RFC 2620
RADIUS Accounting Client MIB
RFC 2620: RADIUS Accounting Client MIB 💖
okay bestie, this one is the RADIUS accounting client MIB, which is basically a menu of managed objects that lets management stations keep an eye on RADIUS accounting clients 👀✨ it was written by B. Aboba and G. Zorn, both from Microsoft. it's marked as Category: Informational 🎀 and it dropped in June 1999. the header doesn't list anything it obsoletes or updates, so it stands on its own 🦋
Status of this Memo 🧚
this memo is just giving info to the internet community 💅 it does not specify an internet standard of any kind, and distribution is unlimited 🌈
Copyright Notice 📜
copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999). All Rights Reserved. 💜
Abstract ✨
so this memo defines a set of extensions that instrument the functions of a RADIUS accounting client 🔥 they form part of the Management Information Base (MIB) that network management protocols in the internet community use, and IP-based management stations can use them to manage RADIUS accounting clients 🫶
1. Introduction 🌸
this memo defines a chunk of the MIB for network management protocols in the internet community 🍓 specifically, it describes the managed objects used for managing RADIUS accounting clients
and honestly? it matters a lot 💅 routers and NASes are everywhere now and they act as RADIUS accounting clients to provide accounting services, so managing those clients well is kind of a big deal 😭
2. The SNMP Management Framework 🦋
the SNMP Management Framework is currently made up of five major pieces 🎀
- An overall architecture, described in RFC 2571 [1].
- Mechanisms for describing and naming objects and events for management purposes. The first version of this Structure of Management Information (SMI) is called SMIv1 and is described in STD 15, RFC 1155 [2], STD 16, RFC 1212 [3] and RFC 1215 [4]. The second version, called SMIv2, is described in STD 58, RFC 2578 [5], RFC 2579 [6] and RFC 2580 [7].
- Message protocols for transferring management information. The first version of the SNMP message protocol is called SNMPv1 and is described in STD 15, RFC 1157 [8]. A second version, called SNMPv2c, is described in RFC 1901 [9] and RFC 1906 [10], and it is not an Internet standards track protocol 🙈. The third version of the message protocol is called SNMPv3 and is described in RFC 1906 [10], RFC 2572 [11] and RFC 2574 [12].
- Protocol operations for accessing management information. The first set of protocol operations and their PDU formats is described in STD 15, RFC 1157 [8]. A second set of protocol operations and associated PDU formats is described in RFC 1905 [13].
- A set of fundamental applications described in RFC 2573 [14], plus the view-based access control mechanism described in RFC 2575 [15] ⭐
managed objects get accessed through a virtual information store called the Management Information Base, or MIB 🧚 and objects in the MIB get defined using the mechanisms in the SMI
this memo specifies a MIB module that is compliant to SMIv2 💖 a MIB that conforms to SMIv1 can be produced through the appropriate translations. the translated MIB must be semantically equivalent, except where objects or events are omitted because no translation is possible (use of Counter64). some machine readable information in SMIv2 gets turned into textual descriptions in SMIv1 during translation. but losing that machine readable info does not count as changing the semantics of the MIB, so we're good 🫶
3. Overview 🌈
the RADIUS accounting protocol, described in [16], separates the client function from the server function 💅 in RADIUS accounting, clients send Accounting-Requests and servers reply with Accounting-Responses
typically NAS devices implement the client function, so they'd be expected to implement the RADIUS accounting client MIB. RADIUS accounting servers implement the server function, so they'd be expected to implement the RADIUS accounting server MIB 🎀
but here's the twist: a RADIUS accounting entity can do both client and server functions at once 🔥 a RADIUS proxy is a good example. it acts as a server to one or more RADIUS accounting clients while also acting as an accounting client to one or more accounting servers 👑 in those cases, entities that combine both functions are expected to support both the client and server MIBs 🙌
3.1. Selected objects 🌸
this MIB module has two scalars plus a single table 💅
- the RADIUS Accounting Server Table, which has one row for each RADIUS server that the client shares a secret with.
