TCP traceroute using RST and SYN-ACK to determine destination reachability

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors associated with a processing device that executes a traceroute application implementing a modified Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) stack to perform steps of:

• sending a plurality of TCP packets via a raw socket to perform a trace to a destination;
• receiving responses to the plurality of TCP packets;
• inspecting responses consumed by the modified TCP stack, wherein the modified TCP stack is adapted to recognize TCP traceroute traffic;
• recognizing one of a Synchronize-Acknowledgment (SYN-ACK) or a Reset (RST) from the destination in the responses based on the inspecting;
• responsive to recognizing the SYN-ACK or RST in the responses, diverting the SYN-ACK or RST responses to the raw socket;
• and
• aggregating the responses by the traceroute application to determine details of a service path from the processing device to the destination.

A processing device with a traceroute application that implements a modified Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) stack, the processing device comprising:

• one or more processors and memory comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to
• send a plurality of TCP packets via a raw socket to perform a trace to a destination;
• receive responses to the plurality of TCP packets;
• inspect responses consumed by the modified TCP stack, wherein the modified TCP stack is adapted to recognize TCP traceroute traffic;
• recognize one of a Synchronize-Acknowledgment (SYN-ACK) or a Reset (RST) from the destination in the responses based on the inspecting;
• responsive to recognizing the SYN-ACK or RST in the responses, divert the SYN-ACK or RST responses to the raw socket;
• and
• aggregate the responses by the traceroute application to determine details of a service path from the processing device to the destination.