{"record":{"id":"69d74201d69fcad1","repo":"owasp-amass/amass","slug":"failed-to-obtain-the-bgptools-ip-address","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address","messagePattern":"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address","errorType":"error_code","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"engine/plugins/whois/bgptools/plugin.go","lineNumber":66,"sourceCode":"\t\t},\n\t}\n}\n\nfunc (bt *bgpTools) Name() string {\n\treturn bt.name\n}\n\nfunc (bt *bgpTools) Start(r et.Registry) error {\n\tbt.log = r.Log().WithGroup(\"plugin\").With(\"name\", bt.name)\n\n\tctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Minute)\n\tdefer cancel()\n\n\trr, err := support.PerformQuery(ctx, \"bgp.tools\", dns.TypeA)\n\tif err != nil {\n\t\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address: %v\", err)\n\t} else if len(rr) == 0 {\n\t\treturn errors.New(\"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address\")\n\t}\n\n\tfor _, record := range rr {\n\t\tif record.Header().Rrtype == dns.TypeA {\n\t\t\tbt.addr = strings.TrimSpace((record.(*dns.A)).A.String())\n\t\t\tbreak\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\tif bt.addr == \"\" {\n\t\treturn errors.New(\"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address\")\n\t}\n\n\tbt.netblock = &netblock{\n\t\tname:   bt.name + \"-IP-Handler\",\n\t\tplugin: bt,\n\t}\n\tif err := r.RegisterHandler(&et.Handler{\n\t\tPlugin:       bt,","sourceCodeStart":48,"sourceCodeEnd":84,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/owasp-amass/amass/blob/79299dce87b0085db0f2f4ef3e9c52cccb49f514/engine/plugins/whois/bgptools/plugin.go#L48-L84","documentation":"The bgptools whois plugin's Start method resolves bgp.tools via DNS (support.PerformQuery for an A record) to learn the WHOIS server's IP address. If that lookup fails, Start wraps the underlying error with fmt.Errorf(\"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address: %v\", err) and aborts plugin startup. Without the server IP the plugin cannot open WHOIS connections.","triggerScenarios":"Plugin Start runs and support.PerformQuery(ctx, \"bgp.tools\", dns.TypeA) returns any of the resolver errors (ErrNameDoesNotExist, ErrFailedMaxDNSAttempts, unexpected response, wildcard detected), causing the wrapped error.","commonSituations":"Network/DNS outages during startup; firewalls blocking outbound DNS or port 53; bgp.tools resolution blocked on the host; transient resolver failures at boot time.","solutions":["Verify DNS resolution works: dig bgp.tools A from the host.","Check network/firewall access to DNS resolvers; re-run the scan after connectivity is restored.","Retry the plugin start — the failure is often transient.","If it persists, confirm your resolver can resolve bgp.tools (some corporate resolvers block it) and use an alternative resolver."],"exampleFix":"// before\nrr, err := support.PerformQuery(ctx, \"bgp.tools\", dns.TypeA)\nif err != nil {\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address: %v\", err)\n}\n// after\nrr, err := support.PerformQuery(ctx, \"bgp.tools\", dns.TypeA)\nif err != nil {\n    if support.IsTransient(err) { // or check ErrFailedMaxDNSAttempts\n        return retry.Start(ctx) // retry startup instead of failing outright\n    }\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address: %v\", err)\n}","handlingStrategy":"retry","validationCode":"// Pre-flight: ensure bgp.tools resolves before starting the plugin\naddrs, err := net.LookupHost(\"bgp.tools\")\nif err != nil || len(addrs) == 0 {\n    log.Fatal(\"cannot resolve bgp.tools; check DNS/network\")\n}","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"if err := plugin.Start(ctx); err != nil {\n    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"failed to obtain the BGPTools IP address\") {\n        time.Sleep(30 * time.Second)\n        err = plugin.Start(ctx) // transient DNS failure: retry\n    }\n}","preventionTips":["Verify outbound DNS (port 53) is allowed in firewalled/CI environments.","Re-run scans after transient network outages.","Use resolvers that do not block bgp.tools.","Treat data-source plugin start failures as non-fatal where possible."],"tags":["dns","plugin-startup","whois"],"backgroundTag":"dns-resolution-failed","analyzedSha":"79299dce87b0085db0f2f4ef3e9c52cccb49f514","analyzedAt":"2026-09-06T08:22:48.198Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-06T08:22:48.198Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-14T05:17:10.506Z"}