Skip to main content
Calico Enterprise 3.19 (latest) documentation

Use ICMP/ping rules in policy

Big picture​

Use Calico Enterprise network policy to allow and deny ICMP/ping messages.

Value​

The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) provides valuable network diagnostic functions, but it can also be used maliciously. Attackers can use it to learn about your network, or for DoS attacks. Using Calico Enterprise network policy, you can control where ICMP is used. For example, you can:

  • Allow ICMP ping, but only for workloads, host endpoints (or both)
  • Allow ICMP for pods launched by operators for diagnostic purposes, but block other uses
  • Temporarily enable ICMP to diagnose a problem, then disable it after the problem is resolved
  • Deny/allow ICMPv4 and/or ICMPv6

Concepts​

ICMP packet type and code​

Calico Enterprise network policy also lets you deny and allow ICMP traffic based on specific types and codes. For example, you can specify ICMP type 5, code 2 to match specific ICMP redirect packets.

For details, see ICMP type and code.

How to​

Deny all ICMP, all workloads and host endpoints​

In this example, we introduce a "deny all ICMP" GlobalNetworkPolicy.

This policy selects all workloads and host endpoints. It enables a default deny for all workloads and host endpoints, in addition to the explicit ICMP deny rules specified in the policy.

If your ultimate goal is to allow some traffic, have your regular "allow" policies in place before applying a global deny-all ICMP traffic policy.

In this example, all workloads and host endpoints are blocked from sending or receiving ICMPv4 and ICMPv6 messages.

If ICMPv6 messages are not used in your deployment, it is still good practice to deny them specifically as shown below.

In any "deny-all" Calico Enterprise network policy, be sure to specify a lower order (order:200) than regular policies that might allow traffic.

apiVersion: projectcalico.org/v3
kind: GlobalNetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: block-icmp
spec:
  order: 200
  selector: all()
  types:
    - Ingress
    - Egress
  ingress:
    - action: Deny
      protocol: ICMP
    - action: Deny
      protocol: ICMPv6
  egress:
    - action: Deny
      protocol: ICMP
    - action: Deny
      protocol: ICMPv6

Allow ICMP ping, all workloads and host endpoints​

In this example, workloads and host endpoints can receive ICMPv4 type 8 and ICMPv6 type 128 ping requests that come from other workloads and host endpoints.

All other traffic may be allowed by other policies. If traffic is not explicitly allowed, it will be denied by default.

The policy applies only to ingress traffic. (Egress traffic is not affected, and default deny is not enforced for egress.)

apiVersion: projectcalico.org/v3
kind: GlobalNetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: allow-ping-in-cluster
spec:
  selector: all()
  types:
    - Ingress
  ingress:
    - action: Allow
      protocol: ICMP
      source:
        selector: all()
      icmp:
        type: 8  Ping request
    - action: Allow
      protocol: ICMPv6
      source:
        selector: all()
      icmp:
        type: 128  Ping request

Allow ICMP matching protocol type and code, all Kubernetes pods​

In this example, only Kubernetes pods that match the selector projectcalico.org/orchestrator == 'kubernetes' are allowed to receive ICMPv4 code: 1 host unreachable messages.

apiVersion: projectcalico.org/v3
kind: GlobalNetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: allow-host-unreachable
spec:
  selector: projectcalico.org/orchestrator == 'kubernetes'
  types:
    - Ingress
  ingress:
    - action: Allow
      protocol: ICMP
      icmp:
        type: 3  Destination unreachable
        code: 1  Host unreachable

Additional resources​

For more on the ICMP match criteria, see: