This document is obsolete. Please
refer to RFC 4668.
Network Working Group B. Aboba Request for Comments: 2618 G. Zorn Category: Standards Track Microsoft June 1999
RADIUS Authentication Client MIB
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
This memo defines a set of extensions which instrument RADIUS authentication client functions. These extensions represent a portion of the Management Information Base (MIB) for use with network management protocols in the Internet community. Using these extensions IP-based management stations can manage RADIUS authentication clients.
This memo defines a portion of the Management Information Base (MIB) for use with network management protocols in the Internet community. In particular, it describes managed objects used for managing RADIUS authentication clients.
Today a wide range of network devices, including routers and NASes, act as RADIUS authentication clients in order to provide authentication and authorization services. As a result, the effective management of RADIUS authentication clients is of considerable importance.
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The SNMP Management Framework presently consists of five major components:
o An overall architecture, described in RFC 2571 [1].
o Mechanisms for describing and naming objects and events for the purpose of management. The first version of this Structure of Management Information (SMI) is called SMIv1 and described in STD 16, RFC 1155 [2], STD 16, RFC 1212 [3] and RFC 1215 [4]. The second version, called SMIv2, is described in STD 58, RFC 2578 [5], RFC 2579 [6] and RFC 2580 [7].
o Message protocols for transferring management information. The first version of the SNMP message protocol is called SNMPv1 and described in STD 15, RFC 1157 [8]. A second version of the SNMP message protocol, which is not an Internet standards track protocol, is called SNMPv2c and described in RFC 1901 [9] and RFC 1906 [10]. The third version of the message protocol is called SNMPv3 and described in RFC 1906 [10], RFC 2572 [11] and RFC 2574 [12].
o Protocol operations for accessing management information. The first set of protocol operations and associated PDU formats is described in STD 15, RFC 1157 [8]. A second set of protocol operations and associated PDU formats is described in RFC 1905 [13].
o A set of fundamental applications described in RFC 2573 [14] and the view-based access control mechanism described in RFC 2575 [15].
Managed objects are accessed via a virtual information store, termed the Management Information Base or MIB. Objects in the MIB are defined using the mechanisms defined in the SMI.
This memo specifies a MIB module that is compliant to the SMIv2. A MIB conforming to the SMIv1 can be produced through the appropriate translations. The resulting translated MIB must be semantically equivalent, except where objects or events are omitted because no translation is possible (use of Counter64). Some machine readable information in SMIv2 will be converted into textual descriptions in SMIv1 during the translation process. However, this loss of machine readable information is not considered to change the semantics of the MIB.
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The RADIUS authentication protocol, described in [16], distinguishes between the client function and the server function. In RADIUS authentication, clients send Access-Requests, and servers reply with Access-Accepts, Access-Rejects, and Access-Challenges. Typically NAS devices implement the client function, and thus would be expected to implement the RADIUS authentication client MIB, while RADIUS authentication servers implement the server function, and thus would be expected to implement the RADIUS authentication server MIB.
However, it is possible for a RADIUS authentication entity to perform both client and server functions. For example, a RADIUS proxy may act as a server to one or more RADIUS authentication clients, while simultaneously acting as an authentication client to one or more authentication servers. In such situations, it is expected that RADIUS entities combining client and server functionality will support both the client and server MIBs.
