C++ (BSD Sockets) - Modify incoming packets before forwarding: - c++

I'm using a Linux (Debian based) system on which IP forwarding is enabled (/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward is set to 1). I can read the incoming packets using a C++ raw sockets program, but I want to modify their content before they are forwarded (using BSD sockets only). This link mentions that I can use an "iptables REDIRECT rule" to send the incoming packets to a port my program is listening on, but I didn't find any information on how exactly this should be done. Mainly, I want to know:
How I should forward the packets after modifying them. Do I have to send them manually from the program to their destination address after they are received and modified?
What I should do in case the program isn't listening on a particular port (e.g. a program concerned with only the IP headers of the packets).
In case it matters receiving and forwarding are done on the same wireless interface. I have to forward packets to, and receive packets from devices on the same WLAN.

Related

Getting the destination IP of incoming UDP packet in C++

I found the function: GetTcpTable in C++. In the header: iphlpapi.h. That gives me the destination IP of TCP packet and I was wondering if there's a function from the same header that would give me the destination IP of UDP packet... I tried the function: GetUdpTable but it gives only the local IP and port. I will be more than happy if that function has also code example in C++ of course. Thank you anyway!
EDIT:
I using pcap.h now and i still don't know how to catch UDP packets and take from them the ip. There is a code that i can use?
GetTcpTable() does not give you the destination IP of TCP packets. It merely gives you a list of currently listening TCP ports and active TCP connections.
GetUdpTable() can give you the list of currently listening UDP ports, where UDP packets can be sent to. There are no connections in UDP.
But, if you want to know the actual destination IP for each UDP packet received, and without having to use a low-level capture library like WinPCap, then you can use the WSARecvMsg() function to receive your UDP packets, rather than using the recvfrom() or even recv() function.
WSARecvMsg() can report metadata about each packet, most notably the IP_PKTINFO (IPv4) and IPV6_PKTINFO (IPv6) control blocks, which specify the destination IP of the packet and the index of the network interface that received the packet.
You need to use WSAIoctl(SIO_GET_EXTENSION_FUNCTION_POINTER) to obtain a pointer to the WSARecvMsg() function (see Why is the WSARecvMsg function implemented as a function pointer and can this pointer be reused? for the reason why), and use setsockopt() to enable the IP_PKTINFO/IPV6_PKTINFO socket option, before you start calling WSARecvMsg() to receive packets.
See Function to retrieve the header destination address from a packet in windows XP for an example.

IPv6 black holing packets from a local TCP socket

I'm developing an application for WAN data optimisation, including SQUID (using TPROXY redirect) for web caching. The software modifies the TCP options to negotiate parameters with another remote instance of the software (used in the optimisation algorithm). Since SQUID will establish the TCP connection with the requesting browser and the WAN packets may be sent over an IPSec tunnel the software MUST run between these two components.
I've be able configure the system such that SQUID will correctly handle the LAN side request, and on a cache miss send packets into my software (using a TUN/TAP interface), modify the TCP header (and correct the csum) and send it back into the kernel through a second TUN/TAP interface.
For packets being sent into the WAN after a cache miss:
For IPv4 if I sent rp_filter=2 on the first tap (and manually add the ARP entries) the packets are correctly routed
For IPv6 the kernel seems to black hole the TCP SYN sent from SQUID. This is a packet associated with a socket created locally, received back into the (same) kernel to be routed out to the WAN. If I modify the source or destination ports (i.e. make it look like a different socket) of the packet it is correctly routed out the tunnel/interface.
Are there any sysctl parameters / cleverness in iptables that could explain why these packets are dropped and how do I fix it?

How to find the destination address of a UDP packet using boost::asio?

I'm developing a peer-to-peer communications network for use over a LAN in an industrial environment. Some messages are are just asynchronous, and don't require a response. Others are request-response. The request messages (and the async messages) are sent to a multicast group, and the replies to requests are sent unicast. Each endpoint, therefore, receives UDP packets that are sent to the multicast group, and also receives messages that are just sent to it using plain unicast.
So far it's working fine, but there doesn't seem to be any way in boost::asio to find out the destination address of a received UDP packet (using socket.async_receive_from) - whether it was sent to the multicast group or the actual interface. I can use the contents of the message to infer whether it was sent multicast or unicast, but it would be nice to be able to also check the destination address.
We are currently using Windows 7, but will be transitioning to Linux in the future.
Is there a way to find the destination address of a UDP packet received using boost::asio?
Unfortunately this is not possible with boost::asio, and usually is not "the way to do" it, as you try to access Transport Layer information at the Application Layer.
So you basically have two options:
a) Write non-portable system code with for example IP_PKTINFO or SO_BINDTODEVICE on Linux. Example Code can be found on the boost asio mailing list here
b) use two distinct sockets, one for the multicast and one for the unicast. You therefore need to specify a listen_address other than "0.0.0.0" on each socket.
udp::endpoint(address_v4::from_string("239.192.152.143"), 6771)
This Question on SO might also be helpful: Using a specific network interface for a socket in windows

