Configure BIND as Forwarder only (no root hints), encrypted + RPZ blacklist / whitelist all together

Question

My setup is getting more complex, generally I tend to divide things in pieces and assemble them together by myself. But it seems this time I need more help to get the whole gears working together. That's why I was requested by user @Rui F Ribeiro to ask this one as a separate question.

---

What I'm trying to achieve? Basically what I found called on the internet as DNS Firewall.
I need a BIND server configured with this features:

• It want it to being able to FORWARD by default all the requests to an external DNS (in my case OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220)
• It must NOT for and for any case query the ROOT-SERVERS, because OpenDNS have some useful function of domain blocking/manipulating. So, if my bind server starts to ask things to OpenDNS and Root Servers randomly I will have different results each time. (note: this forward must be done in encrypt mode for various reasons, including not getting intercepted and further manipulated by other servers in between)
• The bind server also has to serve as cache, it's ok send the queries to OpenDNS but if I have already fresh data is unnecessary to query again and again wasting bandwidth and time.
• Here come my other main request that is making my config even more complex: I want to setup a RPZ zone with a huge list of domains i don't want them be able to be resolved, basically i want to have them resolving as 127.0.0.1 or another ip/host of my lan that should serve as catch-all http server for ad purpose and so on.

How can I achieve a so complex configuration ?

There's my config files, I guess something here is not working as necessary, so please help me with the config.

---

named.conf

// This is the primary configuration file for the BIND DNS server named.
//
// Please read /usr/share/doc/bind9/README.Debian.gz for information on the
// structure of BIND configuration files in Debian, *BEFORE* you customize
// this configuration file.
//
// If you are just adding zones, please do that in /etc/bind/named.conf.local

include "/etc/bind/named.conf.options";
include "/etc/bind/named.conf.local";
include "/etc/bind/named.conf.default-zones";

named.conf.options

acl "trusted" {
        127.0.0.1/8;
        10.0.0.0/8;
        172.16.0.0/12;
        192.168.0.0/16;
        ::1;
};

options {

        directory "/var/cache/bind";    # bind cache directory

        recursion yes;                  # enables resursive queries

        allow-query { trusted; } ;

        allow-recursion { trusted; };   # allows recursive queries from "trusted" clients

        //listen-on { 0.0.0.0; };       # interfaces where to listen

        allow-transfer { none; };       # disable zone transfers by default

        // If there is a firewall between you and nameservers you want
        // to talk to, you may need to fix the firewall to allow multiple
        // ports to talk.  See http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/800113

        // If your ISP provided one or more IP addresses for stable
        // nameservers, you probably want to use them as forwarders.
        // Uncomment the following block, and insert the addresses replacing
        // the all-0's placeholder.

        forward only;

        forwarders {
                208.67.222.222;
                208.67.220.220;
        };


        //========================================================================
        // If BIND logs error messages about the root key being expired,
        // you will need to update your keys.  See https://www.isc.org/bind-keys
        //========================================================================

        dnssec-enable no;
        dnssec-validation no;
        dnssec-lookaside auto;


        auth-nxdomain no;               # conform to RFC1035
        #listen-on-v6 { any; };

        response-policy {
                zone "rpz-white" policy PASSTHRU; // my own white list
                zone "rpz-foreign";    // obtained from producer
        };

};

zone "rpz-white" {
  type master;
  file "/etc/bind/rpz-white.db";
};

zone "rpz-foreign" {
  type master;
  file "/etc/bind/rpz-foreign.db";
};

named.conf.local

//
// Do any local configuration here
//

// Consider adding the 1918 zones here, if they are not used in your
// organization
//include "/etc/bind/zones.rfc1918";

named.conf.default-zones

// prime the server with knowledge of the root servers
//zone "." {
//      type hint;
//      file "/etc/bind/db.root";
//};

// be authoritative for the localhost forward and reverse zones, and for
// broadcast zones as per RFC 1912

zone "localhost" {
        type master;
        file "/etc/bind/db.local";
};

zone "127.in-addr.arpa" {
        type master;
        file "/etc/bind/db.127";
};

zone "0.in-addr.arpa" {
        type master;
        file "/etc/bind/db.0";
};

zone "255.in-addr.arpa" {
        type master;
        file "/etc/bind/db.255";
};

Solution

So let´s examine all your wishes. I am changing the order just to tackle the easier ones first.

1) BIND has to act as a cache.

That´s what it does by default; no need to configure anything.

2) We won't be talking with root name servers.