IMPORTS MODULE-IDENTITY, OBJECT-TYPE, OBJECT-IDENTITY, Counter32, Integer32, Gauge32, IpAddress, TimeTicks, mib-2 FROM SNMPv2-SMI SnmpAdminString FROM SNMP-FRAMEWORK-MIB MODULE-COMPLIANCE, OBJECT-GROUP FROM SNMPv2-CONF;
radiusAuthClientMIB MODULE-IDENTITY LAST-UPDATED "9906110000Z" -- 11 Jun 1999 ORGANIZATION "IETF RADIUS Working Group." CONTACT-INFO " Bernard Aboba Microsoft
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RFC 2618 RADIUS Authentication Client MIB June 1999
One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 US
Phone: +1 425 936 6605 EMail: bernarda@microsoft.com" DESCRIPTION "The MIB module for entities implementing the client side of the Remote Access Dialin User Service (RADIUS) authentication protocol." REVISION "9906110000Z" -- 11 Jun 1999 DESCRIPTION "Initial version as published in RFC 2618" ::= { radiusAuthentication 2 }
radiusMIB OBJECT-IDENTITY STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The OID assigned to RADIUS MIB work by the IANA." ::= { mib-2 67 }
radiusAuthClientInvalidServerAddresses OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Response packets received from unknown addresses." ::= { radiusAuthClient 1 }
radiusAuthClientIdentifier OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX SnmpAdminString MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The NAS-Identifier of the RADIUS authentication client. This is not necessarily the same as sysName in MIB II." ::= { radiusAuthClient 2 }
radiusAuthServerTable OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX SEQUENCE OF RadiusAuthServerEntry MAX-ACCESS not-accessible
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STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The (conceptual) table listing the RADIUS authentication servers with which the client shares a secret." ::= { radiusAuthClient 3 }
radiusAuthServerEntry OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX RadiusAuthServerEntry MAX-ACCESS not-accessible STATUS current DESCRIPTION "An entry (conceptual row) representing a RADIUS authentication server with which the client shares a secret." INDEX { radiusAuthServerIndex } ::= { radiusAuthServerTable 1 }
radiusAuthServerIndex OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Integer32 (1..2147483647) MAX-ACCESS not-accessible STATUS current DESCRIPTION "A number uniquely identifying each RADIUS Authentication server with which this client communicates." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 1 }
RFC 2618 RADIUS Authentication Client MIB June 1999
STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The IP address of the RADIUS authentication server referred to in this table entry." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 2 }
radiusAuthClientServerPortNumber OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Integer32 (0..65535) MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The UDP port the client is using to send requests to this server." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 3 }
radiusAuthClientRoundTripTime OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX TimeTicks MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The time interval (in hundredths of a second) between the most recent Access-Reply/Access-Challenge and the Access-Request that matched it from this RADIUS authentication server." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 4 }
radiusAuthClientAccessRequests OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Request packets sent to this server. This does not include retransmissions." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 5 }
radiusAuthClientAccessRetransmissions OBJECT-TYPE
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SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Request packets retransmitted to this RADIUS authentication server." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 6 }
radiusAuthClientAccessAccepts OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Accept packets (valid or invalid) received from this server." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 7 }
radiusAuthClientAccessRejects OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Reject packets (valid or invalid) received from this server." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 8 }
radiusAuthClientAccessChallenges OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Challenge packets (valid or invalid) received from this server." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 9 }
-- "Access-Response" includes an Access-Accept, Access-Challenge -- or Access-Reject
radiusAuthClientMalformedAccessResponses OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of malformed RADIUS Access-Response packets received from this server. Malformed packets include packets with an invalid length. Bad authenticators or Signature attributes or unknown types are not
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included as malformed access responses." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 10 }
radiusAuthClientBadAuthenticators OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Response packets containing invalid authenticators or Signature attributes received from this server." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 11 }
radiusAuthClientPendingRequests OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Gauge32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS Access-Request packets destined for this server that have not yet timed out or received a response. This variable is incremented when an Access-Request is sent and decremented due to receipt of an Acess-Accept, Access-Reject or Access-Challenge, a timeout or retransmission." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 12 }
radiusAuthClientTimeouts OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of authentication timeouts to this server. After a timeout the client may retry to the same server, send to a different server, or give up. A retry to the same server is counted as a retransmit as well as a timeout. A send to a different server is counted as a Request as well as a timeout." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 13 }
radiusAuthClientUnknownTypes OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS packets of unknown type which were received from this server on the authentication port." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 14 }
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radiusAuthClientPacketsDropped OBJECT-TYPE SYNTAX Counter32 MAX-ACCESS read-only STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The number of RADIUS packets of which were received from this server on the authentication port and dropped for some other reason." ::= { radiusAuthServerEntry 15 }
radiusAuthClientMIBCompliance MODULE-COMPLIANCE STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The compliance statement for authentication clients implementing the RADIUS Authentication Client MIB." MODULE -- this module MANDATORY-GROUPS { radiusAuthClientMIBGroup }
RFC 2618 RADIUS Authentication Client MIB June 1999
radiusAuthClientBadAuthenticators, radiusAuthClientPendingRequests, radiusAuthClientTimeouts, radiusAuthClientUnknownTypes, radiusAuthClientPacketsDropped } STATUS current DESCRIPTION "The basic collection of objects providing management of RADIUS Authentication Clients." ::= { radiusAuthClientMIBGroups 1 }
[1] Harrington, D., Presuhn, R., and B. Wijnen, "An Architecture for Describing SNMP Management Frameworks", RFC 2571, April 1999.
