• Defined:
  • Software that looks at the header of packets to decide the "fate" of the entire packet
• Possible "Fates":
  • Deny - discard the packet
  • Accept
  • Reject - discard but inform the source

• Control/Management:
  • Allow/disallow incoming packets from certain locations
  • Allow/disallow outgoing packets to certain locations
• Security:
  • Limit access to services
  • Log abnormal events

• How?
  • In the kernel
  • Controlled using iptables
• Configuration Using iptables -t filter:
  • -A INPUT
  • -A OUTPUT
  • -s source address
  • -d destination address
  • -i incoming interface
  • -o outgoing interface
  • -p tcp | udp | icmp
  • -m mac -mac source MAC address
  • -j ACCEPT | DROP | REJECT | LOG

unixexamples/security/filtering.txt

        #---------------------------------------------------------------
# If a packet doesn't match one of the built-in chains, then
# the policy should be to drop it
#---------------------------------------------------------------
iptables --policy INPUT DROP
iptables --policy OUTPUT DROP

#---------------------------------------------------------------
# The loopback interface should accept all traffic necessary for
# X-Windows and other socket based services
#---------------------------------------------------------------
iptables -A OUTPUT -o lo -j ACCEPT

#---------------------------------------------------------------
# We’ll allow incoming icmp (ping) messages for now although we 
# might want to disable this later
#---------------------------------------------------------------
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -j ACCEPT 

#---------------------------------------------------------------
# Allow DNS traffic
#---------------------------------------------------------------
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT 
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT 

#---------------------------------------------------------------
# Log and reject non-local access to MySQL
#---------------------------------------------------------------
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -j LOG 
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -j REJECT 
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 3306 -j LOG 
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 3306 -j REJECT 

#---------------------------------------------------------------
# Disallow access to low ports with SYN bit set
# Note: ! is used for negation
#---------------------------------------------------------------
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp  ! --syn --dport  :1023 -j ACCEPT

#---------------------------------------------------------------
# Open up access to high ports (necessary for web browsing)
#---------------------------------------------------------------
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 1024: -J ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 1024: -J ACCEPT
        

• Purpose:
  • Handle security of packets that have passed through the filter
• Configuration:
  • There are two files, hosts.allow and hosts.deny that include lists of services and who can/can't use them