DNS: Working with RNDC Keys

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DNS: Working with RNDC Keys

BIND uses a shared secret key authentication method to grant privileges to hosts. It is important to know how to generate this key for administration purposes. In this hands-on lab, we will learn to configure the RNDC key and configuration file, and link it to the `named` service. To accomplish this, we will install the BIND package and recreate the RNDC key and configuration. We will then copy the new configuration to the `named.conf` file. To complete this lab, you will have to show that a new configuration has been created and that DNS queries are being cached on `localhost`.

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Lab Info

Level

Intermediate

Last updated

Aug 10, 2025

Duration

15m

Challenge

Log in to the lab server with the `cloud_user` and issue `sudo -i` to gain root access.

$ ssh cloud_user@**.**.**.** . (your lab server IP)
Password:

$ sudo -i
[sudo] password for cloud_user: 
# 
# id
uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root) context=unconfined_u:unconfined_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023

Challenge

Install the `bind` and `bind-utils` packages. Start and enable the `named` service.
1. Install bind and bind-utils:
```
# yum install -y bind bind-utils
```
1. Start and enable the named service:
```
# systemctl start named
# systemctl enable named
```
Challenge

Recreate the RNDC key and configuration file.
1. Remove the rndc.key file.
```
# rm /etc/rndc.key
```
1. Stop the named service.
```
# systemctl stop named
```
1. Generate an rndc key and configuration file.
```
# rndc-confgen -r /dev/urandom > /etc/rndc.conf
```
Challenge

Link the RNDC configuration to the `named` configuration.
1. Open the /etc/rndc.conf file with vim:
```
# vim /etc/rndc.conf
```
1. Copy the section "Copy to the named.conf file"
2. Open the /etc/named.conf file for editing with vim.
```
# vim /etc/named.conf
```
1. Paste the copied section into /etc/named.conf just before the include statements and delete the # signs at the beginning of the lines.
Challenge

Start the `named` service.
```
# systemctl start named
```
Challenge

Test the configuration to ensure records are being cached on the localhost.
```
# nslookup www.google.com 127.0.0.1
```

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