FTP Connections
FTP uses two communication channels, one for control commands and one for the actual files
being transferred. When an FTP session is opened, the FTP client establishes a TCP connection
(the control channel) to port 21 (by default) on the FTP server. What happens after this point
depends on the FTP mode being used.
FTP Connection Modes
FTP operates in two modes:
active
and
passive
. These determine the role of the server when
opening data channels between client and server.
•
Active Mode
In active mode, the FTP client sends a command to the FTP server indicating what IP address
and port the server should connect to. The FTP server establishes the data channel back to
the FTP client using the received address information.
•
Passive Mode
In passive mode, the data channel is opened by the FTP client to the FTP server, just like the
command channel. This is the often recommended default mode for FTP clients though
some advice may recommend the opposite.
A Discussion of FTP Security Issues
Both
active
and
passive
modes of FTP operation present problems for NetDefend Firewalls.
Consider a scenario where an FTP client on the internal network connects through the firewall to
an FTP server on the Internet. The IP rule is then configured to allow network traffic from the FTP
client to port 21 on the FTP server.
When active mode is used, NetDefendOS does not know that the FTP server will establish a new
connection back to the FTP client. Therefore, the incoming connection for the data channel will
be dropped. As the port number used for the data channel is dynamic, the only way to solve this
is to allow traffic from all ports on the FTP server to all ports on the FTP client. Obviously, this is
not a good solution.
When passive mode is used, the firewall does not need to allow connections from the FTP server.
On the other hand, NetDefendOS still does not know what port the FTP client will try to use for
the data channel. This means that it has to allow traffic from all ports on the FTP client to all ports
on the FTP server. Although this is not as insecure as in the active mode case, it still presents a
potential security threat. Furthermore, not all FTP clients are capable of using passive mode.
The NetDefendOS ALG Solution
The NetDefendOS FTP ALG deals with these issues by fully reassembling the TCP stream of the
FTP command channel and examining its contents. By doing this, the NetDefendOS knows what
port to open for the data channel. Furthermore, the FTP ALG also provides functionality to filter
out certain control commands and provide buffer overrun protection.
Hybrid Mode
An important feature of the NetDefendOS FTP ALG is its automatic ability to perform on-the-fly
conversion between active and passive mode so that FTP connection modes can be combined.
Passive mode can be used on one side of the firewall while active mode can be used on the
Chapter 6: Security Mechanisms
436
Содержание NetDefendOS
Страница 30: ...Figure 1 3 Packet Flow Schematic Part III Chapter 1 NetDefendOS Overview 30 ...
Страница 32: ...Chapter 1 NetDefendOS Overview 32 ...
Страница 144: ...Chapter 2 Management and Maintenance 144 ...
Страница 220: ... Enable DHCP passthrough Enable L2 passthrough for non IP protocols 4 Click OK Chapter 3 Fundamentals 220 ...
Страница 267: ... SourceNetwork lannet DestinationInterface any DestinationNetwork all nets 4 Click OK Chapter 3 Fundamentals 267 ...
Страница 284: ...Chapter 3 Fundamentals 284 ...
Страница 360: ...The ospf command options are fully described in the separate NetDefendOS CLI Reference Guide Chapter 4 Routing 360 ...
Страница 392: ...Chapter 4 Routing 392 ...
Страница 396: ...Web Interface 1 Go to Network Ethernet If1 2 Select Enable DHCP 3 Click OK Chapter 5 DHCP Services 396 ...
Страница 419: ... Host 2001 DB8 1 MAC 00 90 12 13 14 15 5 Click OK Chapter 5 DHCP Services 419 ...
Страница 420: ...Chapter 5 DHCP Services 420 ...
Страница 424: ...2 Now enter Name lan_Access Action Expect Interface lan Network lannet 3 Click OK Chapter 6 Security Mechanisms 424 ...
Страница 573: ...Chapter 6 Security Mechanisms 573 ...
Страница 575: ...This section describes and provides examples of configuring NAT and SAT rules Chapter 7 Address Translation 575 ...
Страница 607: ...Chapter 7 Address Translation 607 ...
Страница 666: ...Chapter 8 User Authentication 666 ...
Страница 775: ...Chapter 9 VPN 775 ...
Страница 819: ...Chapter 10 Traffic Management 819 ...
Страница 842: ...Chapter 11 High Availability 842 ...
Страница 866: ...Default Enabled Chapter 13 Advanced Settings 866 ...
Страница 879: ...Chapter 13 Advanced Settings 879 ...