each entry in the RADIUS Accounting Server Table has thirteen columns that give a view of the RADIUS client's activity 📊
4. Definitions 💜
here's the actual MIB module, copied exactly as written so implementers can use it 🍓
RADIUS-ACC-CLIENT-MIB DEFINITIONS ::= BEGIN
IMPORTS
MODULE-IDENTITY, OBJECT-TYPE, OBJECT-IDENTITY,
Counter32, Integer32, Gauge32,
IpAddress, TimeTicks, mib-2 FROM SNMPv2-SMI
SnmpAdminString FROM SNMP-FRAMEWORK-MIB
MODULE-COMPLIANCE, OBJECT-GROUP FROM SNMPv2-CONF;
radiusAccClientMIB MODULE-IDENTITY
LAST-UPDATED "9906110000Z" -- 11 Jun 1999
ORGANIZATION "IETF RADIUS Working Group."
CONTACT-INFO
" Bernard Aboba
Microsoft
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
US
Phone: +1 425 936 6605
EMail: bernarda@microsoft.com"
DESCRIPTION
"The MIB module for entities implementing the client side of
the Remote Access Dialin User Service (RADIUS) accounting
protocol."
REVISION "9906110000Z" -- 11 Jun 1999
DESCRIPTION "Initial version as published in RFC 2620"
::= { radiusAccounting 2 }
radiusMIB OBJECT-IDENTITY
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The OID assigned to RADIUS MIB work by the IANA."
::= { mib-2 67 }
radiusAccounting OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= {radiusMIB 2}
radiusAccClientMIBObjects OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
{ radiusAccClientMIB 1 }
radiusAccClient OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { radiusAccClientMIBObjects 1 }
radiusAccClientInvalidServerAddresses OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS Accounting-Response packets
received from unknown addresses."
::= { radiusAccClient 1 }
radiusAccClientIdentifier OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX SnmpAdminString
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The NAS-Identifier of the RADIUS accounting client. This
is not necessarily the same as sysName in MIB II."
::= { radiusAccClient 2 }
radiusAccServerTable OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX SEQUENCE OF RadiusAccServerEntry
MAX-ACCESS not-accessible
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The (conceptual) table listing the RADIUS accounting
servers with which the client shares a secret."
::= { radiusAccClient 3 }
radiusAccServerEntry OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX RadiusAccServerEntry
MAX-ACCESS not-accessible
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"An entry (conceptual row) representing a RADIUS
accounting server with which the client shares a secret."
INDEX { radiusAccServerIndex }
::= { radiusAccServerTable 1 }
RadiusAccServerEntry ::= SEQUENCE {
radiusAccServerIndex Integer32,
radiusAccServerAddress IpAddress,
radiusAccClientServerPortNumber Integer32,
radiusAccClientRoundTripTime TimeTicks,
radiusAccClientRequests Counter32,
radiusAccClientRetransmissions Counter32,
radiusAccClientResponses Counter32,
radiusAccClientMalformedResponses Counter32,
radiusAccClientBadAuthenticators Counter32,
radiusAccClientPendingRequests Gauge32,
radiusAccClientTimeouts Counter32,
radiusAccClientUnknownTypes Counter32,
radiusAccClientPacketsDropped Counter32
}
radiusAccServerIndex OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Integer32 (1..2147483647)
MAX-ACCESS not-accessible
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"A number uniquely identifying each RADIUS
Accounting server with which this client
communicates."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 1 }
radiusAccServerAddress OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX IpAddress
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The IP address of the RADIUS accounting server
referred to in this table entry."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 2 }
radiusAccClientServerPortNumber OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Integer32 (0..65535)
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The UDP port the client is using to send requests to
this server."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 3 }
radiusAccClientRoundTripTime OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX TimeTicks
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The time interval between the most recent
Accounting-Response and the Accounting-Request that
matched it from this RADIUS accounting server."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 4 }
-- Request/Response statistics
--
-- Requests = Responses + PendingRequests + ClientTimeouts
--
-- Responses - MalformedResponses - BadAuthenticators -
-- UnknownTypes - PacketsDropped = Successfully received
radiusAccClientRequests OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS Accounting-Request packets
sent. This does not include retransmissions."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 5 }
radiusAccClientRetransmissions OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS Accounting-Request packets
retransmitted to this RADIUS accounting server.
