CentOS 6.9, jwhois incomplete output

Question

From some days I noticing a strange whois output under CentOS 6.9 with .com domains:

whois google.com
[Interrogando whois.verisign-grs.com]
[whois.verisign-grs.com]
   Domain Name: GOOGLE.COM
   Registry Domain ID: 2138514_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
   Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.markmonitor.com
   Registrar URL: http://www.markmonitor.com
   Updated Date: 2011-07-20T16:55:31Z
   Creation Date: 1997-09-15T04:00:00Z
   Registry Expiry Date: 2020-09-14T04:00:00Z
   Registrar: MarkMonitor Inc.
   Registrar IANA ID: 292
   Registrar Abuse Contact Email: abusecomplaints@markmonitor.com
   Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.2083895740
   Domain Status: clientDeleteProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientDeleteProhibited
   Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
   Domain Status: clientUpdateProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientUpdateProhibited
   Domain Status: serverDeleteProhibited https://icann.org/epp#serverDeleteProhibited
   Domain Status: serverTransferProhibited https://icann.org/epp#serverTransferProhibited
   Domain Status: serverUpdateProhibited https://icann.org/epp#serverUpdateProhibited
   Name Server: NS1.GOOGLE.COM
   Name Server: NS2.GOOGLE.COM
   Name Server: NS3.GOOGLE.COM
   Name Server: NS4.GOOGLE.COM
   DNSSEC: unsigned
   URL of the ICANN Whois Inaccuracy Complaint Form: https://www.icann.org/wicf/
>>> Last update of whois database: 2017-07-31T15:24:36Z <<<

For more information on Whois status codes, please visit https://icann.org/epp

NOTICE: The expiration date displayed in this record is the date the
registrar's sponsorship of the domain name registration in the registry is
currently set to expire. This date does not necessarily reflect the expiration
date of the domain name registrant's agreement with the sponsoring
registrar.  Users may consult the sponsoring registrar's Whois database to
view the registrar's reported date of expiration for this registration.

TERMS OF USE: You are not authorized to access or query our Whois
database through the use of electronic processes that are high-volume and
automated except as reasonably necessary to register domain names or
modify existing registrations; the Data in VeriSign Global Registry
Services' ("VeriSign") Whois database is provided by VeriSign for
information purposes only, and to assist persons in obtaining information
about or related to a domain name registration record. VeriSign does not
guarantee its accuracy. By submitting a Whois query, you agree to abide
by the following terms of use: You agree that you may use this Data only
for lawful purposes and that under no circumstances will you use this Data
to: (1) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass
unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail, telephone,
or facsimile; or (2) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes
that apply to VeriSign (or its computer systems). The compilation,
repackaging, dissemination or other use of this Data is expressly
prohibited without the prior written consent of VeriSign. You agree not to
use electronic processes that are automated and high-volume to access or
query the Whois database except as reasonably necessary to register
domain names or modify existing registrations. VeriSign reserves the right
to restrict your access to the Whois database in its sole discretion to ensure
operational stability.  VeriSign may restrict or terminate your access to the
Whois database for failure to abide by these terms of use. VeriSign
reserves the right to modify these terms at any time.

The Registry database contains ONLY .COM, .NET, .EDU domains and
Registrars.

From CentOS 7 I can see, instead, the classic, full, whois output:

whois google.com
[Interrogando whois.verisign-grs.com]
[Redirezione verso whois.markmonitor.com]
[Interrogando whois.markmonitor.com]
[whois.markmonitor.com]
Domain Name: google.com
Registry Domain ID: 2138514_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.markmonitor.com
Registrar URL: http://www.markmonitor.com
Updated Date: 2015-06-12T10:38:52-0700
Creation Date: 1997-09-15T00:00:00-0700
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2020-09-13T21:00:00-0700
Registrar: MarkMonitor, Inc.
Registrar IANA ID: 292
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: abusecomplaints@markmonitor.com
Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.2083895740
Domain Status: clientUpdateProhibited (https://www.icann.org/epp#clientUpdateProhibited)
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited (https://www.icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited)
Domain Status: clientDeleteProhibited (https://www.icann.org/epp#clientDeleteProhibited)
Domain Status: serverUpdateProhibited (https://www.icann.org/epp#serverUpdateProhibited)
Domain Status: serverTransferProhibited (https://www.icann.org/epp#serverTransferProhibited)
Domain Status: serverDeleteProhibited (https://www.icann.org/epp#serverDeleteProhibited)
Registry Registrant ID: 
Registrant Name: Dns Admin
Registrant Organization: Google Inc.
Registrant Street: Please contact contact-admin@google.com, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Registrant City: Mountain View
Registrant State/Province: CA
Registrant Postal Code: 94043
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: +1.6502530000
Registrant Phone Ext: 
Registrant Fax: +1.6506188571
Registrant Fax Ext: 
Registrant Email: dns-admin@google.com
Registry Admin ID: 
Admin Name: DNS Admin
Admin Organization: Google Inc.
Admin Street: 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Admin City: Mountain View
Admin State/Province: CA
Admin Postal Code: 94043
Admin Country: US
Admin Phone: +1.6506234000
Admin Phone Ext: 
Admin Fax: +1.6506188571
Admin Fax Ext: 
Admin Email: dns-admin@google.com
Registry Tech ID: 
Tech Name: DNS Admin
Tech Organization: Google Inc.
Tech Street: 2400 E. Bayshore Pkwy
Tech City: Mountain View
Tech State/Province: CA
Tech Postal Code: 94043
Tech Country: US
Tech Phone: +1.6503300100
Tech Phone Ext: 
Tech Fax: +1.6506181499
Tech Fax Ext: 
Tech Email: dns-admin@google.com
Name Server: ns1.google.com
Name Server: ns4.google.com
Name Server: ns2.google.com
Name Server: ns3.google.com
DNSSEC: unsigned
URL of the ICANN WHOIS Data Problem Reporting System: http://wdprs.internic.net/
>>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2017-07-31T07:15:42-0700 <<<

