.xn--qxam TLD DNSSEC Outage: 2021-08-01

Date: August 1, 2021

Overview

This page gives some details on the .xn--qxam (Greek IDN) TLD DNSSEC outage on August 1, 2021.

Timeline / DNSViz

I've also included a screenshot, given DNSViz's propensity to lose its archives. August 1, 2021 DNSSEC outage for .xn--qxam

DNSSEC Debugger

Here's a screenshot of my web browser's output from August 1, 2021:

August 1, 2021 .xn--qxam TLD DNSSEC outage

Google DNS: with and without DNSSEC

DNSSEC can be disabled in queries via the CD (checking disabled) bit. Let's compare DNS queries with and without DNSSEC.

$ dig +dnssec ns xn--qxam. @8.8.8.8.

; <<>> dig 9.10.8-P1 <<>> +dnssec ns xn--qxam. @8.8.8.8.
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: SERVFAIL, id: 17743
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags: do; udp: 512
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;xn--qxam. IN NS

;; Query time: 35 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Sun Aug 01 16:38:48 UTC 2021
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 37


You have to disable DNSSEC to make DNS queries work:

$ dig +cd ns xn--qxam. @8.8.8.8.

; <<>> dig 9.10.8-P1 <<>> +cd ns xn--qxam. @8.8.8.8.
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 852
;; flags: qr rd ra cd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 6, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 512
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;xn--qxam. IN NS

;; ANSWER SECTION:
xn--qxam. 10799 IN NS gr-c.ics.forth.gr.
xn--qxam. 10799 IN NS gr-d.ics.forth.gr.
xn--qxam. 10799 IN NS gr-m.ics.forth.gr.
xn--qxam. 10799 IN NS estia.ics.forth.gr.
xn--qxam. 10799 IN NS gr-at.ics.forth.gr.
xn--qxam. 10799 IN NS grdns.ics.forth.gr.

;; Query time: 36 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Sun Aug 01 16:38:48 UTC 2021
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 166

drill trace

Since DNSSEC contains so much garbage, I put the complete drill trace into its own file, with the relevant portion below (emphasis added):

[T] xn--qxam. 86400 IN DS 55983 7 1 ee1acba7831fee4d79f434131be29bd9962901d4
xn--qxam. 86400 IN DS 55983 7 2 3e135aa5a7c428e65386925a99da9404b0135eaa5f5a3fc4e747d75c99618e0c
;; Domain: xn--qxam.
;; No DNSKEY record found for xn--qxam.
[U] No data found for: xn--qxam. type A
;;[S] self sig OK; [B] bogus; [T] trusted

Logfile examples

These Unbound log entries come from different Unbound instances, each on different servers in different geographical regions.