iptables - useful rules

1. Delete all existing rules

iptables -F

2. Set default chain policies

iptables -P INPUT DROP
iptables -P FORWARD DROP
iptables -P OUTPUT DROP

3. Block a specific ip-address

iptables -A INPUT -s 111.111.111.111 -j DROP

4. Allow ALL incoming SSH

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 22 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 22 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

5. Allow incoming SSH only from a sepcific network

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -s 192.168.200.0/24 --dport 22 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 22 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

6. Allow incoming HTTP

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 80 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 80 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

Allow incoming HTTPS

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 443 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 443 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

7. MultiPorts (Allow incoming SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS)

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m multiport --dports 22,80,443 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp -m multiport --sports 22,80,443 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

8. Allow outgoing SSH

iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --dport 22 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --sport 22 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

9. Allow outgoing SSH only to a specific network

iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp -d 192.168.101.0/24 --dport 22 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --sport 22 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

10. Allow outgoing HTTPS

iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --dport 443 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --sport 443 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

11. Load balance incoming HTTPS traffic

iptables -A PREROUTING -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 443 -m state --state NEW -m nth --counter 0 --every 3 --packet 0 -j DNAT --to-destination 192.168.1.101:443
iptables -A PREROUTING -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 443 -m state --state NEW -m nth --counter 0 --every 3 --packet 1 -j DNAT --to-destination 192.168.1.102:443
iptables -A PREROUTING -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 443 -m state --state NEW -m nth --counter 0 --every 3 --packet 2 -j DNAT --to-destination 192.168.1.103:443

12. Ping from inside to outside

iptables -A OUTPUT -p icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p icmp --icmp-type echo-reply -j ACCEPT

13. Ping from outside to inside

iptables -A INPUT -p icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p icmp --icmp-type echo-reply -j ACCEPT

14. Allow loopback access

iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o lo -j ACCEPT

15. Allow packets from internal network to reach external network.

 ### eth1 is connected to external network (internet), eth0 is connected to internal network (192.168.1.x)
iptables -A FORWARD -i eth0 -o eth1 -j ACCEPT

16. Allow outbound DNS

iptables -A INPUT -p udp --sport 53 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p udp --sport 53 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -p udp --dport 53 -j ACCEPT

17. Allow rsync from a specific network

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -s 192.168.101.0/24 --dport 873 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 873 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

18. Allow MySQL connection only from a specific network

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -s 192.168.200.0/24 --dport 3306 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 3306 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

19. Allow Sendmail or Postfix

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 25 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 25 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

20. Allow IMAP and IMAPS

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 143 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 143 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 993 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 993 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

21. Allow POP3 and POP3S

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 110 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 110 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCPET

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 995 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 995 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

22. Limiting incoming HTTP connections ("Prevent DDOS attack")

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m limit --limit 25/minute --limit-burst 100 -j ACCEPT

23. Port forwarding 422 to 22

iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp -d 192.168.102.37 --dport 422 -j DNAT --to 192.168.102.37:22
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 422 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth0 -p tcp --sport 422 -m state --state ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

24. Log dropped packets

iptables -N LOGGING
iptables -A INPUT -j LOGGING
iptables -A LOGGING -m limit --limit 2/min -j LOG --log-prefix "IPTables Packet Dropped: " --log-level 7
iptables -A LOGGING -j DROP