Debian Upgrade – ip6tables-restore RULE_APPEND Failed (Invalid Argument)

debianiptablesipv6ufw

On running the command

ip6tables-restore < /etc/iptables/rules.v6

on the Debian server, I get

ip6tables-restore v1.8.2 (nf_tables): 
line 48: RULE_APPEND failed (Invalid argument): rule in chain ufw-after-input

On that line I have

-A ufw-after-input -m addrtype --dst-type BROADCAST -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input

which is identical to the line I have on my rules.v4 file. Also the command

iptables-restore < /etc/iptables/rules.v4

runs without problems.

Any help in solving the error would be appreciated.

Edit 1:

the problem only occurred in the recent apt upgrade. The previous upgrades were running smoothly with no problems.

Edit 2:

this is what I get by running netfilter-persistent reload

run-parts: executing /usr/share/netfilter-persistent/plugins.d/15-ip4tables start
run-parts: executing /usr/share/netfilter-persistent/plugins.d/25-ip6tables start
ip6tables-restore v1.8.2 (nf_tables): 
line 48: RULE_APPEND failed (Invalid argument): rule in chain ufw-after-input
run-parts: /usr/share/netfilter-persistent/plugins.d/25-ip6tables exited with return code 4

Edit 3

This is the contents of the file /etc/iptables/rules.v6

# Generated by xtables-save v1.8.2 on Thu Aug 20 13:52:30 2020
*filter
:INPUT ACCEPT [2541:222427]
:FORWARD DROP [0:0]
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [1949:481231]
:ufw-before-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw-before-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw-before-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-before-input - [0:0]
:ufw-before-output - [0:0]
:ufw-before-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-after-input - [0:0]
:ufw-after-output - [0:0]
:ufw-after-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-after-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw-after-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw-after-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-reject-input - [0:0]
:ufw-reject-output - [0:0]
:ufw-reject-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-track-input - [0:0]
:ufw-track-output - [0:0]
:ufw-track-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-logging-deny - [0:0]
:ufw-logging-allow - [0:0]
:ufw-skip-to-policy-input - [0:0]
:ufw-skip-to-policy-output - [0:0]
:ufw-skip-to-policy-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-not-local - [0:0]
:ufw-user-input - [0:0]
:ufw-user-output - [0:0]
:ufw-user-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-user-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw-user-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw-user-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw-user-limit - [0:0]
:ufw-user-limit-accept - [0:0]
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 587 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-before-input -j ufw-user-input
-A ufw-before-output -j ufw-user-output
-A ufw-before-forward -j ufw-user-forward
-A ufw-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 137 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 138 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 139 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 445 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 67 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 68 -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-input -m addrtype --dst-type BROADCAST -j ufw-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw-after-logging-input -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] "
-A ufw-after-logging-forward -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] "
-A ufw-logging-deny -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j RETURN
-A ufw-logging-deny -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] "
-A ufw-logging-allow -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW ALLOW] "
-A ufw-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m comment --comment "\'dapp_OpenSSH\'" -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m comment --comment "\'dapp_SSH\'" -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 465 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p udp -m udp --dport 465 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 995 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p udp -m udp --dport 995 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 587 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-input -p udp -m udp --dport 587 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw-user-limit -m limit --limit 3/min -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW LIMIT BLOCK] "
-A ufw-user-limit -j REJECT --reject-with icmp6-port-unreachable
-A ufw-user-limit-accept -j ACCEPT
COMMIT
# Completed on Thu Aug 20 13:52:30 2020

Best Answer

I solved the problem by removing and reinstalling the netfilter-persistent and iptables-persistent packages, then reloading. As a result, the contents of the rules.v6 file got automatically rewritten and updated.

