   blocking services.  For example, if a blocking system can insert   invalid credentials for one party in an authentication protocol, then   the other end will typically terminate the connection based on the   authentication failure.  However, it is typically much simpler to   simply block secure protocols than to exploit those protocols for   service blocking.6.  Conclusion   Filtering will continue to occur on the Internet.  We conclude that,   whenever possible, filtering should be done on the endpoint.   Cooperative endpoints are most likely to have sufficient contextual   knowledge to effectively target blocking; hence, such blocking   minimizes unintended consequences.  It is realistic to expect that at   times filtering will not be done on the endpoints.  In these cases,   promptly informing the endpoint that blocking has occurred provides   necessary transparency to redress any errors, particularly as they   relate to any collateral damage introduced by errant filters.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 27]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   Blacklist approaches are often a game of "cat and mouse", where those   with the content move it around to avoid blocking.  Or, the content   may even be naturally mirrored or cached at other legitimate sites   such as the Internet Archive Wayback Machine [Wayback].  At the same   time, whitelists provide similar risks because sites that had   "acceptable" content may become targets for "unacceptable content",   and similarly, access to perfectly inoffensive and perhaps useful or   productive content is unnecessarily blocked.   From a technical perspective, there are no perfect or even good   solutions -- there is only least bad.  On that front, we posit that a   hybrid approach that combines endpoint-based filtering with network   filtering may prove least damaging.  An endpoint may choose to   participate in a filtering regime in exchange for the network   providing broader unfiltered access.   Finally, we note that where filtering is occurring to address content   that is generally agreed to be inappropriate or illegal, strong   cooperation among service providers and governments may provide   additional means to identify both the victims and the perpetrators   through non-filtering mechanisms, such as partnerships with the   finance industry to identify and limit illegal transactions.7.  Informative References   [asymmetry]              John, W., Dusi, M., and K. Claffy, "Estimating routing              symmetry on single links by passive flow measurements",              Proceedings of the 6th International Wireless              Communications and Mobile Computing Conference, IWCMC '10,              DOI 10.1145/1815396.1815506, 2010,              <http://www.caida.org/publications/papers/2010/estimating_routing_symmetry/estimating_routing_symmetry.pdf>.   [BlackLists14]              Chachra, N., McCoy, D., Savage, S., and G. Voelker,              "Empirically Characterizing Domain Abuse and the Revenue              Impact of Blacklisting", Workshop on the Economics of              Information Security 2014,              <http://www.econinfosec.org/archive/weis2014/papers/Chachra-WEIS2014.pdf>.   [BT-TPB]   Meyer, D., "BT blocks The Pirate Bay", June 2012,              <http://www.zdnet.com/bt-blocks-the-pirate-bay-4010026434/>.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 28]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   [CleanFeed]              Clayton, R., "Failures in a Hybrid Content Blocking              System", Fifth Privacy Enhancing Technologies Workshop,              PET 2005, DOI 10.1007/11767831_6, 2005,              <http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rnc1/cleanfeed.pdf>.   [GhostClickRIPE]              RIPE NCC, "RIPE NCC Blocks Registration in RIPE Registry              Following Order from Dutch Police", 2012,              <http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/ripe-ncc-blocks-registration-in-ripe-registry-following-order-from-dutch-police>.   [IN-OM-filtering]              Citizen Lab, "Routing Gone Wild: Documenting upstream              filtering in Oman via India", July 2012,              <https://citizenlab.org/2012/07/routing-gone-wild/>.   [ISOCFiltering]              Internet Society, "DNS: Finding Solutions to Illegal              On-line Activities", 2012,              <http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/issues/dns/finding-solutions-illegal-line-activities>.   [Malicious-Resolution]              Dagon, D., Provos, N., Lee, C., and W. Lee, "Corrupted DNS              Resolution Paths: The Rise of a Malicious Resolution              Authority", 2008,              <http://www.citi.umich.edu/u/provos/papers/ndss08_dns.pdf>.   [Morris]   Kehoe, B., "The Robert Morris Internet Worm", 1992,              <http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/morris-worm.html>.   [NW08]     Marsan, C., "YouTube/Pakistan incident: Could something              similar whack your site?", Network World, March 2008,              <http://www.networkworld.com/article/2284273/software/youtube-pakistan-incident--could-something-similar-whack-your-site-.html>.   [Poort]    Poort, J., Leenheer, J., van der Ham, J., and C. Dumitru,              "Baywatch: Two approaches to measure the effects of              blocking access to The Pirate Bay", Telecommunications              Policy 38:383-392, DOI 10.1016/j.telpol.2013.12.008, 2014,              <http://staff.science.uva.nl/~vdham/research/publications/1401-Baywatch.pdf>.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 29]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   [RenesysPK]              Brown, M., "Pakistan hijacks YouTube", February 2008,              <http://research.dyn.com/2008/02/pakistan-hijacks-youtube-1/>.   [RFC1122]  Braden, R., Ed., "Requirements for Internet Hosts -              Communication Layers", STD 3,RFC 1122,              DOI 10.17487/RFC1122, October 1989,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1122>.   [RFC1149]  Waitzman, D., "Standard for the transmission of IP              datagrams on avian carriers",RFC 1149,              DOI 10.17487/RFC1149, April 1990,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1149>.   [RFC2826]  Internet Architecture Board, "IAB Technical Comment on the              Unique DNS Root",RFC 2826, DOI 10.17487/RFC2826, May              2000, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2826>.   [RFC2827]  Ferguson, P. and D. Senie, "Network Ingress Filtering:              Defeating Denial of Service Attacks which employ IP Source              Address Spoofing",BCP 38,RFC 2827, DOI 10.17487/RFC2827,              May 2000, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2827>.   [RFC2979]  Freed, N., "Behavior of and Requirements for Internet              Firewalls",RFC 2979, DOI 10.17487/RFC2979, October 2000,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2979>.   [RFC3261]  Rosenberg, J., Schulzrinne, H., Camarillo, G., Johnston,              A., Peterson, J., Sparks, R., Handley, M., and E.              Schooler, "SIP: Session Initiation Protocol",RFC 3261,              DOI 10.17487/RFC3261, June 2002,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3261>.   [RFC3704]  Baker, F. and P. Savola, "Ingress Filtering for Multihomed              Networks",BCP 84,RFC 3704, DOI 10.17487/RFC3704, March              2004, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3704>.   [RFC4033]  Arends, R., Austein, R., Larson, M., Massey, D., and S.              Rose, "DNS Security Introduction and Requirements",RFC 4033, DOI 10.17487/RFC4033, March 2005,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4033>.   [RFC4084]  Klensin, J., "Terminology for Describing Internet              Connectivity",BCP 104,RFC 4084, DOI 10.17487/RFC4084,              May 2005, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4084>.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 30]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   [RFC4301]  Kent, S. and K. Seo, "Security Architecture for the              Internet Protocol",RFC 4301, DOI 10.17487/RFC4301,              December 2005, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4301>.   [RFC4924]  Aboba, B., Ed. and E. Davies, "Reflections on Internet              Transparency",RFC 4924, DOI 10.17487/RFC4924, July 2007,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4924>.   [RFC4948]  Andersson, L., Davies, E., and L. Zhang, "Report from the              IAB workshop on Unwanted Traffic March 9-10, 2006",RFC 4948, DOI 10.17487/RFC4948, August 2007,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4948>.   [RFC4949]  Shirey, R., "Internet Security Glossary, Version 2",              FYI 36,RFC 4949, DOI 10.17487/RFC4949, August 2007,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4949>.   [RFC5246]  Dierks, T. and E. Rescorla, "The Transport Layer Security              (TLS) Protocol Version 1.2",RFC 5246,              DOI 10.17487/RFC5246, August 2008,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5246>.   [RFC5782]  Levine, J., "DNS Blacklists and Whitelists",RFC 5782,              DOI 10.17487/RFC5782, February 2010,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5782>.   [RFC6480]  Lepinski, M. and S. Kent, "An Infrastructure to Support              Secure Internet Routing",RFC 6480, DOI 10.17487/RFC6480,              February 2012, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6480>.   [RFC6698]  Hoffman, P. and J. Schlyter, "The DNS-Based Authentication              of Named Entities (DANE) Transport Layer Security (TLS)              Protocol: TLSA",RFC 6698, DOI 10.17487/RFC6698, August              2012, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6698>.   [RFC6943]  Thaler, D., Ed., "Issues in Identifier Comparison for              Security Purposes",RFC 6943, DOI 10.17487/RFC6943, May              2013, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6943>.   [RFC7288]  Thaler, D., "Reflections on Host Firewalls",RFC 7288,              DOI 10.17487/RFC7288, June 2014,              <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7288>.Barnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 31]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016   [RojaDirecta]              Masnick, M., "Homeland Security Seizes Spanish Domain Name              That Had Already Been Declared Legal", 2011,              <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110201/10252412910/homeland-security-seizes-spanish-domain-name-that-had-already-been-declared-legal.shtml>.   [SAC-056]  ICANN SSAC, "SSAC Advisory on Impacts of Content Blocking              via the Domain Name System", October 2012,              <http://www.icann.org/en/groups/ssac/documents/sac-056-en.pdf>.   [SafeBrowsing]              Google, "Safe Browsing API", 2012,              <https://developers.google.com/safe-browsing/>.   [Takedown08]              Moore, T. and R. Clayton, "The Impact of Incentives on              Notice and Take-down", Workshop on the Economics of              Information Security 2008,              <http://www.econinfosec.org/archive/weis2008/papers/MooreImpact.pdf>.   [Telex]    Wustrow, E., Wolchok, S., Goldberg, I., and J. Halderman,              "Telex: Anticensorship in the Network Infrastructure",              <https://telex.cc/>.   [Tor]      "Tor Project: Anonymity Online",              <https://www.torproject.org/>.   [Wayback]  "Internet Archive: Wayback Machine",              <http://archive.org/web/>.IAB Members at the Time of Approval   Jari Arkko   Mary Barnes   Marc Blanchet   Ralph Droms   Ted Hardie   Joe Hildebrand   Russ Housley   Erik Nordmark   Robert Sparks   Andrew Sullivan   Dave Thaler   Brian Trammell   Suzanne WoolfBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 32]

RFC 7754          Blocking and Filtering Considerations       March 2016Acknowledgments   Thanks to the many reviewers who provided helpful comments,   especially Bill Herrin, Eliot Lear, Patrik Faltstrom, Pekka Savola,   and Russ White.  NLnet Labs is also acknowledged as Olaf Kolkman's   employer during most of this document's development.Authors' Addresses   Richard Barnes   Mozilla   Suite 300   650 Castro Street   Mountain View, CA  94041   United States   Email: rlb@ipv.sx   Alissa Cooper   Cisco   707 Tasman Drive   Milpitas, CA  95035   United States   Email: alcoop@cisco.com   Olaf Kolkman   Internet Society   Email: kolkman@isoc.org   Dave Thaler   Microsoft   One Microsoft Way   Redmond, WA  98052   United States   Email: dthaler@microsoft.com   Erik Nordmark   Arista   Email: nordmark@arista.comBarnes, et al.                Informational                    [Page 33]

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