I see you have keep root hints commented; now as we are talking to DNS servers outside the organisation/home I do recommend not forwarding requests with IP addresses. So comment forward only; and uncomment include "/etc/bind/zones.rfc1918";

3) The RPZ as is here seems fine. In the rpz-foreign.db you have to define the DNS names/domains regexp to

www.domaintoblacklist.xxx CNAME myserver

or

www.domaintoblacklist.xxx A 127.0.0.1

4) as for encrypting the connection; I am doing it with dnscrypt. DNS crypt let´s you talk DNS over TLS/SSL to several DNS providers including OpenDNS; with the added advantages that people won't be able to listen to or change your DNS requests.

The easiest way to install it is downloading the script dnscrypt-autoinstall

To download the script, do:

git clone https://github.com/simonclausen/dnscrypt-autoinstall

The script is done for a standalone dnscrypt usage, so it will take a little extra work to use BIND on top of it.

So to start:

./dnscrypt-autoinstall.sh

The script will ask a serie of questions, including with DNS service will you like to use.

It will change your /etc/resolv.conf to point to your localhost, to dnscrypt. You will have to change resolv.conf to BIND. More on that later on.

In localhost your BIND will listen; and the dnscrypt-proxy daemon will listening in 127.0.0.2 and 127.0.0.3. dnscrypt-proxy will be the one talking with opendns servers.

Forwarders BIND will also have to be configured to talk with dnscrypt:

options {
  ...
    forwarders {
            127.0.0.2;
            172.0.0.3;
    };
  ...

}

I also edited /etc/init.d/dnscrypt-proxy and changed the line with 127.0.0.1 to 127.0.0.3

$DAEMON --daemonize --ephemeral-keys --user=dnscrypt --local-address=127.0.0.3 --resolver-address=$ADDRESS1 --provider-name=$PNAME1 --provider-key=$PKEY1

The script also changes /etc/resolv.conf; you have to change it to point to BIND/ 0.0.0.0 (aka 127.0.0.1 in DNS terminology)

chattr -i /etc/resolv.conf

and edit it.

to finish:

service dnscrypt-proxy restart
service bind9 restart

After the encryption configuration is finished:

• the clients with talk with BIND as cache
• BIND will talk with the two instances of dnsproxy still using the "normal" DNS protocol
• dnsproxy with talk with the selected provider with DNS encrypted over 443/UDP and 443/TCP.

If you want to monitor the packets to the outside:

sudo tcpdump -n port 443

Comments

[Rui F Ribeiro]

I was actually advising to separate the encryption part from the rest. I answered a rough draft now, ask questions and we will complete it

[user3450548]

I'm trying your setup, till the step 3, I haven't setup the encryption yet but.. it seems not to work :( I added a single line into rpz-foreign.db this line www.this.com A 127.0.0.1 without even using the wildcards... however by querying nslookup www.this.com localhost i get Non-authoritative answer: Name: this.com Address: 209.15.236.88 tl;dr: i fear the root servers are still contacted, and the rpz zone is completely ignored, could it be a matter of order? Should i place the rpz block before the forwards? Your reply is baded on an active tested conf? Which os in case? Debian ?

[user3450548]

Also i figured that even by removing the forwarders completely, the bind server (or the client, nslookup or dig) is somehow able to resolve the query no matter what! How is possible? He use the dhcp provided dns even if i ask something like dig this.com @localhost ???

[user3450548]

Ok i made it working with a FULL specification of the rpz zone, like the one in this link: dns.blog4ever.xyz/rpz-et-dns-exemple-de-configuration - if is possible please post all the rpz-foreign.db syntax, it should start with ;RPZ... $TTL 10 for example... @ IN SOA... because I was noob i just created a blank file with one line only www.this.com A 127.0.0.1 - no worries... let's continue commenting a lot on this post, and on the end once reached the target you could erase all the comments :)

[Rui F Ribeiro]

The script changes /etc/resolv.conf to point do dnscrypt....I forgot that. I edited the answer. I usually read the scripts before using them.

[user3450548]

Today i will test the script and the encryption and give more feedback. Can i ask you to edit the answer and post not just the rows but the complete content of the rpz-foreign.db file? Including the header and everything else? Because if i just add lines to the files it doesn't work without a proper header ";RPZ.. $TTL.."

[user3450548]

I merged info from your suggestion into antother post and the config from that website.. bind is very picky with the syntax, if you for example put the parenthesis with an extra linebreak it doesnt work, i found this a perfect working header that you could copy paste into your answer please: paste.debian.net/hidden/620a453e