RFC 9873: Additional Email Address Extension for the Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP)
- D. Belyavsky,
- J. Gould,
- S. Hollenbeck
Abstract
The Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) does not inherently support internationaliz
Status of This Memo
This is an Internet Standards Track document.¶
This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has received public review and has been approved for publication by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 7841.¶
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1. Introduction
The framework for internationaliz
While this extension adds support for an additional email address to contact objects, and that additional email address can be an SMTPUTF8 address, it does not in any way update or change any other EPP extension that includes an email address. Adding support for SMTPUTF8 addresses to those extensions will require an update to the relevant extension specifications. In cases where a contact object contains two email addresses, all users of these addresses should be aware that either address may be forwarded to the other. This implies that a message sent to an ASCII-only address may receive a reply from an SMTPUTF8 address or vice versa.¶
1.1. Conventions Used in This Document
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.¶
XML is case sensitive. Unless stated otherwise, XML specifications and examples provided in this document MUST be interpreted in the character case presented in order to develop a conforming implementation.¶
In examples, "C:" represents lines sent by a protocol client, and "S:" represents lines returned by a protocol server. Indentation and white space in the examples are provided only to illustrate element relationships and are not REQUIRED in the protocol.¶
The XML namespace prefix "addlEmail" is used for the namespace
"urn
2. Email Address Specification
The EPP contact object mapping [RFC5733] normatively references [RFC5322] as the specification for email address syntax. That specification does not include support for internationaliz
3. Additional Email Address Element
A second email address can be set using the <addl
- <addl
Email :email> : - An element following the syntax in Section 2 for defining a second ASCII or SMTPUTF8 address. An empty <addl
Email :email /> element unsets the second email address in the Update Command (Section 5.2.5) and indicates the second email is not set in the Info Response (Section 5.1.2). The <addl Email :email> element contains an OPTIONAL "primary" attribute that can be used to indicate that the extension email address should be treated as the primary email address for the extended contact object. The "primary" attribute MUST NOT be present if the <addl Email :email> is empty.¶
Additional email address considerations:¶
4. Extension Considerations
4.1. Signaling Client and Server Support
As described in Section 2.4 of [RFC5730], the client and the server can signal support for the extension using a
namespace URI in the login and greeting extension services, respectively. The
namespace URI "urn
4.2. Extension Behavior
4.2.1. Extension Negotiated
If both client and server have indicated support for SMTPUTF8 addresses during session establishment, they MUST be able to process an SMTPUTF8 address in any extended contact object during the established EPP session. Server and client obligations when this extension has been successfully negotiated in the EPP session are described below.¶
The server MUST satisfy the following obligations when support for this extension has been negotiated:¶
The client MUST satisfy the following obligations when support for this extension has been negotiated:¶
4.2.2. Extension Not Negotiated
An extended contact object MUST NOT be provided or returned by either an EPP client or an EPP server when support for this extension is not successfully negotiated at the start of an EPP session.¶
5. EPP Command Mapping
A detailed description of the EPP syntax and semantics can be found in the EPP core protocol specification [RFC5730]. This section defines the provisioning of an alternate email address.¶
5.1. EPP Query Commands
EPP provides three commands to retrieve object information: <check> to determine if an object can be provisioned, <info> to retrieve information associated with an object, and <transfer> to retrieve object-transfer status information.¶
5.1.1. EPP <check> Command
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <check> command or <check> response described in [RFC5730].¶
5.1.2. EPP <info> Command
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <info> command response described in [RFC5730].¶
If the query is successful, the server replies with an <addl
5.1.3. EPP <transfer> Query Command
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <transfer> query command or <transfer> query response described in [RFC5730].¶
5.2. EPP Transform Commands
EPP provides five commands to transform objects: <create> to create an instance of an object, <delete> to delete an instance of an object, <renew> to extend the validity period of an object, <transfer> to manage object sponsorship changes, and <update> to change information associated with an object.¶
5.2.1. EPP <create> Command
This extension defines additional elements to extend the EPP <create> command described in [RFC5733].¶
The EPP <create> command provides a transform operation that allows a client to create an instance of an object.
In addition to the EPP command elements described in [RFC5733], the command MUST contain a
child <addl
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <create> response described in [RFC5730].¶
5.2.2. EPP <delete> Command
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <delete> command or <delete> response described in [RFC5730].¶
5.2.3. EPP <renew> Command
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <renew> command or <renew> response described in [RFC5730].¶
5.2.4. EPP <transfer> Command
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <transfer> command or <transfer> response described in [RFC5730].¶
5.2.5. EPP <update> Command
This extension defines additional elements to extend the EPP <update> command described in [RFC5733].¶
The EPP <update> command provides a transform operation that allows a client to update an instance of an object.
