Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMPv6) for the Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Specification
RFC 4443

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Network Working Group                                           A. Conta
Request for Comments: 4443                                    Transwitch
Obsoletes: 2463                                               S. Deering
Updates: 2780                                              Cisco Systems
Category: Standards Track                                  M. Gupta, Ed.
                                                         Tropos Networks
                                                              March 2006

               Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMPv6)
        for the Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Specification

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).

Abstract

   This document describes the format of a set of control messages used
   in ICMPv6 (Internet Control Message Protocol).  ICMPv6 is the
   Internet Control Message Protocol for Internet Protocol version 6
   (IPv6).

Conta, et al.               Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 4443                 ICMPv6 (ICMP for IPv6)               March 2006

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................2
   2. ICMPv6 (ICMP for IPv6) ..........................................3
      2.1. Message General Format .....................................3
      2.2. Message Source Address Determination .......................5
      2.3. Message Checksum Calculation ...............................5
      2.4. Message Processing Rules ...................................5
   3. ICMPv6 Error Messages ...........................................8
      3.1. Destination Unreachable Message ............................8
      3.2. Packet Too Big Message ....................................10
      3.3. Time Exceeded Message .....................................11
      3.4. Parameter Problem Message .................................12
   4. ICMPv6 Informational Messages ..................................13
      4.1. Echo Request Message ......................................13
      4.2. Echo Reply Message ........................................14
   5. Security Considerations ........................................15
      5.1. Authentication and Confidentiality of ICMP Messages .......15
      5.2. ICMP Attacks ..............................................16
   6. IANA Considerations ............................................17
      6.1. Procedure for New ICMPV6 Type and Code Value Assignments ..17
      6.2. Assignments for This Document .............................18
   7. References .....................................................19
      7.1. Normative References ......................................19
      7.2. Informative References ....................................19
   8. Acknowledgements ...............................................20
   Appendix A - Changes since RFC 2463................................21

1. Introduction

   The Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) uses the Internet Control
   Message Protocol (ICMP) as defined for IPv4 [RFC-792], with a number
   of changes.  The resulting protocol is called ICMPv6 and has an IPv6
   Next Header value of 58.

   This document describes the format of a set of control messages used
   in ICMPv6.  It does not describe the procedures for using these
   messages to achieve functions like Path MTU discovery; these
   procedures are described in other documents (e.g., [PMTU]).  Other
   documents may also introduce additional ICMPv6 message types, such as
   Neighbor Discovery messages [IPv6-DISC], subject to the general rules
   for ICMPv6 messages given in Section 2 of this document.

   Terminology defined in the IPv6 specification [IPv6] and the IPv6
   Routing and Addressing specification [IPv6-ADDR] applies to this
   document as well.

Conta, et al.               Standards Track                     [Page 2]
RFC 4443                 ICMPv6 (ICMP for IPv6)               March 2006

   This document obsoletes RFC 2463 [RFC-2463] and updates RFC 2780
   [RFC-2780].

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
   document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC-2119].

2. ICMPv6 (ICMP for IPv6)

   ICMPv6 is used by IPv6 nodes to report errors encountered in
   processing packets, and to perform other internet-layer functions,
   such as diagnostics (ICMPv6 "ping").  ICMPv6 is an integral part of
   IPv6, and the base protocol (all the messages and behavior required
   by this specification) MUST be fully implemented by every IPv6 node.