[ISN] Evading DoS Attacks Against Apache

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Thu Feb 15 2007 - 00:09:35 PST


Forwarded with permission from: Security UPDATE <Security_UPDATE (at) list.windowsitpro.com>

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=== CONTENTS ===================================================

IN FOCUS: Evading DoS Attacks Against Apache

NEWS AND FEATURES
   - DNS Root Servers Fell Under Brief Attack
   - Skype Teams with Symantec and FaceTime to Offer Security Tools
   - New Direction, Product for Check Point
   - Recent Security Vulnerabilities

GIVE AND TAKE
   - Security Matters Blog: Root Access Through a User-Installed MySQL 
Back Door
   - FAQ: Managing Group Policy for Vista
   - Share Your Security Tips

PRODUCTS
   - Data Auditing Solution Adds Content Scanning
   - Wanted: Your Reviews of Products 

RESOURCES AND EVENTS

FEATURED WHITE PAPER

ANNOUNCEMENTS


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=== IN FOCUS: Evading DoS Attacks Against Apache ===============
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity / net

Last week, I began working with mod_evasive, a Web-based security tool 
that helps defend Apache HTTP Server against Denial of Service (DoS) 
attacks. Mod_evasive is a typical loadable module that looks for 
particular behavior and then blocks it. 

Mod_evasive is similar to Suhosin, which I wrote about back in December 
(at the URL below). You might remember that Suhosin is a patch for the 
PHP scripting engine that makes it far more secure. It helps detect and 
prevent all sorts of potentially bad Web-based content from reaching 
your systems and network beyond the PHP engine.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4D7:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC

The way mod_evasive works is to keep track of IP addresses that send 
URL requests to your Apache server, where it then gauges whether the 
request rates from any given IP address exceed your acceptable 
predefined limits. If the limits are exceeded, then the IP address is 
temporarily blocked from making any more requests. 

Like many other Apache modules, mod_evasive allows the administrator to 
set various parameters that control module behavior. For example, you 
can set the maximum number of pages that one IP address can request 
from your entire site (DOSSiteCount) within a specified time period 
(DOSPageInterval), the maximum number of page reloads one IP address 
can request(DOSPageCount) within a specified time period 
(DOSPageInterval), and the period of time to block the requesting IP 
address if it exceeds the limits (DOSBlockingPeriod). 

To help clarify, here's an example. If you set DOSSiteCount to 100, 
DOSPageCount to 3, DOSPageInterval to 2, and DOSBlockingPeriod to 10, 
then mod_evasive will work like this: If an IP address requests more 
than 100 different pages or reloads the same page more than three times 
in two seconds, that IP address will be blocked for 10 seconds. 

There are a few other parameters you can configure too. You can set the 
size of the hash table mod_evasive uses to track IP addresses. The 
larger the hash table, the more IP addresses it can keep track of. You 
can also define an email address that will receive a short notice any 
time an IP address is blocked. And you can set a logging directory that 
records the IP addresses about which you've received email messages. 
Mod_evasive uses the log to keep from sending you numerous messages 
about the same IP address. 

Overall mod_evasive seems like a reasonable addition to Apache. It will 
in fact help fend off some intruders. However, if you aren't careful 
about the settings, it might block relatively innocent users whose 
browsers or proxy servers perform aggressive preloading of Web pages--
typically used to enhance the browsing experience and speed up overall 
browsing. So be careful configuring the settings and be sure to monitor 
the email mod_evasive sends (if you use that feature) to determine 
whether you've configured it to be too restrictive. 

Mod_evasive is available from the developer, Jonathan A. Zdziarski, in 
source code format (at the URL below), so you must compile it by using 
Apache's apxs tool (see the readme file for details). That typically 
isn't a problem for Linux administrators; however it might present a 
problem for Windows users, who might not have apxs or other required 
tools. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4DF:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC

You can get apxs for Windows at Apache Lounge, at the URL below, 
provided as a Perl script. Be aware that you'll need some Apache-
related libraries to use it, so when you install Apache on Windows you 
need to choose the custom install and select "Build Headers and 
Libraries" as part of your installation. Make sure the libraries are 
located in the lib subdirectory of your Apache installation directory 
before using the apxs tool. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4E3:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC

Or, to simplify matters, you can get a precompiled copy of mod_evasive 
for Windows, including source code, at the URL below. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4D3:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC

Finally, keep in mind that while mod_evasive is effective at protecting 
Apache against DoS attacks, it's not a cure-all. Attackers could still 
saturate your bandwidth or overload your Web server's CPU. So keep that 
in mind and take other measures, if you can, to prevent those 
possibilities from becoming reality. 


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=== SECURITY NEWS AND FEATURES =================================

DNS Root Servers Fell Under Brief Attack
   On February 6, some of the root DNS servers that provide the 
backbone for the Internet's global domain name system fell under 
attack.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4D9:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC

Skype Teams with Symantec and FaceTime to Offer Security Tools
   Skype will offer Symantec's Norton tools to its base of small 
business and home office users. FaceTime will work with Skype's 
business users to provide end-to-end security within the enterprise.
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New Direction, Product for Check Point
   Check Point Software Technologies is moving into the data security 
market and enhancing its core network security product line after its 
recent acquisitions of Protect Data (which owns Pointsec) and NFR 
Security. 
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Recent Security Vulnerabilities
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Alerts, which inform you about recently discovered security 
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=== GIVE AND TAKE ==============================================

SECURITY MATTERS BLOG: Root Access Through a User-Installed MySQL Back Door
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4E1:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC

Did you know that someone can gain root shell access (or system-level 
access in Windows) through quirks in the load_file feature of MySQL? 
Hopefully you've locked down your system to prevent that.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4DA:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC 

FAQ: Group Policy for Windows Vista
   by John Savill, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=4A4DE:57B62BBB09A692794697634C744D5ADC 

Q: How can I manage Group Policy for Windows Vista machines?

Find the answer at
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=== PRODUCTS ===================================================
   by Renee Munshi, products@private

Data Auditing Solution Adds Content Scanning
   Tizor Systems claims that its new 5.0 release of Mantra is the first 
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=== RESOURCES AND EVENTS =======================================
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