- Add useful Iptables configuration examples
- Add useful Kernel Settings (sysctl) configuration
- Add links to useful external resources
- Add advanced configuration examples, commands, rules
- Tools to help you configure Iptables
- Manuals/Howtos/Tutorials
- Useful Kernel Settings (sysctl) configuration
- How it works?
- Iptables Rules
- Saving Rules
- List out all of the active iptables rules with verbose
- List out all of the active iptables rules with numeric lines and verbose
- Print out all of the active iptables rules
- List Rules as Tables for INPUT chain
- Print all of the rule specifications in the INPUT chain
- Show Packet Counts and Aggregate Size
- To display INPUT or OUTPUT chain rules with numeric lines and verbose
- Delete Rule by Chain and Number
- Delete Rule by Specification
- Flush All Rules, Delete All Chains, and Accept All
- Flush All Chains
- Flush a Single Chain
- Insert Firewall Rules
- Allow Loopback Connections
- Allow Established and Related Incoming Connections
- Allow Established Outgoing Connections
- Internal to External
- Drop Invalid Packets
- Block an IP Address
- Block and IP Address and Reject
- Block Connections to a Network Interface
- Allow All Incoming SSH
- Allow Incoming SSH from Specific IP address or subnet
- Allow Outgoing SSH
- Allow Incoming Rsync from Specific IP Address or Subnet
- Allow All Incoming HTTP
- Allow All Incoming HTTPS
- Allow All Incoming HTTP and HTTPS
- Allow MySQL from Specific IP Address or Subnet
- Allow MySQL to Specific Network Interface
- PostgreSQL from Specific IP Address or Subnet
- Allow PostgreSQL to Specific Network Interface
- Block Outgoing SMTP Mail
- Allow All Incoming SMTP
- Allow All Incoming IMAP
- Allow All Incoming IMAPS
- Allow All Incoming POP3
- Allow All Incoming POP3S
- Drop Private Network Address On Public Interface
- Drop All Outgoing to Facebook Networks
- Log and Drop Packets
- Log and Drop Packets with Limited Number of Log Entries
- Drop or Accept Traffic From Mac Address
- Block or Allow ICMP Ping Request
- Specifying Multiple Ports with
multiport
- Load Balancing with
random*
ornth*
- Restricting the Number of Connections with
limit
andiplimit*
- Maintaining a List of recent Connections to Match Against
- Matching Against a
string*
in a Packet's Data Payload - Time-based Rules with
time*
- Packet Matching Based on TTL Values
- Protection against port scanning
- SSH brute-force protection
- Syn-flood protection
- Block New Packets That Are Not SYN
- Force Fragments packets check
- XMAS packets
- Drop all NULL packets
- Block Uncommon MSS Values
- Block Packets With Bogus TCP Flags
- Block Packets From Private Subnets (Spoofing)
- Advanced configuration examples
:small_orange_diamond: Shorewall - advanced gateway/firewall configuration tool for GNU/Linux.
:small_orange_diamond: Firewalld - provides a dynamically managed firewall.
:small_orange_diamond: UFW - default firewall configuration tool for Ubuntu.
:small_orange_diamond: FireHOL - offer simple and powerful configuration for all Linux firewall and traffic shaping requirements.
:small_orange_diamond: Best practices: iptables - by Major Hayden
:small_orange_diamond: An In-Depth Guide to Iptables, the Linux Firewall
:small_orange_diamond: Advanced Features of netfilter/iptables
:small_orange_diamond: Linux Firewalls Using iptables
:small_orange_diamond: Debugging iptables and common firewall pitfalls?
:small_orange_diamond: Netfilter Hacking HOWTO
:small_orange_diamond: Per-IP rate limiting with iptables
Disable routing triangulation. Respond to queries out the same interface, not another. Also protects against IP spoofing.
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/conf/all/rp_filter = 1
EOF
- rp_filter and LPIC-3 Linux Security
- Linux kernel rp_filter settings (Reverse path filtering)
- Reverse Path Filtering
Enable logging of packets with malformed IP addresses.
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/conf/all/log_martians = 1
EOF
Disables sending of all IPv4 ICMP redirected packets on all interfaces.
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/conf/all/send_redirects = 0
EOF
Disable source routed packets (packets with the Strict Source Route (SSR) or Loose Source Routing (LSR) option set).
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/conf/all/accept_source_route = 0
EOF
Disable acceptance of ICMP redirects.
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/conf/all/accept_redirects = 0
EOF
- What are ICMP redirects and should they be blocked?
