Improving RIP Network Security

For the RIP network that requires high security requirements, you can configure RIP authentication and GTSM.

Usage Scenario

The TCP/IP protocol suite has inherent defects and flawed implementation. Increasing network attacks pose grave threats to TCP/IP networks. Especially attacks on network devices will cause network crashes. Therefore, RIP improves network security through the following functions:

RIP authentication: RIP checks the authentication mode and password in each packet to protect the local device against potential attacks.
Check on the source IP address of each packet: RIP interfaces receive packets only from the same network to protect the local device from potential attacks from other networks.
RIP GTSM: Generalized TTL Security Mechanism (GTSM) protects the local router by checking whether the time to live (TTL) value in the IP packet header is in a pre-defined range.

Pre-configuration Tasks

Before improving RIP network security, complete the following tasks:

Configure IP addresses for interfaces to ensure that neighboring nodes are reachable at the network layer.
Configuring Basic RIP Functions

Configuration Procedure

Perform one or more of the following configurations as required.

Configuring an Authentication Mode for RIP-2 Packets: RIP-2 supports authentication for protocol packets. By default, authentication is not configured for RIP. Configuring authentication is recommended to ensure system security.

Configuring the Check on the Source Address in RIP Packets on the Broadcast Network: By default, RIP checks the source addresses of received packets, and the local RIP interface receives only the packets from the same network.

Configuring GTSM for RIP: Generalized TTL Security Mechanism (GTSM) defends against attacks by checking the TTL value.

Verifying the Configuration of RIP Network Security: After improving the security of a RIP network, verify information about RIP interfaces and the running status of RIP.