Attention is currently required from: plaisthos, ralf_lici.

stipa has posted comments on this change by stipa. ( 
http://gerrit.openvpn.net/c/openvpn/+/1752?usp=email )

Change subject: oob: Add --server-probe-reply to advertise probe reply values
......................................................................


Patch Set 25:

(2 comments)

File doc/man-sections/server-options.rst:

http://gerrit.openvpn.net/c/openvpn/+/1752/comment/2df5a7be_fd1f0939?usp=email :
PS24, Line 691: A UDP server
              :   answers probes by default, whether or not this option is given
> IMHO this is a wrong design decision. […]
I would keep it on by default, but I take the point that it should be a 
conscious decision, so let me spell out the reasoning.

Probing only works when servers answer; if every admin has to turn it on, 
clients see no replies for years and the feature is dead on arrival. That is 
how other protocol capabilities have gone in: a server announces IV_ flags, 
answers ECHO, sends PUSH_UPDATE, without a switch per feature. The reply is 
stateless, costs one small packet, is rate-limited, is only ever sent for a 
probe that passed the control channel wrapping and the timestamp check (now 
with a budget for stale ones), and carries nothing the server does not already 
reveal in its reset.

The ordering effect you describe is real: after an upgrade, upgraded servers 
get preferred over old ones by probing clients. But that is what the old ones 
would get once upgraded too, and the admin who does not want it has 
--server-probe-reply off, and the one who wants a policy has the values. The 
RFC leaves this open ("the server can then reply").

If you still think the default is wrong I will flip it, but I would rather not 
ship a feature that is off everywhere.


File src/openvpn/mudp.c:

http://gerrit.openvpn.net/c/openvpn/+/1752/comment/ac3e9c44_e0cca7be?usp=email :
PS24, Line 131:         && opcode_is_oob(*BPTR(&m->top.c2.buf) >> 
P_OPCODE_SHIFT))
> `opcode_is_oob` identifies the generic OOB envelope, not a `SERVER_PROBE` 
> specifically. […]
Right, once ECHO and ACC go out-of-band this would silence them too. Moved the 
check to after the packet is unwrapped and parsed as a SERVER_PROBE, so off 
disables exactly the probe reply.



-- 
To view, visit http://gerrit.openvpn.net/c/openvpn/+/1752?usp=email
To unsubscribe, or for help writing mail filters, visit 
http://gerrit.openvpn.net/settings?usp=email

Gerrit-MessageType: comment
Gerrit-Project: openvpn
Gerrit-Branch: master
Gerrit-Change-Id: Id74cfae7e9d69029d2ddbf635ee85a2a6cedc3d8
Gerrit-Change-Number: 1752
Gerrit-PatchSet: 25
Gerrit-Owner: stipa <[email protected]>
Gerrit-Reviewer: plaisthos <[email protected]>
Gerrit-Reviewer: ralf_lici <[email protected]>
Gerrit-CC: openvpn-devel <[email protected]>
Gerrit-Attention: plaisthos <[email protected]>
Gerrit-Attention: ralf_lici <[email protected]>
Gerrit-Comment-Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:39:20 +0000
Gerrit-HasComments: Yes
Gerrit-Has-Labels: No
Comment-In-Reply-To: ralf_lici <[email protected]>
_______________________________________________
Openvpn-devel mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/openvpn-devel

Reply via email to