Retransmissions include retries where the
Identifier and Acct-Delay have been updated, as
well as those in which they remain the same."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 6 }
radiusAccClientResponses OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS packets received on the
accounting port from this server."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 7 }
radiusAccClientMalformedResponses OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of malformed RADIUS Accounting-Response
packets received from this server. Malformed packets
include packets with an invalid length. Bad
authenticators and unknown types are not included as
malformed accounting responses."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 8 }
radiusAccClientBadAuthenticators OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS Accounting-Response
packets which contained invalid authenticators
received from this server."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 9 }radiusAccClientPendingRequests OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Gauge32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS Accounting-Request packets
sent to this server that have not yet timed out or
received a response. This variable is incremented when an
Accounting-Request is sent and decremented due to
receipt of an Accounting-Response, a timeout or
a retransmission."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 10 }
radiusAccClientTimeouts OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of accounting timeouts to this server.
After a timeout the client may retry to the same
server, send to a different server, or give up.
A retry to the same server is counted as a
retransmit as well as a timeout. A send to a different
server is counted as an Accounting-Request as well as
a timeout."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 11 }
radiusAccClientUnknownTypes OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS packets of unknown type which
were received from this server on the accounting port."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 12 }
radiusAccClientPacketsDropped OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Counter32
MAX-ACCESS read-only
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The number of RADIUS packets which were received from
this server on the accounting port and dropped for some
other reason."
::= { radiusAccServerEntry 13 }
-- conformance information
radiusAccClientMIBConformance
OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { radiusAccClientMIB 2 }
radiusAccClientMIBCompliances
OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { radiusAccClientMIBConformance 1 }
radiusAccClientMIBGroups
OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { radiusAccClientMIBConformance 2 }
-- compliance statements
radiusAccClientMIBCompliance MODULE-COMPLIANCE
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The compliance statement for accounting clients
implementing the RADIUS Accounting Client MIB."
MODULE -- this module
MANDATORY-GROUPS { radiusAccClientMIBGroup }
::= { radiusAccClientMIBCompliances 1 }
-- units of conformance
radiusAccClientMIBGroup OBJECT-GROUP
OBJECTS { radiusAccClientIdentifier,
radiusAccClientInvalidServerAddresses,
radiusAccServerAddress,
radiusAccClientServerPortNumber,
radiusAccClientRoundTripTime,
radiusAccClientRequests,
radiusAccClientRetransmissions,
radiusAccClientResponses,
radiusAccClientMalformedResponses,
radiusAccClientBadAuthenticators,
radiusAccClientPendingRequests,
radiusAccClientTimeouts,
radiusAccClientUnknownTypes,
radiusAccClientPacketsDropped
}
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION
"The basic collection of objects providing management of
RADIUS Accounting Clients."
::= { radiusAccClientMIBGroups 1 }
END5. References ✨
Here's the reading list, bestie 📚 Every single one is listed with all its details so you can go find them yourself 🫶
- [1] Harrington, D., Presuhn, R., and B. Wijnen, "An Architecture for Describing SNMP Management Frameworks", RFC 2571, April 1999.
- [2] Rose, M., and K. McCloghrie, "Structure and Identification of Management Information for TCP/IP-based Internets", STD 16, RFC 1155, May 1990.
- [3] Rose, M., and K. McCloghrie, "Concise MIB Definitions", STD 16, RFC 1212, March 1991.
- [4] Rose, M., "A Convention for Defining Traps for use with the SNMP", RFC 1215, Performance Systems International, March 1991.
- [5] McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser, "Structure of Management Information Version 2 (SMIv2)", STD 58, RFC 2578, April 1999.
- [6] McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser, "Textual Conventions for SMIv2", STD 58, RFC 2579, April 1999.
