** Description changed:

- systemd-resolved will fall back to Google public DNS (8.8.8.8, etc.) in
- the absence of other configured DNS servers.
+ [Impact]
+ systemd-resolved will fall back to Google public DNS (8.8.8.8, etc.) in the 
absence of other configured DNS servers.
  
  systemd-resolved is not enabled by default in Ubuntu 15.04, but it is
  installed by default and will behave in this way if enabled by the user.
  
- $ cat /etc/systemd/resolved.conf 
+ $ cat /etc/systemd/resolved.conf
  (...)
  # Entries in this file show the compile time defaults.
  (...)
  #FallbackDNS=8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 2001:4860:4860::8888 2001:4860:4860::8844
  
  This raises privacy concerns since in the event of accidental
  misconfiguration DNS queries will be sent unencrypted across the
  internet, and potentially also security concerns given systemd-resolved
  does not perform DNSSEC validation and is not particularly well hardened
  against malicious responses e.g. from a MITM
  (http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/11/12/5).
  
  I believe that it would be better to fail safe if no DNS server is
  configured -- i.e. have DNS lookups fail; it's better that the user is
  aware of their misconfiguration, rather than silently sending their
  queries to Google.  The user can intentionally opt to use Google public
  DNS if they wish.
  
- 
+ [Testcase]
  Steps to reproduce:
  1. Remove existing DNS configuration (from /etc/network/interfaces, 
/etc/resolv.conf, /etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/*)
  2. Reboot, or otherwise clear relevant state
  3. sudo service systemd-resolved start
  4. Note that Google's servers are listed in /run/systemd/resolve/resolv.conf
  5. If systemd-resolved is enabled in /etc/nsswitch.conf (it isn't by 
default), observe that DNS lookups probably still work, and queries are being 
sent to one of Google's servers
  
+ Possible workaround/bugfix: ship a resolved.conf which clears the
+ FallbackDNS parameter.
  
- Possible workaround/bugfix: ship a resolved.conf which clears the FallbackDNS 
parameter.
+ [Solution]
+ In ubuntu, we disable fallback DNS at build time, via build system 
configuration flags.
  
- 
- This issue has been discussed in the Debian BTS 
(https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=761658).  My interpretation 
of the Debian package maintainer's position is that a user concerned with the 
privacy implications shouldn't let systemd get into a state where it uses the 
fallback DNS servers (quoting Marco d'Itri: "Short summary: have a resolv.conf 
file or use DHCP").  I would argue that it's safest not to have fallback DNS 
servers configured at all by default.
+ This issue has been discussed in the Debian BTS (https://bugs.debian.org
+ /cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=761658).  My interpretation of the Debian
+ package maintainer's position is that a user concerned with the privacy
+ implications shouldn't let systemd get into a state where it uses the
+ fallback DNS servers (quoting Marco d'Itri: "Short summary: have a
+ resolv.conf file or use DHCP").  I would argue that it's safest not to
+ have fallback DNS servers configured at all by default.

** Description changed:

  [Impact]
  systemd-resolved will fall back to Google public DNS (8.8.8.8, etc.) in the 
absence of other configured DNS servers.
  
  systemd-resolved is not enabled by default in Ubuntu 15.04, but it is
  installed by default and will behave in this way if enabled by the user.
  
  $ cat /etc/systemd/resolved.conf
  (...)
  # Entries in this file show the compile time defaults.
  (...)
  #FallbackDNS=8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 2001:4860:4860::8888 2001:4860:4860::8844
  
  This raises privacy concerns since in the event of accidental
  misconfiguration DNS queries will be sent unencrypted across the
  internet, and potentially also security concerns given systemd-resolved
  does not perform DNSSEC validation and is not particularly well hardened
  against malicious responses e.g. from a MITM
  (http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/11/12/5).
  
  I believe that it would be better to fail safe if no DNS server is
  configured -- i.e. have DNS lookups fail; it's better that the user is
  aware of their misconfiguration, rather than silently sending their
  queries to Google.  The user can intentionally opt to use Google public
  DNS if they wish.
  
  [Testcase]
  Steps to reproduce:
  1. Remove existing DNS configuration (from /etc/network/interfaces, 
/etc/resolv.conf, /etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/*)
  2. Reboot, or otherwise clear relevant state
  3. sudo service systemd-resolved start
  4. Note that Google's servers are listed in /run/systemd/resolve/resolv.conf
  5. If systemd-resolved is enabled in /etc/nsswitch.conf (it isn't by 
default), observe that DNS lookups probably still work, and queries are being 
sent to one of Google's servers
  
  Possible workaround/bugfix: ship a resolved.conf which clears the
  FallbackDNS parameter.
  
  [Solution]
  In ubuntu, we disable fallback DNS at build time, via build system 
configuration flags.
  
  This issue has been discussed in the Debian BTS (https://bugs.debian.org
  /cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=761658).  My interpretation of the Debian
  package maintainer's position is that a user concerned with the privacy
  implications shouldn't let systemd get into a state where it uses the
  fallback DNS servers (quoting Marco d'Itri: "Short summary: have a
  resolv.conf file or use DHCP").  I would argue that it's safest not to
  have fallback DNS servers configured at all by default.
+ 
+ [Regression Potential]
+ Missconfigured networks, that do not have a DNS server would previously 
magically work due to having Google DNS preconfigured regardless. With this 
change, such network configurations will fail to work, and one will have to 
properly fix network config to point at the right/existing name server.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1449001

Title:
  systemd-resolved: please do not use Google public DNS by default

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