- The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must ignore Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) redirect messages.
Turn on SYN-flood protections (protection from Denial of Service (DOS) attacks).
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/tcp_syncookies = 1
EOF
- Hardening your TCP/IP Stack Against SYN Floods
- Linux: Turn On TCP SYN Cookie Protection
- Better alternative for tcp_syncookies in Linux
Disable responding to ping broadcasts.
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts = 1
EOF
Enable IP routing. Required if your firewall is protecting a network, NAT included.
cat << EOF >> /etc/sysctl.d/40-custom.conf
net/ipv4/ip_forward = 1
EOF
netfilter-persistent save
service iptables save
iptables -n -L -v
iptables -n -L -v --line-numbers
iptables -S
iptables -L INPUT
iptables -S INPUT
iptables -L INPUT -v
iptables -L INPUT -n -v
iptables -L OUTPUT -n -v --line-numbers
iptables -D INPUT 10
iptables -D INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
iptables -P INPUT ACCEPT
iptables -P FORWARD ACCEPT
iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT
iptables -t nat -F
iptables -t mangle -F
iptables -F
iptables -X
iptables -F
iptables -F INPUT
iptables -I INPUT 2 -s 202.54.1.2 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o lo -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD -i eth1 -o eth0 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -s 192.168.252.10 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -s 192.168.252.10 -j REJECT
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -s 192.168.252.10 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 192.168.240.0/24 --dport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --sport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 192.168.240.0/24 --dport 873 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 873 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 80 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 443 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m multiport --dports 80,443 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m multiport --dports 80,443 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 192.168.240.0/24 --dport 3306 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 3306 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -p tcp --dport 3306 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth1 -p tcp --sport 3306 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 192.168.240.0/24 --dport 5432 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 5432 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -p tcp --dport 5432 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth1 -p tcp --sport 5432 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 25 -j REJECT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 25 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 25 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 143 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 143 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 993 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 993 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 110 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 110 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 995 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --sport 995 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -s 192.168.0.0/24 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
Get Facebook AS:
whois -h v4.whois.cymru.com " -v $(host facebook.com | grep "has address" | cut -d " " -f4)" | tail -n1 | awk '{print $1}'
Drop:
for i in $(whois -h whois.radb.net -- '-i origin AS32934' | grep "^route:" | cut -d ":" -f2 | sed -e 's/^[ \t]*//' | sort -n -t . -k 1,1 -k 2,2 -k 3,3 -k 4,4 | cut -d ":" -f2 | sed 's/$/;/') ; do
iptables -A OUTPUT -s "$i" -j REJECT
done
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j LOG --log-prefix "IP_SPOOF A: "
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
By default everything is logged to /var/log/messages
file:
tail -f /var/log/messages
grep --color 'IP SPOOF' /var/log/messages
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -m limit --limit 5/m --limit-burst 7 -j LOG --log-prefix "IP_SPOOF A: "
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -m mac --mac-source 00:0F:EA:91:04:08 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --destination-port 22 -m mac --mac-source 00:0F:EA:91:04:07 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -p icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m state --state NEW -m multiport --dports ssh,smtp,http,https -j ACCEPT
_ips=("172.31.250.10" "172.31.250.11" "172.31.250.12" "172.31.250.13")
for ip in "${_ips[@]}" ; do
iptables -A PREROUTING -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW -m nth --counter 0 --every 4 --packet 0 \
-j DNAT --to-destination ${ip}:80
done
or
_ips=("172.31.250.10" "172.31.250.11" "172.31.250.12" "172.31.250.13")
for ip in "${_ips[@]}" ; do
iptables -A PREROUTING -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW -m random --average 25 \
-j DNAT --to-destination ${ip}:80
done
iptables -A FORWARD -m state --state NEW -p tcp -m multiport --dport http,https -o eth0 -i eth1 \
-m limit --limit 20/hour --limit-burst 5 -j ACCEPT
or