Sending arbitrary (raw) packets

I've seen it asked elsewhere but no one answers it to my satisfaction: how can I receive and send raw packets?
By "raw packets", I mean where I have to generate all the headers and data, so that the bytes are completely arbitrary, and I am not restricted in any way. This is why Microsofts RAW sockets won't work, because you can't send TCP or UDP packets with incorrect source addresses.
I know you can send packets like I want to with WinPCAP but you cannot receive raw information with it, which I also need to do.
First of all decide what protocol layer you want to test malformed data on:
Ethernet
If you want to generate and receive invalid Ethernet frames with a wrong ethernet checksum, you are more or less out of luck as the checksumming is often done in hardware, and in the cases they're not, the driver for the NIC performs the checksumming and there's no way around that at least on Windows. NetBSD provides that option for most of it drivers that does ethernet checksumming in the OS driver though.
The alternative is to buy specialized hardware, (e.g. cards from Napatech, you might find cheaper ones though), which provides an API for sending and receiving ethernet frames however invalid you would want.
Be aware that sending by sending invalid ethernet frames, the receiving end or a router inbetween will just throw the frames away, they will never reach the application nor the OS IP layer. You'll be testing the NIC or NIC driver on the receiving end.
IP
If all you want is to send/receive invalid IP packets, winpcap lets you do this. Generate the packets, set up winpcap to capture packets, use winpcap to send..
Be aware that packets with an invalid IP checksum other invalid fields, the TCP/IP stack the receiving application runs on will just throw the IP packets away, as will any IP/layer 3 router inbetween the sender and receiver do. They will not reach the application. If you're generating valid IP packets, you'll also need to generate valid UDP and implement a TCP session with valid TCP packets yourself in order for the application to process them, otherwise they'll also be thrown away by the TCP/IP stack
You'll be testing the lower part of the TCP/IP stack on the receiving end.
TCP/UDP
This is not that different from sending/receiving invalid IP packets. You an do all this with winpcap, though routers will not throw them away, as long as the ethernet/IP headers are ok. An application will not receive these packets though, they'll be thrown away by the TCP/IP stack.
You'll be testing the upperpart of the TCP/IP stack on the receiving end.
Application Layer
This is the (sane) way of actually testing the application(unless your "application" actually is a TCP/IP stack, or lower). You send/receive data as any application would using sockets, but generate malformed application data as you want. The application will receive this data, it's not thrown away by lower protocol layers.
Although one particular form of tests with TCP can be hard to test - namely varying the TCP segments sent, if you e.g. want to test that an application correctly interprets the TCP data as a stream. (e.g. you want to send the string "hello" in 5 segments and somehow cause the receiving application to read() the characters one by one). If you don't need speed, you can usually get that behaviour by inserting pauses in the sending and turn off nagel's algorithm (TCP_NDELAY) and/or tune the NIC MTU.
Remember that any muckery with lower level protocols in a TCP stream, e.g. cause one of the packets to have an invalid/diffferent IP source address just gets thrown away by lower level layers.
You'll be testing an application running on top of TCP/UDP(or any other IP protocol).
Alternatives
switch to another OS, where you at least can use raw sockets without the restrictions of recent windows.
Implement a transparent drop insert solution based on the "Ethernet" or "IP" alternative above. i.e. you have your normal client application, your normal server application. You break a cable inbetween them, insert your box with 2 NICs where you programatically alter bytes of the frames received and send them back out again on the other NIC. This'll allow you to easily introduce packet delays in the system as well. Linux' netfilter already have this capability which you can easily build on top of, often with just configuration or scripting.
If you can alter the receiving application you want to test, have it read data from something else such as a file or pipe and feed it random bytes/packets as you wish.
Hybrid model, mainly for TCP application testing, but also useful for e.g. testing UDP ICMP responses. Set up a TCP connection using sockets. Send your invalid application data using sockets. Introduce random malformed packets(much easier than programming with raw sockets that set up a TCP session and then introduce lower layer errors). Send malformed IP or UDP/TCP packets, or perhaps ICMP packets using WinPcap, though communicate with the socket code to the winpcap code so you'll the addresses/port correct, such that the receiving application sees it.
Check out NS/2

Winsock alternative (no, not WinPCAP)

Are there any viable alternatives to Winsock for C++? The reason I need of is because Winsock's raw sockets are not behaving properly (no, this is not fixable, don't waste your time asking) and WinPCAP can only monitor network traffic, not actually receive packets. I need something that can receive complete packets including any IP, UDP, TCP headers, etc. Does such a thing exist, and if not, why not?
WinPCAP can only monitor network traffic, not actually receive packets
Monitoring network traffic is equivalent to receiving packets. That's exactly what tools such as Wireshark do: read off your network card and reconstruct packet boundaries.
I need something that can receive complete packets including any IP, UDP, TCP headers, etc.
This is very much possible using the Winsock API. Have a look at the WSAIoctl function, specifically the SIO_RCVALL option - enabling this option will deliver ALL packets received on an interface to your socket. And these are raw IP packets starting with the IP header.
You could look at Boost.Asio. C++ cross-platform IO library. Support for UDP, TCP and ICMP.