RFC 2460, "Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification", December 1998

Note: This RFC has been obsoleted by RFC 8200

Note: This RFC has been updated by RFC 5095, RFC 5722, RFC 5871, RFC 6437, RFC 6564, RFC 6935, RFC 6946, RFC 7045, RFC 7112

Errata ID: 4279
Status: Held for Document Update
Type: Technical
Publication Format(s) : TEXT
Reported By: Paul Aitken
Date Reported: 2015-02-24
Held for Document Update by: Brian Haberman
Date Held: 2015-03-09

Section 3 says:

   Hop Limit            8-bit unsigned integer.  Decremented by 1 by
                        each node that forwards the packet. The packet
                        is discarded if Hop Limit is decremented to
                        zero.

It should say:

TBD

Notes:

The original text overlooks the case that a node receives a packet which already has a hop limit of zero (eg, coming from a misbehaving node, or malicious traffic). Following the instructions in that case would result in decrementing the hop limit from 0 to -1 (so, 255), then forwarding the packet.

The text also doesn't state what a non-forwarding node (ie, a host) should do upon reception of a packet which already has a hop limit of zero: should the packet be accepted or dropped?


* While the above issues are worth discussing, they are beyond the scope of an erratum. Discussion on updating the text to handle Hop Limits from malicious or misbehaving nodes should be taken up within the working group. *

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