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m state --state NEW --dport http -m iplimit --iplimit-above 5 -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -m recent --name portscan --rcheck --seconds 100 -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -p tcp -i eth0 --dport 443 -m recent --name portscan --set -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -m string --string '.com' -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -m string --string '.exe' -j DROP
iptables -A FORWARD -p tcp -m multiport --dport http,https -o eth0 -i eth1 \
-m time --timestart 21:30 --timestop 22:30 --days Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -s 1.2.3.4 -m ttl --ttl-lt 40 -j REJECT
iptables -N port-scanning
iptables -A port-scanning -p tcp --tcp-flags SYN,ACK,FIN,RST RST -m limit --limit 1/s --limit-burst 2 -j RETURN
iptables -A port-scanning -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport ssh -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -m recent --set
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport ssh -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -m recent --update --seconds 60 --hitcount 10 -j DROP
iptables -N syn_flood
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --syn -j syn_flood
iptables -A syn_flood -m limit --limit 1/s --limit-burst 3 -j RETURN
iptables -A syn_flood -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -m limit --limit 1/s --limit-burst 1 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -m limit --limit 1/s --limit-burst 1 -j LOG --log-prefix PING-DROP:
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -p icmp -j ACCEPT
iptables -t raw -A PREROUTING -p tcp -m tcp --syn -j CT --notrack
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID,UNTRACKED -j SYNPROXY --sack-perm --timestamp --wscale 7 --mss 1460
iptables -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp ! --syn -m state --state NEW -j DROP
or
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp ! --syn -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -f -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL ALL -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL NONE -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -m tcpmss ! --mss 536:65535 -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags FIN,SYN,RST,PSH,ACK,URG NONE -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags FIN,SYN FIN,SYN -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags SYN,RST SYN,RST -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags FIN,RST FIN,RST -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags FIN,ACK FIN -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ACK,URG URG -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ACK,FIN FIN -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ACK,PSH PSH -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL ALL -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL NONE -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL FIN,PSH,URG -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL SYN,FIN,PSH,URG -j DROP
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL SYN,RST,ACK,FIN,URG -j DROP
_subnets=("224.0.0.0/3" "169.254.0.0/16" "172.16.0.0/12" "192.0.2.0/24" "192.168.0.0/16" "10.0.0.0/8" "0.0.0.0/8" "240.0.0.0/5")
for _sub in "${_subnets[@]}" ; do
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -s "$_sub" -j DROP
done
iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -s 127.0.0.0/8 ! -i lo -j DROP
This target passes the packet to userspace using the nfnetlink_queue handler. The packet is put into the queue identified by its 16-bit queue number. Userspace can inspect and modify the packet if desired. Userspace must then drop or reinject the packet into the kernel.
This rule forwards all filter:INPUT packets to queue 1 with NFQUEUE target.
iptables -A INPUT -j NFQUEUE --queue-num 1
Script to bind to netfilter queue 1 and handle packets.
#!/usr/bin/python3
from netfilterqueue import NetfilterQueue
from scapy.all import *
def packetanalyzer(pkt):
ip=IP(pkt.get_payload())
if(ip.src=="192.168.122.1"):
print(f"New packet from {ip.src}")
pkt.accept()
else:
pkt.drop()
nfqueue=NetfilterQueue()
nfqueue.bind(1, packetanalyzer)
nfqueue.run()
DROP all ssh requests and send secret port requests to user-space with NFQUEUE target.
iptables -t filter -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j DROP
iptables -t raw -I PREROUTING -p tcp --sport 65534 --dport 65535 -j NFQUEUE --queue-num 1
_This script capture packet from netfilter queue 1 and check SOURCEPORT and SECRETPORT for port knocking and allow source to connect to ssh for EXPIRETIME, default is 30 minutes.
#!/usr/bin/python3
from os import system
from netfilterqueue import NetfilterQueue
from scapy.layers.inet import IP
from time import time
SOURCEPORT=65534
SECRETPORT=65535
EXPIRETIME=30
ALLOWED={}
def portknocking(pkt):
packet=IP(pkt.get_payload())
currtime=time()
for item in list(ALLOWED):
if(currtime-ALLOWED[item] >= EXPIRETIME*60):
del ALLOWED[item]
if(packet.sport==SOURCEPORT and packet.dport==SECRETPORT and packet.src not in ALLOWED):
print(f"Port {packet.dport} knocked by {packet.src}:{packet.sport}")
system(f"iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -s {packet.src} -j ACCEPT")
system(f"echo 'iptables -D INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -s {packet.src} -j ACCEPT' | at now + {EXPIRETIME} minutes")
ALLOWED[packet.src]=time()
pkt.drop()
nfqueue=NetfilterQueue()
nfqueue.bind(1, portknocking)
try:
nfqueue.run()
except KeyboardInterrupt:
print("\nExit with Keyboard Interrupt")
To knocking port and allow ssh connections from your computer just execute this command:
nc -p 65534 SERVER 65535