IPFW(8) BSD System Manager's Manual IPFW(8)
NAME
ipfw -- IP firewall and traffic shaper control program
SYNOPSIS
ipfw [-q] [-p preproc [-D macro[=value]] [-U macro]] pathname
ipfw [-f | -q] flush
ipfw [-q] {zero | resetlog | delete} [number ...]
ipfw [-s [field]] [-aftN] {list | show} [number ...]
ipfw [-q] add [number] rule-body
DESCRIPTION
ipfw is the user interface for controlling the ipfirewall(4)
Each incoming or outgoing packet is passed through the ipfw rules. If the host is acting as a gateway, packets forwarded by the gateway are
processed by ipfw twice. When the host is acting as a bridge, packets forwarded by the bridge are processed by ipfw once.
A firewall configuration is made of a list of numbered rules, which is scanned for each packet until a match is found and the relevant action
is performed. Depending on the action and certain system settings, packets can be reinjected into the firewall at the rule after the match-
ing one for further processing. All rules apply to all interfaces, so it is responsibility of the system administrator to write the ruleset
in such a way as to minimize the number of checks.
A configuration always includes a DEFAULT rule (numbered 65535) which cannot be modified by the programmer and always matches packets. The
action associated with the default rule can be either deny or allow depending on how the kernel is configured.
If the ruleset includes one or more rules with the keep-state option, then ipfw assumes a stateful behaviour, i.e. upon a match will create
dynamic rules matching the exact parameters (addresses and ports) of the matching packet.
These dynamic rules, which have a limited lifetime, are checked at the first occurrence of a check-state or keep-state rule, and are typi-
cally used to open the firewall on-demand to legitimate traffic only. See the RULE FORMAT and EXAMPLES sections below for more information
on the stateful behaviour of ipfw.
All rules (including dynamic ones) have a few associated counters: a packet count, a byte count, a log count and a timestamp indicating the
time of the last match. Counters can be displayed or reset with ipfw commands.
Rules can be added with the add command; deleted individually with the delete command, and globally with the flush command; displayed,
optionally with the content of the counters, using the show and list commands. Finally, counters can be reset with the zero and resetlog
commands.
The following options are available:
-a While listing, show counter values. See also the show command.
-f Don't ask for confirmation for commands that can cause problems if misused, i.e. flush. Note, if there is no tty associated with the
process, this is implied.
-q While adding, zeroing, resetlogging or flushing, be quiet about actions (implies -f). This is useful for adjusting rules by execut-
ing multiple ipfw commands in a script (e.g., 'sh /etc/rc.firewall'), or by processing a file of many ipfw rules, across a remote
login session. If a flush is performed in normal (verbose) mode (with the default kernel configuration), it prints a message.
Because all rules are flushed, the message cannot be delivered to the login session. This causes the remote login session to be
closed and the remainder of the ruleset is not processed. Access to the console is required to recover.
-t While listing, show last match timestamp.
-N Try to resolve addresses and service names in output.
To ease configuration, rules can be put into a file which is processed using ipfw as shown in the first synopsis line. An absolute pathname
must be used. The file will be read line by line and applied as arguments to the ipfw utility.
Optionally, a preprocessor can be specified using -p preproc where pathname is to be piped through. Useful preprocessors include cpp(1) and
m4(1). If preproc doesn't start with a slash ('/') as its first character, the usual PATH name search is performed. Care should be taken
with this in environments where not all filesystems are mounted (yet) by the time ipfw is being run (e.g. when they are mounted over NFS).
Once -p has been specified, optional -D and -U specifications can follow and will be passed on to the preprocessor. This allows for flexible
configuration files (like conditionalizing them on the local hostname) and the use of macros to centralize frequently required arguments like
IP addresses.
RULE FORMAT
The ipfw rule format is the following:
[prob match_probability] action [log [logamount number]] proto from src to dst [interface-spec] [options]
Each packet can be filtered based on the following information that is associated with it:
Transmit and receive interface (by name or address)
Direction (incoming or outgoing)
Source and destination IP address (possibly masked)
Protocol (TCP, UDP, ICMP, etc.)
Source and destination port (lists, ranges or masks)
TCP flags
IP fragment flag
IP options
ICMP types
User ID of the socket associated with the packet
Note that it may be dangerous to filter on the source IP address or source TCP/UDP port because either or both could easily be spoofed.
prob match_probability
A match is only declared with the specified probability (floating point number between 0 and 1). This can be useful for a number of
applications such as random packet drop.
action:
allow Allow packets that match rule. The search terminates. Aliases are pass, permit and accept.
deny Discard packets that match this rule. The search terminates. drop is an alias for deny.
reject (Deprecated). Discard packets that match this rule, and try to send an ICMP host unreachable notice. The search terminates.
unreach code
Discard packets that match this rule, and try to send an ICMP unreachable notice with code code, where code is a number from
0 to 255, or one of these aliases: net, host, protocol, port, needfrag, srcfail, net-unknown, host-unknown, isolated,
net-prohib, host-prohib, tosnet, toshost, filter-prohib, host-precedence or precedence-cutoff. The search terminates.
reset TCP packets only. Discard packets that match this rule, and try to send a TCP reset (RST) notice. The search terminates.
count Update counters for all packets that match rule. The search continues with the next rule.
check-state
Checks the packet against the dynamic ruleset. If a match is found then the search terminates, otherwise we move to the next
rule. If no check-state rule is found, the dynamic ruleset is checked at the first keep-state rule.
divert port
Divert packets that match this rule to the divert(4) socket bound to port port. The search terminates.
tee port
Send a copy of packets matching this rule to the divert(4) socket bound to port port. The search terminates and the original
packet is accepted (but see section BUGS below).
fwd ipaddr[,port]
Change the next-hop on matching packets to ipaddr, which can be an IP address in dotted quad or a host name. If ipaddr is
not a directly-reachable address, the route as found in the local routing table for that IP is used instead. If ipaddr is a
local address, then on a packet entering the system from a remote host it will be diverted to port on the local machine,
keeping the local address of the socket set to the original IP address the packet was destined for. This is intended for use
with transparent proxy servers. If the IP is not a local address then the port number (if specified) is ignored and the rule
only applies to packets leaving the system. This will also map addresses to local ports when packets are generated locally.
The search terminates if this rule matches. If the port number is not given then the port number in the packet is used, so
that a packet for an external machine port Y would be forwarded to local port Y. The kernel must have been compiled with the
IPFIREWALL_FORWARD option.
skipto number
Skip all subsequent rules numbered less than number. The search continues with the first rule numbered number or higher.
log [logamount number]
If the kernel was compiled with IPFIREWALL_VERBOSE, then when a packet matches a rule with the log keyword a message will be logged
to syslogd(8) with a LOG_AUTHPRIV facility. Note: by default, they are appended to the /var/log/system.log file (see
syslog.conf(5)). If the kernel was compiled with the IPFIREWALL_VERBOSE_LIMIT option, then by default logging will cease after the
number of packets specified by the option are received for that particular chain entry, and net.inet.ip.fw.verbose_limit will be set
to that number. However, if logamount number is used, that number will be the logging limit rather than
net.inet.ip.fw.verbose_limit, where the value ``0'' removes the logging limit. Logging may then be re-enabled by clearing the log-
ging counter or the packet counter for that entry.
Console logging and the log limit are adjustable dynamically through the sysctl(8) interface in the MIB base of net.inet.ip.fw.
proto An IP protocol specified by number or name (for a complete list see /etc/protocols). The ip or all keywords mean any protocol will
match.
src and dst:
any | me | [not] <address/mask> [ports]
Specifying any makes the rule match any IP number.
Specifying me makes the rule match any IP number configured on an interface in the system. This is a computationally semi-expensive
check which should be used with care.
The <address/mask> may be specified as:
ipno An IP number of the form 1.2.3.4. Only this exact IP number will match the rule.
ipno/bits An IP number with a mask width of the form 1.2.3.4/24. In this case all IP numbers from 1.2.3.0 to 1.2.3.255 will match.
ipno:mask An IP number with a mask of the form 1.2.3.4:255.255.240.0. In this case all IP numbers from 1.2.0.0 to 1.2.15.255 will
match.
The sense of the match can be inverted by preceding an address with the not modifier, causing all other addresses to be matched
instead. This does not affect the selection of port numbers.
With the TCP and UDP protocols, optional ports may be specified as:
{port|port-port|port:mask}[,port[,...]]
The '-' notation specifies a range of ports (including boundaries).
The ':' notation specifies a port and a mask, a match is declared if the port number in the packet matches the one in the rule, lim-
ited to the bits which are set in the mask.
Service names (from /etc/services) may be used instead of numeric port values. A range may only be specified as the first value, and
the length of the port list is limited to IP_FW_MAX_PORTS ports (as defined in /usr/src/sys/netinet/ip_fw.h). A backslash ('') can
be used to escape the dash ('-') character in a service name:
ipfw add count tcp from any ftp\-data-ftp to any
Fragmented packets which have a non-zero offset (i.e. not the first fragment) will never match a rule which has one or more port
specifications. See the frag option for details on matching fragmented packets.
interface-spec
Some combinations of the following specifiers are allowed:
in Only match incoming packets.
out Only match outgoing packets.
via ifX Packet must be going through interface ifX.
via if* Packet must be going through interface ifX, where X is any unit number.
via any Packet must be going through some interface.
via ipno Packet must be going through the interface having IP address ipno.
The via keyword causes the interface to always be checked. If recv or xmit is used instead of via, then the only receive or transmit
interface (respectively) is checked. By specifying both, it is possible to match packets based on both receive and transmit inter-
face, e.g.:
ipfw add 100 deny ip from any to any out recv ed0 xmit ed1
The recv interface can be tested on either incoming or outgoing packets, while the xmit interface can only be tested on outgoing
packets. So out is required (and in is invalid) whenever xmit is used. Specifying via together with xmit or recv is invalid.
A packet may not have a receive or transmit interface: packets originating from the local host have no receive interface, while pack-
ets destined for the local host have no transmit interface.
options:
keep-state [method]
Upon a match, the firewall will create a dynamic rule, whose default behaviour is to matching bidirectional traffic between
source and destination IP/port using the same protocol. The rule has a limited lifetime (controlled by a set of sysctl(8)
variables), and the lifetime is refreshed every time a matching packet is found.
The actual behaviour can be modified by specifying a different method, although at the moment only the default one is speci-
fied.
bridged
Matches only bridged packets. This can be useful for multicast or broadcast traffic, which would otherwise pass through the
firewall twice: once during bridging, and a second time when the packet is delivered to the local stack.
frag Match if the packet is a fragment and this is not the first fragment of the datagram. frag may not be used in conjunction
with either tcpflags or TCP/UDP port specifications.
ipoptions spec
Match if the IP header contains the comma separated list of options specified in spec. The supported IP options are:
ssrr (strict source route), lsrr (loose source route), rr (record packet route) and ts (timestamp). The absence of a partic-
ular option may be denoted with a '!'.
tcpoptions spec
Match if the TCP header contains the comma separated list of options specified in spec. The supported TCP options are:
mss (maximum segment size), window (tcp window advertisement), sack (selective ack), ts (rfc1323 timestamp) and cc (rfc1644
t/tcp connection count). The absence of a particular option may be denoted with a '!'.
established
TCP packets only. Match packets that have the RST or ACK bits set.
setup TCP packets only. Match packets that have the SYN bit set but no ACK bit.
tcpflags spec
TCP packets only. Match if the TCP header contains the comma separated list of flags specified in spec. The supported TCP
flags are:
fin, syn, rst, psh, ack and urg. The absence of a particular flag may be denoted with a '!'. A rule which contains a
tcpflags specification can never match a fragmented packet which has a non-zero offset. See the frag option for details on
matching fragmented packets.
icmptypes types
ICMP packets only. Match if the ICMP type is in the list types. The list may be specified as any combination of ranges or
individual types separated by commas. The supported ICMP types are:
echo reply (0), destination unreachable (3), source quench (4), redirect (5), echo request (8), router advertisement (9),
router solicitation (10), time-to-live exceeded (11), IP header bad (12), timestamp request (13), timestamp reply (14),
information request (15), information reply (16), address mask request (17) and address mask reply (18).
uid user
Match all TCP or UDP packets sent by or received for a user. A user may be matched by name or identification number.
CHECKLIST
Here are some important points to consider when designing your rules:
o Remember that you filter both packets going in and out. Most connections need packets going in both directions.
o Remember to test very carefully. It is a good idea to be near the console when doing this. If you cannot be near the console, use an
auto-recovery script.
o Don't forget the loopback interface.
FINE POINTS
o There is one kind of packet that the firewall will always discard, that is a TCP packet's fragment with a fragment offset of one. This
is a valid packet, but it only has one use, to try to circumvent firewalls. When logging is enabled, these packets are reported as being
dropped by rule -1.
o The ipfw filter list may not be modified if the system security level is set to 3 or higher (see init(8) for information on system secu-
rity levels).
PACKET DIVERSION
A divert(4) socket bound to the specified port will receive all packets diverted to that port. If no socket is bound to the destination
port, or if the kernel wasn't compiled with divert socket support, the packets are dropped.
SYSCTL VARIABLES
A set of sysctl(8) variables controls the behaviour of the firewall. These are shown below together with their default value and meaning:
net.inet.ip.fw.debug: 1
Controls debugging messages produced by ipfw.
net.inet.ip.fw.verbose: 1
Enables verbose messages.
net.inet.ip.fw.enable: 1
Enables the firewall. Setting this variable to 0 lets you run your machine without firewall even if compiled in.
net.inet.ip.fw.verbose_limit: 0
Limits the number of messages produced by a verbose firewall.
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_buckets: 256
net.inet.ip.fw.curr_dyn_buckets: 256
The configured and current size of the hash table used to hold dynamic rules. This must be a power of 2. The table can only be
resized when empty, so in order to resize it on the fly you will probably have to flush and reload the ruleset.
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_count: 3
Current number of dynamic rules (read-only).
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_max: 1000
Maximum number of dynamic rules. When you hit this limit, no more dynamic rules can be installed until old ones expire.
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_ack_lifetime: 300
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_syn_lifetime: 20
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_fin_lifetime: 20
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_rst_lifetime: 5
net.inet.ip.fw.dyn_short_lifetime: 30
These variables control the lifetime, in seconds, of dynamic rules. Upon the initial SYN exchange the lifetime is kept short, then
increased after both SYN have been seen, then decreased again during the final FIN exchange or when a RST
EXAMPLES
This command adds an entry which denies all tcp packets from cracker.evil.org to the telnet port of wolf.tambov.su from being forwarded by
the host:
ipfw add deny tcp from cracker.evil.org to wolf.tambov.su telnet
This one disallows any connection from the entire crackers network to my host:
ipfw add deny ip from 123.45.67.0/24 to my.host.org
A fast and efficient way to limit access (not using dynamic rules) is the use of the following rules:
ipfw add allow tcp from any to any established
ipfw add allow tcp from net1 portlist1 to net2 portlist2 setup
ipfw add allow tcp from net3 portlist3 to net3 portlist3 setup
...
ipfw add deny tcp from any to any
The first rule will be a quick match for normal TCP packets, but it will not match the initial SYN packet, which will be matched by the setup
rules only for selected source/destination pairs. All other SYN packets will be rejected by the final deny rule.
In order to protect a site from flood attacks involving fake TCP packets, it is safer to use dynamic rules:
ipfw add check-state
ipfw add deny tcp from any to any established
ipfw add allow tcp from my-net to any setup keep-state
This will let the firewall install dynamic rules only for those connection which start with a regular SYN packet coming from the inside of
our network. Dynamic rules are checked when encountering the first check-state or keep-state rule. A check-state rule should be usually
placed near the beginning of the ruleset to minimize the amount of work scanning the ruleset. Your mileage may vary.
BEWARE: stateful rules can be subject to denial-of-service attacks by a SYN-flood which opens a huge number of dynamic rules. The effects of
such attacks can be partially limited by acting on a set of sysctl(8) variables which control the operation of the firewall.
Here is a good usage of the list command to see accounting records and timestamp information:
ipfw -at list
or in short form without timestamps:
ipfw -a list
Next rule diverts all incoming packets from 192.168.2.0/24 to divert port 5000:
ipfw divert 5000 ip from 192.168.2.0/24 to any in
SEE ALSO
cpp(1), m4(1), divert(4), ip(4), ipfirewall(4), protocols(5), services(5), init(8), reboot(8), sysctl(8), syslogd(8)
BUGS
The syntax has grown over the years and it is not very clean.
WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!WARNING!!
This program can put your computer in rather unusable state. When using it for the first time, work on the console of the computer, and do
NOT do anything you don't understand.
When manipulating/adding chain entries, service and protocol names are not accepted.
Incoming packet fragments diverted by divert or tee are reassembled before delivery to the socket.
Packets that match a tee rule should not be immediately accepted, but should continue going through the rule list. This may be fixed in a
later version.
AUTHORS
Ugen J. S. Antsilevich,
Poul-Henning Kamp,
Alex Nash,
Archie Cobbs,
Luigi Rizzo.
API based upon code written by Daniel Boulet for BSDI.
HISTORY
The ipfw utility first appeared in FreeBSD 2.0. Stateful extensions were introduced in FreeBSD 4.0.
Darwin July 2, 2003 Darwin