Re: [B.A.T.M.A.N.] [PATCH] batman-adv: allow snooping gratuitous ARP Replies

["Linus Lüssing" <linus.luessing@c0d3.blue>]

Hi Antonio,

On Fri, Feb 15, 2019 at 04:36:08PM +1000, Antonio Quartulli wrote:
> Is there any situation where an OS would reject a gracious ARP? Or are
> they always blindly accepted and processed accordingly?
> If they have any protection against any misuse, I guess batman-adv
> should try to do the same.

I have played some more with gratuitous ARPs and this is what I
could find out:

sysfs, /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/<iface>/*arp*:

drop_gratuitous_arp = 0 (default)
arp_accept = 0 (default)
-> no new address added via gratuitous ARP
   cmp.: https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v4.20.10/source/net/ipv4/arp.c#L872
-> but existing entries are updated

drop_gratuitous_arp = 1:
-> grat. ARP ignored completely
   cmp.: https://elixir.bootlin.com/linux/v4.20.10/source/net/ipv4/arp.c#L776

drop_gratuitous_arp = 0 (default)
arp_accept = 1
-> grat. ARP Reply updates existing entries and creates new ones


Also, I noticed that using a zero MAC address for the ethernet header
destination did not work. Even if setting promisc-mode on the veth
in its extra network namespace interface, the neighbor table would
not be populated. Using the broadcast MAC for the ethernet header
(and arp_accept = 1) worked, though. But would defeat the idea
of using gratuitous ARP to populate the DHT without flooded
messages. I wasn't able to spot where the ethernet destination is
checked yet.

Regards, Linus