EUI-64 Considered Harmful

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EUI-64.pdf (61.52 KB)
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Rye, Erik C.
Martin, Jeremy
Beverly, Robert
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ArXiv
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Abstract
This position paper considers the privacy and security implications of EUI-64-based IPv6 addresses. By encoding MAC addresses, EUI-64 addresses violate layers by exposing hardware identifiers in IPv6 addresses. The hypothetical threat of EUI-64 addresses is well-known, and the adoption of privacy extensions in operating systems (OSes) suggests this vulnerability has been mitigated. Instead, our work seeks to quantify the empirical existence of EUI-64 IPv6 addresses in today’s Internet. By analyzing: i) traceroutes; ii) DNS records; and iii) mobile phone behaviors, we find surprisingly significant use of EUI-64. We characterize the origins and behaviors of these EUI-64 IPv6 addresses, and advocate for changes in provider IPv6 addressing policies.
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Preprint
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https://hdl.handle.net/10945/65335
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3 p.
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Rye, Erik C., Jeremy Martin, and Robert Beverly. "EUI-64 Considered Harmful." arXiv preprint arXiv:1902.08968 (2019).
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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