Introduction to iptables
iptables is a userspace command line program
used to configure the Linux 2.4 and later kernel packet filtering ruleset.
![[Note]](../images/note.png)
Note
Development versions of BLFS may not build or run
some packages properly if LFS or dependencies have been updated
since the most recent stable versions of the books.
Package Information
iptables Dependencies
Optional
libpcap-1.10.4 (required for BPF compiler or nfsynproxy support),
bpf-utils
(required for Berkeley Packet Filter support),
libnfnetlink
(required for connlabel support),
libnetfilter_conntrack
(required for connlabel support), and
nftables
Kernel Configuration
A firewall in Linux is accomplished through the netfilter interface. To
use iptables to configure netfilter, the
following kernel configuration parameters are required:
[*] Networking support ---> [NET]
Networking options --->
[*] Network packet filtering framework (Netfilter) ---> [NETFILTER]
[*] Advanced netfilter configuration [NETFILTER_ADVANCED]
Core Netfilter Configuration --->
<*/M> Netfilter connection tracking support [NF_CONNTRACK]
<*/M> Netfilter Xtables support (required for ip_tables)
... [NETFILTER_XTABLES]
<*/M> LOG target support [NETFILTER_XT_TARGET_LOG]
IP: Netfilter Configuration --->
<*/M> IP tables support (required for filtering/masq/NAT)
... [IP_NF_IPTABLES]
Include any connection tracking protocols that will be used, as well as
any protocols that you wish to use for match support under the
"Core Netfilter Configuration" section. The above options are enough
for running Creating a Personal Firewall With iptables below.
Installation of iptables
Note
The installation below does not include building some specialized
extension libraries which require the raw headers in the
Linux source code. If you wish to build the
additional extensions (if you aren't sure, then you probably don't), you
can look at the INSTALL file to see an example of
how to change the KERNEL_DIR= parameter to point
at the Linux source code. Note that if you
upgrade the kernel version, you may also need to recompile
iptables and that the BLFS team has not
tested using the raw kernel headers.
Install iptables by running the following
commands:
./configure --prefix=/usr \
--disable-nftables \
--enable-libipq &&
make
This package does not come with a test suite.
Now, as the root user:
make install
Command Explanations
--disable-nftables: This switch disables building
nftables compatibility.
--enable-libipq: This switch enables building
of libipq.so which
can be used by some packages outside of BLFS.
--enable-nfsynproxy: This switch enables installation
of nfsynproxy SYNPROXY configuration tool.
Configuring iptables
Note
In the following example configurations, LAN1 is used for the internal LAN interface,
and WAN1 is used for the external
interface connected to the Internet. You will need to replace these
values with appropriate interface names for your system.
Personal Firewall
A Personal Firewall is designed to let you access all the
services offered on the Internet while keeping your computer secure and
your data private.
Below is a slightly modified version of Rusty Russell's
recommendation from the
Linux 2.4 Packet Filtering HOWTO. It is still applicable
to the Linux 6.x kernels.
install -v -dm755 /etc/systemd/scripts
cat > /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables << "EOF"
#!/bin/sh
# Begin /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables
# Insert connection-tracking modules
# (not needed if built into the kernel)
modprobe nf_conntrack
modprobe xt_LOG
# Enable broadcast echo Protection
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts
# Disable Source Routed Packets
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/accept_source_route
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/default/accept_source_route
# Enable TCP SYN Cookie Protection
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_syncookies
# Disable ICMP Redirect Acceptance
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/default/accept_redirects
# Do not send Redirect Messages
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/send_redirects
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/default/send_redirects
# Drop Spoofed Packets coming in on an interface, where responses
# would result in the reply going out a different interface.
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/rp_filter
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/default/rp_filter
# Log packets with impossible addresses.
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/log_martians
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/default/log_martians
# be verbose on dynamic ip-addresses (not needed in case of static IP)
echo 2 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_dynaddr
# disable Explicit Congestion Notification
# too many routers are still ignorant
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_ecn
# Set a known state
iptables -P INPUT DROP
iptables -P FORWARD DROP
iptables -P OUTPUT DROP
# These lines are here in case rules are already in place and the
# script is ever rerun on the fly. We want to remove all rules and
# pre-existing user defined chains before we implement new rules.
iptables -F
iptables -X
iptables -Z
iptables -t nat -F
# Allow local-only connections
iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
# Free output on any interface to any ip for any service
# (equal to -P ACCEPT)
iptables -A OUTPUT -j ACCEPT
# Permit answers on already established connections
# and permit new connections related to established ones
# (e.g. port mode ftp)
iptables -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
# Log everything else.
iptables -A INPUT -j LOG --log-prefix "FIREWALL:INPUT "
# End /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables
EOF
chmod 700 /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables
This script is quite simple, it drops all traffic coming
into your computer that wasn't initiated from your computer, but
as long as you are simply surfing the Internet you are unlikely
to exceed its limits.
