python / python/cpython

ipaddress: Two more IPv6 ranges (RFC 9602, 9780) missing from _private_networks

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stdlib type-bug
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

Description

This is a peer issue to gh-151049 / PR 151050, which is addressing RFC 9665 ranges.

In this case, we similarly have the following examples return True:

  • ipaddress.ip_address('5f00::1').is_global
  • ipaddress.ip_address('100:0:0:1::1').is_global

Both blocks are registered by IANA with Globally Reachable = False.

The companion is_private returns False, so the documented-safe not ip.is_global check treats these addresses as ordinary public addresses.

IANA registration

The IANA IPv6 Special-Purpose Address Registry lists both blocks as Globally Reachable = False:

Address Block Name RFC Globally Reachable
5f00::/16 Segment Routing (SRv6) SIDs RFC 9602 False
100:0:0:1::/64 Dummy IPv6 Prefix RFC 9780 False

Registry: https://www.iana.org/assignments/iana-ipv6-special-registry/iana-ipv6-special-registry.xhtml

Both were added after the table was last revised: RFC 9602 (Segment Routing over IPv6 SIDs) registered 5f00::/16 in 2024, and RFC 9780 registered the 100:0:0:1::/64 Dummy IPv6 Prefix. Note that 100:0:0:1::/64 is disjoint from the already-listed 100::/64 (RFC 6666 Discard-Only), so the existing 100::/64 entry does not cover it.

The bug

_IPv6Constants._private_networks enumerates the not-globally-reachable blocks. It lists, among others, 100::/64, 2001:db8::/32, 2002::/16, 3fff::/20, but is missing 5f00::/16 and 100:0:0:1::/64, so addresses in those blocks fall through to globally-reachable.

This is the same class as gh-124217 (which added 3fff::/20) and the IPv4 case in bpo-42937 (the 192.0.0.8 dummy address), and the GR=False complement of the in-flight #151050 (which adds the GR=True 2001:1::3/128 to the exceptions list).

Reproduce

On current main:

>>> import ipaddress
>>> ipaddress.ip_address('5f00::1').is_global
True          # expected: False (RFC 9602, IANA GR=False)
>>> ipaddress.ip_address('5f00::1').is_private
False         # expected: True
>>> ipaddress.ip_address('100:0:0:1::1').is_global
True          # expected: False (RFC 9780, IANA GR=False)
>>> ipaddress.ip_address('100:0:0:1::1').is_private
False         # expected: True
>>> ipaddress.ip_address('3fff::1').is_global      # already-fixed sibling, correct
False
>>> ipaddress.ip_address('100::1').is_global       # adjacent in-table block, correct
False
Fix

Add the two blocks to _IPv6Constants._private_networks, with RFC reference comments, e.g.:

        IPv6Network('5f00::/16'),       # RFC 9602 (SRv6 SIDs)
        IPv6Network('100:0:0:1::/64'),  # RFC 9780 (Dummy IPv6 Prefix)

and extend testReservedIpv6 to assert that 5f00::1 and 100:0:0:1::1 are not global and are private, and that an adjacent unregistered address (e.g. 100:0:0:2::1) stays unchanged so the carve-out is exact. A Misc/NEWS entry as usual. The exceptions framework and the related entries landed in GH-113179 (first shipped in 3.13), so this applies to 3.13+.

CPython versions tested on:

3.15, CPython main branch

Operating systems tested on:

Linux

Linked PRs
  • gh-151764

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start at _IPv6Constants._private_networks and the testReservedIpv6 test named in the report, then review the linked PR gh-151764 to determine the current implementation status. Done means the two RFC-listed ranges have coverage, the adjacent unregistered range remains unchanged, and the usual Misc/NEWS entry is included.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
networking
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
30/100

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