In addition to the EPP command elements described in [RFC5733], the command MUST contain a
child <addl
This extension does not add any elements to the EPP <update> response described in [RFC5730].¶
6. Formal Syntax
The EPP Additional Email Address Extension schema is presented here.¶
The formal syntax shown here is a complete XML Schema [W3C
6.1. EPP Additional Email Address Extension Schema
7. IANA Considerations
7.1. XML Namespace
This document uses URNs to describe XML namespaces and XML schemas conforming to a registry mechanism described in [RFC3688]. The following URI assignments have been made by IANA:¶
Registration for the addlEmail namespace:¶
- URI:
- urn
:ietf :params :xml :ns :epp :addl Email -1 .0¶ - Registrant Contact:
- IESG¶
- XML:
- None. Namespace URIs do not represent an XML specification.¶
Registration for the addlEmail XML Schema:¶
7.2. EPP Extension Registry
The EPP extension described in this document have been registered by IANA in the "Extensions for the Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP)" registry described in [RFC7451]. The details of the registration are as follows:¶
8. Security Considerations
As noted in Sections 10.1 and 13 of [RFC6530], unconstrained Unicode in email addresses can introduce a class of security threats that do not exist with ASCII-only email addresses. As EPP exists in ecosystems where email addresses passed in EPP are displayed in the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) and other services, and copy-and-paste of these email addresses is common for businesses transferring domains via EPP, there should be safeguards against these threats. Therefore, use of the SMTPUTF8 email addresses as described in this document SHOULD be done with policies that disallow the use of unconstrained Unicode. The domain-part of these SMTPUTF8 email addresses SHOULD conform to IDNA2008 [RFC5895]. The local-part of these SMTPUTF8 email addresses SHOULD be restricted to Unicode that does not introduce the threats noted in [RFC6530]. One such possible solution would be to disallow characters outside of Unicode Annex 31 [Unicode-UAX31].¶
As an email address is often a primary end user contact, an invalid email address may put communication with the end user at risk when such contact is necessary. In case of an invalid domain name in the email address, a malicious actor can register a valid domain name with a similar U-label (homograph attack) and assume control over the domain name associated with the contact using social engineering techniques. To reduce the risk of the use of invalid domain names in email addresses, registries SHOULD validate the domain name syntax in provided email addresses and validate whether the domain name consists of the code points listed in the "IDNA Rules and Derived Property Values" registry <https://
Note that the syntax for internationaliz
9. Privacy Considerations
The content of <addl
10. References
10.1. Normative References
- [RFC2119]
-
Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC2119 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc2119 - [RFC3688]
-
Mealling, M., "The IETF XML Registry", BCP 81, RFC 3688, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC3688 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc3688 - [RFC5321]
-
Klensin, J., "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol", RFC 5321, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC5321 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc5321 - [RFC5322]
-
Resnick, P., Ed., "Internet Message Format", RFC 5322, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC5322 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc5322 - [RFC5730]
-
Hollenbeck, S., "Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP)", STD 69, RFC 5730, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC5730 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc5730 - [RFC5733]
-
Hollenbeck, S., "Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) Contact Mapping", STD 69, RFC 5733, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC5733 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc5733 - [RFC5890]
-
Klensin, J., "Internationaliz
ed Domain Names for Applications (IDNA): Definitions and Document Framework" , RFC 5890, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC5890 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc5890 - [RFC6530]
-
Klensin, J. and Y. Ko, "Overview and Framework for Internationaliz
ed Email" , RFC 6530, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC6530 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc6530 - [RFC6531]
-
Yao, J. and W. Mao, "SMTP Extension for Internationaliz
ed Email" , RFC 6531, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC6531 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc6531 - [RFC6532]
-
Yang, A., Steele, S., and N. Freed, "Internationaliz
ed Email Headers" , RFC 6532, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC6532 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc6532 - [RFC8174]
-
Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC 2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC8174 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc8174 - [W3C
.REC -xmlschema -1 -20041028] -
Beech, D., Ed., Thompson, H., Ed., Maloney, M., Ed., and N. Mendelsohn, Ed., "XML Schema Part 1: Structures Second Edition", W3C Recommendation, , <https://
www >..w3 .org /TR /2004 /REC -xmlschema -1 -20041028 / - [W3C
.REC -xmlschema -2 -20041028] -
Malhotra, A., Ed. and P. V. Biron, Ed., "XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes Second Edition", W3C Recommendation, , <https://
www >..w3 .org /TR /2004 /REC -xmlschema -2 -20041028
10.2. Informative References
- [RFC5198]
-
Klensin, J. and M. Padlipsky, "Unicode Format for Network Interchange", RFC 5198, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC5198 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc5198 - [RFC5895]
-
Resnick, P. and P. Hoffman, "Mapping Characters for Internationaliz
ed Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) 2008" , RFC 5895, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC5895 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc5895 - [RFC7451]
-
Hollenbeck, S., "Extension Registry for the Extensible Provisioning Protocol", RFC 7451, DOI 10
.17487 , , <https:///RFC7451 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc7451 - [STD95]
-
Internet Standard 95, <https://
www >..rfc -editor .org /info /std95
At the time of writing, this STD comprises the following:Newton, A., Ellacott, B., and N. Kong, "HTTP Usage in the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP)", STD 95, RFC 7480, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC7480 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc7480 Hollenbeck, S. and N. Kong, "Security Services for the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP)", STD 95, RFC 7481, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC7481 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc7481 Hollenbeck, S. and A. Newton, "Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) Query Format", STD 95, RFC 9082, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC9082 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc9082 Hollenbeck, S. and A. Newton, "JSON Responses for the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP)", STD 95, RFC 9083, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC9083 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc9083 Blanchet, M., "Finding the Authoritative Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) Service", STD 95, RFC 9224, DOI 10.17487 , , <https:///RFC9224 www >..rfc -editor .org /info /rfc9224 - [Unicode-UAX31]
-
Davis, M., Ed. and R. Leroy, Ed., "Unicode Identifiers and Syntax", Version 16.0.0, Unicode Standard Annex #31, , <https://
www >. Latest version available at <https://.unicode .org /reports /tr31 /tr31 -41 .html www >..unicode .org /reports /tr31 /
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Alexander Mayrhofer, Chris Lonvick, Gustavo Lozano, Jody Kolker, John C. Klensin, John Levine, Klaus Malorny, Marc Blanchet, Marco Schrieck, Mario Loffredo, Murray S. Kucherawy, Patrick Mevzek, Pete Resnick, Takahiro Nemoto, Taras Heichenko, Arnt Gulbrandsen, Thomas Corte, Gavin Brown, and Andrew Newton for their careful review and valuable comments.¶