If you frequently encounter certain delays at accessing
FTP servers, take a look at BusyBox with iptables example number 4.
Even if you have daemons or services running on your system,
these will be inaccessible everywhere but from your computer itself.
If you want to allow access to services on your machine, such as
ssh or ping, take a look at
Creating a BusyBox With iptables.
Masquerading Router
A Network Firewall has two interfaces, one connected to an
intranet, in this example LAN1,
and one connected to the Internet, here WAN1. To provide the maximum security
for the firewall itself, make sure that there are no unnecessary
servers running on it such as X11.
As a general principle, the firewall itself should not access
any untrusted service (think of a remote server giving answers that
makes a daemon on your system crash, or even worse, that implements
a worm via a buffer-overflow).
install -v -dm755 /etc/systemd/scripts
cat > /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables << "EOF"
#!/bin/sh
# Begin /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables
echo
echo "You're using the example configuration for a setup of a firewall"
echo "from Beyond Linux From Scratch."
echo "This example is far from being complete, it is only meant"
echo "to be a reference."
echo "Firewall security is a complex issue, that exceeds the scope"
echo "of the configuration rules below."
echo "You can find additional information"
echo "about firewalls in Chapter 4 of the BLFS book."
echo "https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs"
echo
# Insert iptables modules (not needed if built into the kernel).
modprobe nf_conntrack
modprobe nf_conntrack_ftp
modprobe xt_conntrack
modprobe xt_LOG
modprobe xt_state
# Enable broadcast echo Protection
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts
# Disable Source Routed Packets
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/accept_source_route
# Enable TCP SYN Cookie Protection
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_syncookies
# Disable ICMP Redirect Acceptance
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/accept_redirects
# Don't send Redirect Messages
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/default/send_redirects
# Drop Spoofed Packets coming in on an interface where responses
# would result in the reply going out a different interface.
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/default/rp_filter
# Log packets with impossible addresses.
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/log_martians
# Be verbose on dynamic ip-addresses (not needed in case of static IP)
echo 2 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_dynaddr
# Disable Explicit Congestion Notification
# Too many routers are still ignorant
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_ecn
# Set a known state
iptables -P INPUT DROP
iptables -P FORWARD DROP
iptables -P OUTPUT DROP
# These lines are here in case rules are already in place and the
# script is ever rerun on the fly. We want to remove all rules and
# pre-existing user defined chains before we implement new rules.
iptables -F
iptables -X
iptables -Z
iptables -t nat -F
# Allow local connections
iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o lo -j ACCEPT
# Allow forwarding if the initiated on the intranet
iptables -A FORWARD -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A FORWARD ! -i WAN1 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -j ACCEPT
# Do masquerading
# (not needed if intranet is not using private ip-addresses)
iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o WAN1 -j MASQUERADE
# Log everything for debugging
# (last of all rules, but before policy rules)
iptables -A INPUT -j LOG --log-prefix "FIREWALL:INPUT "
iptables -A FORWARD -j LOG --log-prefix "FIREWALL:FORWARD "
iptables -A OUTPUT -j LOG --log-prefix "FIREWALL:OUTPUT "
# Enable IP Forwarding
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
# The following sections allow inbound packets for specific examples
# Uncomment the example lines and adjust as necessary
# Allow ping on the external interface
#iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j ACCEPT
#iptables -A OUTPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type echo-reply -j ACCEPT
# Reject ident packets with TCP reset to avoid delays with FTP or IRC
#iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 113 -j REJECT --reject-with tcp-reset
# Allow HTTP and HTTPS to 192.168.0.2
#iptables -A PREROUTING -t nat -i WAN1 -p tcp --dport 80 -j DNAT --to 192.168.0.2
#iptables -A PREROUTING -t nat -i WAN1 -p tcp --dport 443 -j DNAT --to 192.168.0.2
#iptables -A FORWARD -p tcp -d 192.168.0.2 --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
#iptables -A FORWARD -p tcp -d 192.168.0.2 --dport 443 -j ACCEPT
# End /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables
EOF
chmod 700 /etc/systemd/scripts/iptables
With this script your intranet should be reasonably secure
against external attacks. No one should be able to setup a new
connection to any internal service and, if it's masqueraded,
makes your intranet invisible to the Internet. Furthermore, your
firewall should be relatively safe because there are no services
running that a cracker could attack.
