netdev - Re: [RFC] tcp: allow timestamps even if SYN packet has tsval=0

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Message-ID: <49B7D1F2.5090504@cosmosbay.com>
Date:	Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:00:02 +0100
From:	Eric Dumazet <dada1@...mosbay.com>
To:	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>
CC:	netdev@...r.kernel.org, ilpo.jarvinen@...sinki.fi
Subject: Re: [RFC] tcp: allow timestamps even if SYN packet has tsval=0

David Miller a écrit :
> From: Eric Dumazet <dada1@...mosbay.com>
> Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:17:54 +0100
> 
>> So apparently WindowsXP sends a NULL tsval in SYN packet, then
>> subsequent packets get a real value (60498) in this case.
>>
>> This seems to work on other OS as well, so is the following patch
>> considered evil ?  Do we have security concerns or only risking
>> windows client to have slightly wrong rtt estimation at the begining
>> of the tcp session ?
> 
> I think we'll have to accept this.
> 
> I don't see other systems blocking initial ts_ecn values of
> zero like we do.

ts_ecn ? You meant tsval ?

OK, here is a patch against net-next-2.6 with a Changelog and Signoff then.

Thank you

[PATCH] tcp: allow timestamps even if SYN packet has tsval=0

Some systems send SYN packets with apparently wrong RFC1323 timestamp
option values [timestamp tsval=0 tsecr=0].
It might be for security reasons (http://www.secuobs.com/plugs/25220.shtml )

Linux TCP stack ignores this option and sends back a SYN+ACK packet
without timestamp option, thus many TCP flows cannot use timestamps
and lose some benefit of RFC1323.

Other operating systems seem to not care about initial tsval value, and let
tcp flows to negotiate timestamp option.

Signed-off-by: Eric Dumazet <dada1@...mosbay.com>
---

diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
index cf74c41..4a55854 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c
@@ -1226,15 +1226,6 @@ int tcp_v4_conn_request(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb)
 	if (want_cookie && !tmp_opt.saw_tstamp)
 		tcp_clear_options(&tmp_opt);
 
-	if (tmp_opt.saw_tstamp && !tmp_opt.rcv_tsval) {
-		/* Some OSes (unknown ones, but I see them on web server, which
-		 * contains information interesting only for windows'
-		 * users) do not send their stamp in SYN. It is easy case.
-		 * We simply do not advertise TS support.
-		 */
-		tmp_opt.saw_tstamp = 0;
-		tmp_opt.tstamp_ok  = 0;
-	}
 	tmp_opt.tstamp_ok = tmp_opt.saw_tstamp;
 
 	tcp_openreq_init(req, &tmp_opt, skb);

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