- [7] McCloghrie, K., Perkins, D., Schoenwaelder, J., Case, J., Rose, M. and S. Waldbusser, "Conformance Statements for SMIv2", STD 58, RFC 2580, April 1999.
- [8] Case, J., Fedor, M., Schoffstall, M., and J. Davin, "Simple Network Management Protocol", STD 15, RFC 1157, May 1990.
- [9] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S. Waldbusser, "Introduction to Community-based SNMPv2", RFC 1901, January 1996.
- [10] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S. Waldbusser, "Transport Mappings for Version 2 of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC 1906, January 1996.
- [11] Case, J., Harrington D., Presuhn R., and B. Wijnen, "Message Processing and Dispatching for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)", RFC 2572, April 1999.
- [12] Blumenthal, U., and B. Wijnen, "User-based Security Model for Version 3 of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv3)", RFC 2574, April 1999.
- [13] Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S. Waldbusser, "Protocol Operations for Version 2 of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC 1905, January 1996.
- [14] Levi, D., Meyer, P., and B. Stewart, "SNMP Applications", RFC 2573, April 1999.
- [15] Wijnen, B., Presuhn, R., and K. McCloghrie, "View-based Access Control Model for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)", RFC 2575, April 1999.
- [16] Rigney, C., "RADIUS Accounting", RFC 2139, April 1997.
6. Security Considerations 🔐
Okay, bestie, this part is serious, so let's be careful 💅 First up, there are no management objects in this MIB with a MAX-ACCESS of read-write or read-create. So if this MIB is implemented correctly, an intruder can't change or create any of its objects with direct SNMP SET operations. That's a big win 🙌
There are a few objects that can hold sensitive info, though 😬
radiusAccServerAddress: This can reveal the address of the RADIUS accounting server the client is talking to. That's super useful for someone planning an attack on the accounting server, which might be holding sensitive financial data 💸radiusAccClientServerPortNumber: This can reveal the port number the RADIUS accounting client is sending on. That could help someone impersonate the client and send fraudulent data to the accounting server 🚨
So it's really important to control even GET access to these objects, and maybe even encrypt their values when they travel over the network via SNMP. Not every version of SNMP has features for that kind of secure setup, though 🙈
SNMPv1 on its own is not a secure environment, bestie. Even if the network itself is secure (for example, by using IPSec), there's no control over who on that secure network gets to GET or SET (read, change, create or delete) the objects in this MIB 😭
It's recommended that implementers look at the security features in the SNMPv3 framework. Specifically, the User-based Security Model [12] and the View-based Access Control Model [15] are recommended. With those, customers and users can give access to these objects only to the principals (users) who have legitimate rights to GET or SET (change, create or delete) them 🔥
Lock it down, babe 🔒✨
7. Acknowledgments 🎀
The authors shout out the RADIUS Working Group for all their help building this MIB 🫶 Big thanks to Narendra Gidwani of Microsoft, Allan C. Rubens of MERIT, Carl Rigney of Livingston and Peter Heitman of American Internet Corporation for the super useful chats about this problem space 💖
8. Authors' Addresses 🦋
Here are the authors, with their contact info:
Bernard Aboba
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: 425-936-6605
EMail: bernarda@microsoft.com
Glen Zorn
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: 425-703-1559
EMail: glennz@microsoft.com9. Full Copyright Statement ⚖️
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999). All Rights Reserved. 💜
Okay, the legal bit, but make it cute 🌸 You're totally allowed to copy this document and hand it out to others. You can also make derivative works that comment on or explain it, or help with implementing it, and publish and distribute those however you like, in whole or in part, with no restrictions, as long as the copyright notice and this paragraph stay on every copy and derivative work. The document itself can't be modified in any way, like removing the copyright notice or the references to the Internet Society or other Internet organizations. The exception is when you're developing Internet standards, in which case you have to follow the copyright procedures in the Internet Standards process, or when you're translating it into a language other than English 🌍
The permissions above are perpetual and won't be revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns ♾️
This document and the information in it are provided on an "AS IS" basis, and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Acknowledgement 🌈
Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the Internet Society. Thank you, Internet Society, you're iconic 👑✨
📦 where this page comes from
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