Nftables

1. Overview
2. Role Variables
   • OS Specific Variables
   • Rules Dictionaries
3. Example Playbook
4. Configuration
5. Development
6. License
7. Author Information

Overview

A role to manage Nftables rules and packages.

Highly inspired by Mike Gleason firewall role (3 levels of rules definition and template), thanks ! I hope i haven't complexify his philosophy… ^^

Role Variables

• nft_pkg_manage : If nftables package(s) should be managed with this role [default : true].
• nft_pkg_state : State of new nftables package(s) [default : installed].
• nft_main_conf_path : Main configuration file loaded by systemd unit [default : /etc/nftables.conf].
• nft_main_conf_content : Template used to generate the previous main configuration file [default : etc/nftables.conf.j2].
• nft_input_conf_path : Input configuration file include in main configuration file [default : /etc/nftables.d/inet-input.nft].
• nft_input_conf_content : Template used to generate the previous input configuration file [default : etc/nftables.d/inet-input.nft.j2].
• nft_define_conf_path : Vars definition file include in main configuration file [default : /etc/nftables.d/defines.nft].
• nft_define_conf_content : Template used to generate the previous vars definition file [default : etc/nftables.d/defines.nft.j2].
• nft_sets_conf_path : Sets and maps definition file include in main configuration file [default : /etc/nftables.d/inet-sets.nft].
• nft_sets_conf_content : Template used to generate the previous sets and maps definition file [default : etc/nftables.d/inet-sets.nft.j2].
• nft_global_default_rules : Set default rules for global chain. Other chains will jump to global before apply their specific rules.
• nft_global_group_rules : You can add global rules or override those defined by nft_global_default_rules for a group.
• nft_global_host_rules: : Hosts can also add or override global rules.
• nft_input_default_rules : Set default rules for input chain.
• nft_input_group_rules : You can add input rules or override those defined by nft_input_default_rules for a group.
• nft_input_host_rules: : Hosts can also add or override input rules.
• nft_define_default : Set default vars available in all rules.
• nft_define_group : You can add vars or override those defined by nft_define_default for groups.
• nft_define_host : You can add or override existant vars.
• nft_service_manage : If nftables service should be managed with this role [default : true].
• nft_service_name : nftables service name [default : nftables].

OS Specific Variables

Please see default value by Operating System file in [vars][vars directory] directory.

• nft_pkg_list : The list of package(s) to provide nftables.

Rules Dictionaries

Each type of rules dictionaries will be merged and rules will be applied in the alphabetical order of the keys (the reason to use 000 to 999 as prefix). So :

• nft_*_default_rules : Define default rules for all nodes. You can define it in group_vars/all.
• nft_*_group_rules : Can add rules and override those defined by nft_*_default_rules. You can define it in group_vars/webservers.
• nft_*_host_rules : Can add rules and override those define by nft_*_default_rules and nft_*_group_rules. You can define it in host_vars/www.local.domain.

defaults/main.yml:

# rules
nft_global_default_rules:
  000 state management:
    - ct state established,related accept
    - ct state invalid drop
nft_global_group_rules: {}
nft_global_host_rules: {}

nft_input_default_rules:
  000 policy:
    - type filter hook input priority 0; policy drop;
  005 global:
    - jump global
nft_input_group_rules: {}
nft_input_host_rules: {}

# define nft vars
nft_define_default:
  broadcast and multicast:
    desc: 'broadcast and multicast'
    name: badcast_addr
    value: '{ 255.255.255.255, 224.0.0.1, 224.0.0.251 }'
nft_define_group: {}
nft_define_host: {}
nft_set_default:
  blackhole:
    - type ipv4_addr;
    - elements = $badcast_addr
nft_set_group: {}
nft_set_host: {}

Those default will generate the following configuration :

#!/usr/sbin/nft -f
# Ansible managed

# clean
flush ruleset

include "/etc/nftables.d/defines.nft"

table inet firewall {
	chain global {
		# 000 state management
		ct state established,related accept
		ct state invalid drop
	}
	include "/etc/nftables.d/inet-sets.nft"
	include "/etc/nftables.d/inet-input.nft"
	chain output {
		type filter hook output priority 0;
		jump global
	}
}

And you get the same result by displaying the ruleset on the host : $ nft list ruleset :

table inet firewall {
	set blackhole {
		type ipv4_addr
		elements = { 255.255.255.255, 224.0.0.1, 224.0.0.251 }
	}

	chain global {
		ct state established,related accept
		ct state invalid drop
	}

	chain input {
		type filter hook input priority 0; policy drop;
		jump global
	}

	chain output {
		type filter hook output priority 0; policy accept;
		jump global
	}
}

Example Playbook

• Manage Nftables with defaults vars :

- hosts: serverXYZ
  roles:
    - role: ipr-cnrs.nftables

• Use default rules with allow ICMP and count dropped input packets :

group_vars/all :

nft_global_group_rules:
  002 icmp:
    - ip protocol icmp accept

group_vars/first_group :

nft_input_group_rules:
  999 count policy packet:
    - counter

Configuration

This role will :

• Install nftables on the system.
• Generate a default configuration file which include all following files and loaded by systemd unit.
• Generate input rules file include called by the main configuration file.
• Generate vars in a file and sets and maps in another file.
• Restart nftables service.

Development

This source code comes from our Gogs instance and the Github repo exist just to be able to send the role to Ansible Galaxy…

But feel free to send issue/PR here :)

Thanks to this hook, Github automatically got updates from our Gogs instance :)

License

WTFPL

Author Information

Jérémy Gardais

• Source : on IPR's Gogs
• IPR (Institut de Physique de Rennes)