BusyBox
This scenario isn't too different from the Creating a Masquerading Router With iptables, but additionally offers some
services to your intranet. Examples of this can be when
you want to administer your firewall from another host on
your intranet or use it as a proxy or a name server.
Note
Outlining specifically how to protect a server that
offers services on the Internet goes far beyond the scope of
this document. See the references in the section called “Extra Information”
for more information.
Be cautious. Every service you have enabled makes your
setup more complex and your firewall less secure. You are
exposed to the risks of misconfigured services or running
a service with an exploitable bug. A firewall should generally
not run any extra services. See the introduction to the
Creating a Masquerading Router With iptables for some more details.
If you want to add services such as internal Samba or
name servers that do not need to access the Internet themselves,
the additional statements are quite simple and should still be
acceptable from a security standpoint. Just add the following lines
into the script before the logging rules.
iptables -A INPUT -i ! WAN1 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o ! WAN1 -j ACCEPT
If daemons, such as squid, have to access the Internet
themselves, you could open OUTPUT generally and restrict
INPUT.
iptables -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -j ACCEPT
However, it is generally not advisable to leave OUTPUT
unrestricted. You lose any control over trojans who would like
to "call home", and a bit of redundancy in case you've
(mis-)configured a service so that it broadcasts its existence
to the world.
To accomplish this, you should restrict INPUT and OUTPUT
on all ports except those that it's absolutely necessary to have
open. Which ports you have to open depends on your needs: mostly
you will find them by looking for failed accesses in your log
files.
Have a Look at the Following Examples:
Squid is caching the web:
iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --sport 80 -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED \
-j ACCEPT
Your caching name server (e.g., named) does its lookups via UDP:
iptables -A OUTPUT -p udp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT
You want to be able to ping your computer to ensure it's still
alive:
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type echo-reply -j ACCEPT
If you are frequently accessing FTP servers or enjoy chatting, you
might notice delays because some implementations of these daemons
query an identd daemon on your system to obtain usernames. Although
there's really little harm in this, having an identd running is not
recommended because many security experts feel the service gives
out too much additional information.
To avoid these delays you could reject the requests with a
'tcp-reset' response:
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 113 -j REJECT --reject-with tcp-reset
To log and drop invalid packets (packets
that came in after netfilter's timeout or some types of
network scans) insert these rules at the top of the chain:
iptables -I INPUT 0 -p tcp -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID \
-j LOG --log-prefix "FIREWALL:INVALID "
iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
Anything coming from the outside should not have a
private address, this is a common attack called IP-spoofing:
iptables -A INPUT -i WAN1 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i WAN1 -s 172.16.0.0/12 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i WAN1 -s 192.168.0.0/16 -j DROP
There are other addresses that you may also want to drop:
0.0.0.0/8, 127.0.0.0/8, 224.0.0.0/3 (multicast and
experimental), 169.254.0.0/16 (Link Local Networks), and
192.0.2.0/24 (IANA defined test network).
If your firewall is a DHCP client, you need to allow those packets:
iptables -A INPUT -i WAN1 -p udp -s 0.0.0.0 --sport 67 \
-d 255.255.255.255 --dport 68 -j ACCEPT
To simplify debugging and be fair to anyone who'd like
to access a service you have disabled, purposely or by mistake,
you could REJECT those packets that are dropped.
Obviously this must be done directly after logging as the very
last lines before the packets are dropped by policy:
iptables -A INPUT -j REJECT
These are only examples to show you some of the capabilities
of the firewall code in Linux. Have a look at the man page of iptables.
There you will find much more information. The port numbers needed for
this can be found in /etc/services, in case you
didn't find them by trial and error in your log file.
Systemd Unit
To set up the iptables firewall at boot, install the
iptables.service unit included in the
blfs-systemd-units-20230816 package.
make install-iptables