Security – Is iptables enough security, if port 80 is the only unblocked port and apache is setup correctly

firewallSecurity

We are using PHP,MySQL,SVN, and Apache. I want to know if I assume the local subnet trusted, and allow all ports on our subnet using iptables, then allow only port 80 as open to "anyone". If it is "good security" taking that the subnet is trusted as a premise. This is also assuming good PHP code etc, and that apache is configured correctly.

This is using CentOS 5.

Best Answer

No defiantly not. In fact port 80 is probably the most dangerous port you can open on a modern system. Also not having https:// (tcp 443) means all of your session id's are being leaked. Not using https is a clear violation of A3: "Broken authentication and session management" in the OWASP top 10 for 2010.

A good thing you can do to protect your self is to run a Web Application Firewall(WAF) like Mod_Secuirty. A WAF is is a very different from a "packet filter firewall" like iptables.

I also recommend running a vulnerability scan against your system such as Acunetix or wapiti. Make sure your system is regularly updated: yum upgrade. Run PhpSecInfo and configure your php.ini such that no RED appears. PHP's default config is horribly insecure, it has gotten better (disabling remote file includes and register_globals by default) but its still really bad.

Related Solutions

Php – Online scan detecting SQL Injection vulnerability

The problem with these reports is that they just assume that if you allow user data entry on your site, then you are vulnerable to SQL injection attacks. There is no way for them to tell without actually looking at your SQL, or performing an injection attack, so they just flag it as a potential problem.

The only real way to prove to your boss that your are safe, is either to get a security expert come in and check your site, or get your boss to understand what an injection attack is, and show him it not working on your site.

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

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.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Php – Online scan detecting SQL Injection vulnerability

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

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