RFC 6482 Proposed Standard

A Profile for Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs)

M. Lepinski, S. Kent, D. Kong · 2012-02

Abstract

RFC 6482 defines the format and validation rules for Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) within the RPKI framework. A ROA is a signed object that authorizes one or more AS numbers to originate specific IP prefixes, optionally with a maximum prefix length constraint. ROAs are published in RPKI repositories and validated by relying-party software before being consumed by BGP routers.

Why This RFC Matters

ROAs are the core operational artifact of RPKI-based BGP security. By creating a ROA, a network operator makes a cryptographically verifiable statement about which AS is authorized to originate their address space. Routers performing Route Origin Validation (ROV) compare BGP announcements against the validated ROA cache from relying-party software (such as Routinator or OctoRPKI) and mark routes as Valid, Invalid, or NotFound. Invalid routes are typically dropped, preventing prefix hijacks from propagating.

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