Martian packet
Encyclopedia
A Martian packet is an IP
packet which specifies a source or destination address that is reserved for special-use
by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
(IANA) and cannot actually originate as claimed or be delivered.
Martian packets commonly arise from IP address spoofing
in denial-of-service attack
s, but can also arise from network equipment malfunction or misconfiguration of a host
.
The name is derived from packet from Mars, a place where packets clearly can not originate.
Examples of Martian packets are:
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
packet which specifies a source or destination address that is reserved for special-use
Reserved IP addresses
In the Internet addressing architecture, certain IP addresses are reserved by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority for special use. These addresses may be necessary for maintenance of routing tables, multicast, or operation under failure modes....
by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority is the entity that oversees global IP address allocation, autonomous system number allocation, root zone management in the Domain Name System , media types, and other Internet Protocol-related symbols and numbers...
(IANA) and cannot actually originate as claimed or be delivered.
Martian packets commonly arise from IP address spoofing
IP address spoofing
In computer networking, the term IP address spoofing or IP spoofing refers to the creation of Internet Protocol packets with a forged source IP address, called spoofing, with the purpose of concealing the identity of the sender or impersonating another computing system.-Background:The basic...
in denial-of-service attack
Denial-of-service attack
A denial-of-service attack or distributed denial-of-service attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users...
s, but can also arise from network equipment malfunction or misconfiguration of a host
Host (network)
A network host is a computer connected to a computer network. A network host may offer information resources, services, and applications to users or other nodes on the network. A network host is a network node that is assigned a network layer host address....
.
The name is derived from packet from Mars, a place where packets clearly can not originate.
Examples of Martian packets are:
- A packet with a source or destination IPv4IPv4Internet Protocol version 4 is the fourth revision in the development of the Internet Protocol and the first version of the protocol to be widely deployed. Together with IPv6, it is at the core of standards-based internetworking methods of the Internet...
address in the ranges 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, or 192.168.0.0/16, when not participating in a private networkPrivate networkIn the Internet addressing architecture, a private network is a network that uses private IP address space, following the standards set by RFC 1918 and RFC 4193. These addresses are commonly used for home, office, and enterprise local area networks , when globally routable addresses are not...
. - An incoming or outgoing packet whose source or destination address is in the range 127.0.0.0/8, which is reserved for loopbackLoopbackLoopback describes ways of routing electronic signals, digital data streams, or flows of items from their originating facility back to the source without intentional processing or modification...
within the host. - An incoming packet with a destination address of 255.255.255.255/32, which is reserved for internal broadcast.
- An incoming or outgoing packet with a BogonBogon filteringA bogon is a bogus IP address, and an informal name for an IP packet on the public Internet that claims to be from an area of the IP address space reserved, but not yet allocated or delegated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority or a delegated Regional Internet Registry...
source or destination address in an as-yet-unallocated range, or in the future-use range 240.0.0.0/4.
See also
- Bogon filteringBogon filteringA bogon is a bogus IP address, and an informal name for an IP packet on the public Internet that claims to be from an area of the IP address space reserved, but not yet allocated or delegated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority or a delegated Regional Internet Registry...
- Christmas tree packetChristmas tree packetIn information technology, a Christmas tree packet is a packet with every single option set for whatever protocol is in use. The term derives from a fanciful image of each little option bit in a header being represented by a different-colored light bulb, all turned on, as in, "the packet was lit...
- Chernobyl packetChernobyl packetA Chernobyl packet is a network packet that induces a broadcast storm or some other kind of "network meltdown". The term was named after the April 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl....