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Date:      Mon, 21 Oct 2002 14:00:07 -0500
From:      Sean O'Neill <sean@seanoneill.info>
To:        James <mailinglists@telus.net>, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: Does a web server need ipfw?
Message-ID:  <5.1.0.14.0.20021021134814.07242e28@postoffice.swbell.net>
In-Reply-To: <20021021174350.GC213@work.ab.hsia.telus.net>

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At 11:43 AM 10/21/2002 -0600, James wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I'm just wondering if most web servers don't run a firewall?  We've setup 
>a FreeBSD web server without ipfw running, and I don't really see any 
>reason to run ipfw since the only services I have running are httpd and 
>sshd.  We have

 > ... are httpd and sshd

Famous last words.  Just wait until your requirements change and somebody 
says this and that have to now run on that machine at the last minute.

>also attempted to secure the machine in the other typical ways.
>
>Are there vulnerabilities that this web server is open to by not running a 
>firewall?

One of the nice things about running a firewall is better control.  Without 
running a firewall package in front of or on the machine ... you have NONE.

An example of a good use of running a firewall is ... I have ProFTP running 
on my "machine" at all times with anonftp setup but you can't to it because 
my IPFilter config explicitly blocks access to it.  When I need to allow 
someone into my machine to transfer something - I update my ipf.conf file 
by uncommenting two line, adjust for IP address allowed in for FTP, and 
reload rules.  When they are done, comment out the two line and reload.  I 
could setup a SSH account and change the password when they are done 
transferring but SSH is too slow for transfers and I occasionally get stuff 
from Windows users and many have never heard of SSH.


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Sean O'Neill


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