The Data in MarkMonitor.com's WHOIS database is provided by MarkMonitor.com for
information purposes, and to assist persons in obtaining information about or
related to a domain name registration record.  MarkMonitor.com does not guarantee
its accuracy.  By submitting a WHOIS query, you agree that you will use this Data
only for lawful purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this Data to:
 (1) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited,
     commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail (spam); or
 (2) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that apply to
     MarkMonitor.com (or its systems).
MarkMonitor.com reserves the right to modify these terms at any time.
By submitting this query, you agree to abide by this policy.

MarkMonitor is the Global Leader in Online Brand Protection.

MarkMonitor Domain Management(TM)
MarkMonitor Brand Protection(TM)
MarkMonitor AntiPiracy(TM)
MarkMonitor AntiFraud(TM)
Professional and Managed Services

Visit MarkMonitor at http://www.markmonitor.com
Contact us at +1.8007459229
In Europe, at +44.02032062220

For more information on Whois status codes, please visit
 https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/epp-status-codes-2014-06-16-en
--

The first (and only) usefull thing that i notice is that, on CentOS 6.9, the whois doesn't do the redirect to whois.markmonitor.com:

[Interrogando whois.verisign-grs.com]
[Redirezione verso whois.markmonitor.com]
[Interrogando whois.markmonitor.com]

Anyone know anything about that? This happened first time last week...

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 02 '17 at 00:07

I think you already described the problem and its answer: the old whois client does not do an automatic redirect to the registrar whois. Compare versions of the two whois clients.

The fact is that currently (it will change in the following months), .COM/NET domain names are still handled in a "thin" registry. This means that the registry (VeriSign) outputs a whois with only basic info and, for example, no contact data. However in this output you can see the registrar responsible and its own whois, so a "smart" client will detect that and redo the query to the registrar whois to gather additional data.

The whois protocol was underdesigned and all this "redirect" thing is not specified anywhere. It is just that some clients became smarter in hope of being able to handle all "split" whois cases. So one client may do it properly and another not. But in all cases you can always explicitly specify the whois server you want to query, so in the case of redirect not happening, you could redo the query yourself towards the registrar whois server. Or just upgrade your client.

Hi, thanks for answer, it helped me to find the workaround posted below :) — Tsumi, Aug 02 '17 at 10:57

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 02 '17 at 10:56

PLEASE NOTE: I'm adding a workaround that for jwhois on CentOS 6. I'll set Patrick's answer as solution because it helped me so mush to get into the correct rails to find it.

Actually CentOS 6 use only jwhois 4.0-19, CentOs 7 use jwhois 4.0.48 that redirect correctly. I wasn't able to find an update to 4.0.48 for CentOS 6 so i workarounded editing /etc/jwhois.conf to force jwhois to use whois.markmonitor.com for .com and .net lookups.

so i changed:

"\\.com$" {
        whois-server = "whois.verisign-grs.com";
        query-format = "domain $*";
}

in

"\\.com$" {
        whois-server = "whois.markmonitor.com";
}

and

"\\.net$" {
        whois-server = "whois.verisign-grs.com";
        query-format = "domain $*";
}

in

"\\.net$" {
        whois-server = "whois.markmonitor.com";
}

And now whois queries work fine with .com and .net (hopefully waiting for an update...)

But the problem with your change is that it ill work only for domain names handled by MarkMonitor! — Patrick Mevzek, Aug 02 '17 at 11:34
I know... but for now I need a workaround for .com/.net (hopefully alla centos 6 will be upgraded to centos 7 soon...) — Tsumi, Aug 02 '17 at 12:40

CentOS 6.9, jwhois incomplete output

2 Answers2