Linux – A secure, standard iptables rule-set for a basic HTTP(s) webserver

best practicesfirewalliptableslinuxSecurity

I have been trying to put together a basic server iptables script that will work for most sites just running a basic webserver using HTTP(S) and SSH (ports 80, 443, & 22). After all, most VPS only need these starting ports rules and can add mail or game ports later as need.

So far I have the following ruleset and I was wondering if anyone knows of a better script or any improvements that could be added.

*filter

#  Allows all loopback (lo0) traffic and drop all traffic to 127/8 that doesn't use lo0
-A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT ! -i lo -d 127.0.0.0/8 -j REJECT

#  Accepts all established inbound connections
-A INPUT -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT

#  Allows all outbound traffic
#  You can modify this to only allow certain traffic
-A OUTPUT -j ACCEPT

# Allows HTTP and HTTPS connections from anywhere (the normal ports for websites)
-A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT

#  Allows SSH connections (only 4 attempts by an IP every 3 minutes, drop the rest)
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m state --state NEW -m recent --set --name DEFAULT --rsource
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m state --state NEW -m recent --update --seconds 180 --hitcount 4 --name DEFAULT --rsource -j DROP
-A INPUT -p tcp -m state --state NEW --dport 22 -j ACCEPT

# Allow ping
-A INPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type 8 -j ACCEPT

# log iptables denied calls
-A INPUT -m limit --limit 5/min -j LOG --log-prefix "iptables denied: " --log-level 7

# Reject all other inbound - default deny unless explicitly allowed policy
-A INPUT -j REJECT
-A FORWARD -j REJECT

COMMIT

iptables is one of the most important parts of securing your box (also see fail2ban) and yet there are many people like myself that have trouble understanding everything that goes into making a secure basic firewall for our servers.

What is the most secure way to only open the basic ports needed for a webserver?

Update: cyberciti.biz has another iptables script that looks pretty good.

Also, rather than using Denyhosts or fail2ban you could use iptables itself to block bad repeated attempts at SSH.

Best Answer

The most secure way to work with iptables is close everything and only open what you need. I'm kind of distracted, so I always try to be as lazy as possible, so I do not make mistakes which can lead the server to be unsecure.

I use this one, only a little bit of varible assignment must be done in order to make it work.

  #!/bin/bash +x

  # first author: marcos de vera
  # second: joan marc riera

  ip=/sbin/iptables
  mriera="xx.xx.xx.xx"
  nsancho="yy.yy.yy.yy"
  admins="$mriera $nsancho "
  sshers=""
  mysqlrs="zz.zz.zz.zz/23"
  snmprs="uu.uu.uu.uu"
  tcpservices="80 443 22"
  udpservices=""

  # Firewall script for servername

  echo -n ">> Applying iptables rules... "

  ## flushing...
  $ip -F
  $ip -X
  $ip -Z
  $ip -t nat -F

  # default: DROP!
  $ip -P INPUT DROP
  $ip -P OUTPUT DROP
  $ip -P FORWARD DROP

  # filtering...

  # localhost: free pass!
  $ip -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -o lo -j ACCEPT

  # administration ips: free pass!
  for admin in $admins ; do
      $ip -A INPUT -s $admin -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $admin -j ACCEPT
  done

  # allow ssh access to sshers
  for ssher in $sshers ; do
      $ip -A INPUT -s $ssher -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $ssher -p tcp -m tcp --sport 22 -j ACCEPT
  done

  # allow access to mysql port to iReport on sugar

  for mysql in $mysqlrs ; do
      $ip -A INPUT -s $mysql -p tcp -m tcp --dport 3306 -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $mysql -p tcp -m tcp --sport 3306 -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A INPUT -s $mysql -p udp -m udp --dport 3306 -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $mysql -p udp -m udp --sport 3306 -j ACCEPT
  done


  # allowed services
  for service in $tcpservices ; do
      $ip -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport $service -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m tcp --sport $service -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
  done
  for service in $udpservices ; do
      $ip -A INPUT -p udp -m udp --dport $service -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -p udp -m udp --sport $service -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
  done

  $ip -A INPUT -j LOG --log-level 4
  # VAS and VGP
  #88 tcp udp
  #389 tcp ldap queries , udp ldap ping
  #464 tcp upd kerberos
  #3268 tcp global catalog access
  for dc in ip.ip.ip.ip ; do # our dc servers for some ldap auth
      vas=88
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $vas -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $vas -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p udp -m udp --dport $vas -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p udp -m udp --dport $vas -j ACCEPT
      ldap=389
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $ldap -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $ldap -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p udp -m udp --dport $ldap -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p udp -m udp --dport $ldap -j ACCEPT
      kpasswd=464
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $kpasswd -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $kpasswd -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p udp -m udp --dport $kpasswd -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p udp -m udp --dport $kpasswd -j ACCEPT
      gca=3268
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $gca -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $gca -j ACCEPT
      vgp=445
      $ip -A INPUT -s $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $vgp -j ACCEPT
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $dc -p tcp -m tcp --dport $vgp -j ACCEPT
  done


  # allow the machine to browse the internet
  $ip -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --sport 80 -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --sport 443 -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT

  $ip -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --sport 8080 -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 8080 -j ACCEPT


  # don't forget the dns...
  $ip -A INPUT -p udp -m udp --sport 53 -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -p udp -m udp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --sport 53 -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT

  # ... neither the ntp... (hora.rediris.es)
  #$ip -A INPUT -s 130.206.3.166 -p udp -m udp --dport 123 -j ACCEPT
  #$ip -A OUTPUT -d 130.206.3.166 -p udp -m udp --sport 123 -j ACCEPT

  $ip -A INPUT -p udp -m udp --dport 123 -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -p udp -m udp --sport 123 -j ACCEPT


  # and last but not least, the snmp access
  for monitor in $snmprs ; do
      $ip -A INPUT -s $monitor -p tcp -m tcp --sport 161 -j ACCEPT   # monitoring service
      $ip -A OUTPUT -d $monitor -p tcp -m tcp --dport 161 -j ACCEPT  # monitoring service
  end
  # outgoing SMTP
  $ip -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --sport 25 -j ACCEPT
  $ip -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 25 -j ACCEPT


  # temporary backup if we change from DROP to ACCEPT policies
  $ip -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 1:1024 -j DROP
  $ip -A INPUT -p udp -m udp --dport 1:1024 -j DROP


  echo "OK. Check rules with iptables -L -n"

  # end :)

I've been using it for some time , and any kind of modification will be very appreciated if it makes it easier to administrate.

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