[2] Rose, M., and K. McCloghrie, "Structure and Identification of Management Information for TCP/IP-based Internets", STD 16, RFC 1155, May 1990.
[3] Rose, M., and K. McCloghrie, "Concise MIB Definitions", STD 16, RFC 1212, March 1991.
[4] Rose, M., "A Convention for Defining Traps for use with the SNMP", RFC 1215, Performance Systems International, March 1991.
[5] McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser, "Structure of Management Information Version 2 (SMIv2)", STD 58, RFC 2578, April 1999.
[6] McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser, "Textual Conventions for SMIv2", STD 58, RFC 2579, April 1999.
[7] McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser, "Conformance Statements for SMIv2", STD 58, RFC 2580, April 1999.
[8] Case, J., Fedor, M., Schoffstall, M., and J. Davin, "Simple Network Management Protocol", STD 15, RFC 1157, May 1990.
[9] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S. Waldbusser, "Introduction to Community-based SNMPv2", RFC 1901, January 1996.
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[10] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S. Waldbusser, "Transport Mappings for Version 2 of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC 1906, January 1996.
[11] Case, J., Harrington D., Presuhn R., and B. Wijnen, "Message Processing and Dispatching for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)", RFC 2572, April 1999.
[12] Blumenthal, U., and B. Wijnen, "User-based Security Model for Version 3 of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv3)", RFC 2574, April 1999.
[13] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S. Waldbusser, "Protocol Operations for Version 2 of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC 1905, January 1996.
[14] Levi, D., Meyer, P., and B. Stewart, "SNMP Applications", RFC 2573, April 1999.
[15] Wijnen, B., Presuhn, R., and K. McCloghrie, "View-based Access Control Model for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)", RFC 2575, April 1999.
[16] Rigney, C., Rubens, A., Simpson W. and S. Willens, "Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS)", RFC 2138, April 1997.
There are no management objects defined in this MIB that have a MAX- ACCESS clause of read-write and/or read-create. So, if this MIB is implemented correctly, then there is no risk that an intruder can alter or create any management objects of this MIB via direct SNMP SET operations.
There are a number of managed objects in this MIB that may contain sensitive information. These are:
radiusAuthServerAddress This can be used to determine the address of the RADIUS authentication server with which the client is communicating. This information could be useful in mounting an attack on the authentication server.
radiusAuthClientServerPortNumber This can be used to determine the port number on which the RADIUS authentication client is sending. This information could be useful in impersonating the client in order to send data to the authentication
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server.
It is thus important to control even GET access to these objects and possibly to even encrypt the values of these object when sending them over the network via SNMP. Not all versions of SNMP provide features for such a secure environment.
SNMPv1 by itself is not a secure environment. Even if the network itself is secure (for example by using IPSec), there is no control as to who on the secure network is allowed to access and GET/SET (read/change/create/delete) the objects in this MIB.
It is recommended that the implementers consider the security features as provided by the SNMPv3 framework. Specifically, the use of the User-based Security Model RFC 2574 [12] and the View-based Access Control Model RFC 2575 [15] is recommended. Using these security features, customer/users can give access to the objects only to those principals (users) that have legitimate rights to GET or SET (change/create/delete) them.
The authors acknowledge the contributions of the RADIUS Working Group in the development of this MIB. Thanks to Narendra Gidwani of Microsoft, Allan C. Rubens of MERIT, Carl Rigney of Livingston and Peter Heitman of American Internet Corporation for useful discussions of this problem space.
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Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999). All Rights Reserved.
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