Edit:

the new content of the rules.v6 file is this:

# Generated by xtables-save v1.8.2 on Mon Dec 28 11:50:57 2020
*filter
:INPUT DROP [0:0]
:FORWARD DROP [0:0]
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [6:496]
:ufw6-before-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-before-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-before-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-before-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-before-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-before-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-after-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-after-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-after-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-after-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-after-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-after-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-reject-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-reject-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-reject-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-track-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-track-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-track-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-logging-deny - [0:0]
:ufw6-logging-allow - [0:0]
:ufw6-skip-to-policy-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-skip-to-policy-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-skip-to-policy-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-logging-input - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-logging-output - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-logging-forward - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-limit - [0:0]
:ufw6-user-limit-accept - [0:0]
-A INPUT -j ufw6-before-logging-input
-A INPUT -j ufw6-before-input
-A INPUT -j ufw6-after-input
-A INPUT -j ufw6-after-logging-input
-A INPUT -j ufw6-reject-input
-A INPUT -j ufw6-track-input
-A FORWARD -j ufw6-before-logging-forward
-A FORWARD -j ufw6-before-forward
-A FORWARD -j ufw6-after-forward
-A FORWARD -j ufw6-after-logging-forward
-A FORWARD -j ufw6-reject-forward
-A FORWARD -j ufw6-track-forward
-A OUTPUT -j ufw6-before-logging-output
-A OUTPUT -j ufw6-before-output
-A OUTPUT -j ufw6-after-output
-A OUTPUT -j ufw6-after-logging-output
-A OUTPUT -j ufw6-reject-output
-A OUTPUT -j ufw6-track-output
-A ufw6-before-input -i lo -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-input -m rt --rt-type 0 -j DROP
-A ufw6-before-input -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-input -p ipv6-icmp -m icmp6 --icmpv6-type 129 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-input -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j ufw6-logging-deny
-A ufw6-before-input -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -j DROP
-A ufw6-before-input -p ipv6-icmp -m icmp6 --icmpv6-type 1 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-forward -p ipv6-icmp -m icmp6 --icmpv6-type 2 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-forward -p ipv6-icmp -m icmp6 --icmpv6-type 3 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-forward -p ipv6-icmp -m icmp6 --icmpv6-type 4 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-forward -p ipv6-icmp -m icmp6 --icmpv6-type 128 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-forward -p ipv6-icmp -m icmp6 --icmpv6-type 129 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-before-forward -j ufw6-user-forward
-A ufw6-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 137 -j ufw6-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw6-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 138 -j ufw6-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw6-after-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 139 -j ufw6-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw6-after-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 445 -j ufw6-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw6-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 546 -j ufw6-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw6-after-input -p udp -m udp --dport 547 -j ufw6-skip-to-policy-input
-A ufw6-after-logging-input -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] "
-A ufw6-after-logging-forward -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] "
-A ufw6-track-output -p tcp -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-track-output -p udp -m conntrack --ctstate NEW -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-logging-deny -m conntrack --ctstate INVALID -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j RETURN
-A ufw6-logging-deny -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW BLOCK] "
-A ufw6-logging-allow -m limit --limit 3/min --limit-burst 10 -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW ALLOW] "
-A ufw6-skip-to-policy-input -j DROP
-A ufw6-skip-to-policy-output -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-skip-to-policy-forward -j DROP
-A ufw6-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m comment --comment "\'dapp_OpenSSH\'" -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m comment --comment "\'dapp_SSH\'" -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 465 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p udp -m udp --dport 465 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 995 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p udp -m udp --dport 995 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 587 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p udp -m udp --dport 587 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p tcp -m tcp --dport 25 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-input -p tcp -m multiport --dports 80,143,443,465,587,993 -j ACCEPT
-A ufw6-user-limit -m limit --limit 3/min -j LOG --log-prefix "[UFW LIMIT BLOCK] "
-A ufw6-user-limit -j REJECT --reject-with icmp6-port-unreachable
-A ufw6-user-limit-accept -j ACCEPT
COMMIT
# Completed on Mon Dec 28 11:50:57 2020

The rule causing the error is no longer there.

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