How to mock DNS CAA record lookups in Python
Parse and filter DNS CAA records with a mock lookup function, demonstrating how certificate authorities validate domain authorization.
pip install dnslib
Python code
36 linesimport dnslib
def parse_caa_record(record_string):
"""Parse a DNS CAA record string into its components."""
parts = record_string.split()
flags = int(parts[0])
tag = parts[1]
value = parts[2]
return flags, tag, value
def mock_caa_lookup(domain, caa_records):
"""Mock DNS CAA lookup that returns a filtered list of CAA records."""
records = caa_records.get(domain, [])
results = []
for record in records:
flags, tag, value = parse_caa_record(record)
# Only return records that are allowed for lookup (simplified logic)
if flags == 0 and tag in ("issue", "issuewild", "iodef"):
results.append((tag, value, flags))
return results
if __name__ == "__main__":
# Mock DNS zone data
zone_data = {
"example.com": [
"0 issue \"letsencrypt.org\"",
"0 issuewild \"comodoca.com\"",
"0 iodef \"mailto:security@example.com\"",
"128 issue \"untrusted-ca.org\"" # This one should be filtered out
]
}
domain = "example.com"
print(f"CAA records for {domain}:")
for tag, value, flags in mock_caa_lookup(domain, zone_data):
print(f" {tag} = {value} (flags: {flags})")
Output
CAA records for example.com:
issue = letsencrypt.org (flags: 0)
issuewild = comodoca.com (flags: 0)
iodef = mailto:security@example.com (flags: 0)
How it works
The parse_caa_record function splits the record string into flags, tag, and value components. The mock lookup filters records by flags equal to 0 and tags relevant to certificate issuance. Real DNS lookups would use dnslib's resolver to query authoritative servers — this mock simulates that contract. The flags field indicates critical vs. non-critical records; flags of 0 mean the record is non-critical and can be ignored if unknown. Filtering by tag (issue, issuewild, iodef) keeps only the records that matter for CA decision-making.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that dnslib is a third-party package requiring installation
- Not handling malformed CAA record strings that lack exactly three parts
- Ignoring the flags field when determining which records are critical
Variations
- Use dnslib's actual resolver API to perform real CAA lookups instead of mocking
- Implement the lookup as a generator expression for more concise code
Real-world use cases
- Verify domain authorization before issuing TLS certificates in a CA infrastructure.
- Test ACME client logic by simulating CAA policy responses from a DNS provider.
- Audit domain security by enumerating allowed certificate authorities from existing CAA records.
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