Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    pfb_filter and pfb_dnsbl services are not running Pfsense 25.07.1

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved pfBlockerNG
    13 Posts 2 Posters 1.7k Views 2 Watching
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • J Offline
      jrey @nanda
      last edited by

      @nanda said in pfb_filter and pfb_dnsbl services are not running Pfsense 25.07.1:

      Same result (please see the 1st image)

      That's the services widget on the dashboard - not the pfblocker widget what does it show ?

      J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • J Offline
        jrey @jrey
        last edited by

        @nanda

        can you show us the dnsbl setup page python mode? and any other settings you may have - image of the settings page would be helpful

        The certificate error you are showing is likely the show stopper.
        what blocking mode are you using ? DNSBL Web/VIP? Null block no logging? or null block (logging) ?
        the certificate error might suggest you are using. DNSBL Web/VIP but let's confirm

        J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • J Offline
          jrey @jrey
          last edited by

          @nanda

          Have you got any packages installed that include openssl ?

          what version is installed ?

          openssl version 
          
          N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • N Offline
            nanda @jrey
            last edited by nanda

            @jrey

            That's the services widget on the dashboard - not the pfblocker widget what does it show ?

            20bc1178-75db-4e77-a01f-59b59370896f-image.png

            can you show us the dnsbl setup page python mode? and any other settings you may have - image of the settings page would be helpful

            Please see the screenshots below:

            54af77a9-fd19-4f85-af49-16a00f4c214d-image.png

            5eb04ef2-e4f6-4355-8771-fcf4abd19770-image.png

            The certificate error you are showing is likely the show stopper.

            If this might be the case, how it will affect pfb_filter daemon service? pfb_dnsbl did require certificate whereas pfb_filter did not.

            what blocking mode are you using ? DNSBL Web/VIP? Null block no logging? or null block (logging) ?

            DNSBL Web/VIP

            Have you got any packages installed that include openssl ?

            I do not see any installed packages, from given information, that include openssl. I think openssl is a necessity for pfsense functions, for example, certificate generation, and it will be a part of pfsense image.

            02fe0648-a1dc-4dcb-8063-7aee488e90bc-image.png

            what version is installed ?

            [25.07.1-RELEASE][suser@...]/: openssl version
            OpenSSL 3.0.16 11 Feb 2025 (Library: OpenSSL 3.0.16 11 Feb 2025)
            
            J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • J Offline
              jrey @nanda
              last edited by

              @nanda

              Let me take a look -- just recovering from a 3 hour power outage, which caught an 18TB raid in the middle of a rebuild after a failed drive was hot swapped earlier this morning -- might be a bit before I can spin up my test systems -- Fun Friday.

              Not that it should matter here - but any reason you don't use unbound python mode ?
              Uses Less Memory (what are you running on for RAM)
              you mentioned it was a clean install.

              new install - are clients using this as the DNS now?

              that dashboard widget sort of says it is running (hasn't done anything (0 count) and are the services still down at that point ? usually when the services are down the check mark is what you see.

              the Virtual IP address that end in .255 seems like a strange choice unless you have a very specific setup - is there a reason you picked that instead of the default ?

              I'd be curious if you willing to try - if you turned off the DNSBL Webservice/VIP and used say Null Blocking (logging) - then see if the services start and stay running ?

              Actually in my setup I have the "no global logging" option selected on that screen and then set Null Blocking (logging) on the individual selections -

              N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • N Offline
                nanda @jrey
                last edited by nanda

                @jrey

                The usage of specific IP address has no special reason. It is for convenience.
                The configuration is changed as recommended.

                DNSBL mode => unbound python mode
                412ffd2d-7ed3-42b2-b39b-0d86a8a28290-image.png

                Virtual ip address => 10.102.101.10
                5f81d358-1010-4d0b-b3f8-19c435152122-image.png

                Global logging => Null blocking (logging)
                5b8db672-0951-4070-8412-1fdfd83d5626-image.png

                Services are not starting.
                12a3bd39-0e90-4521-bd46-b99b0aab7848-image.png

                When I checked the status of the service, the firewall returned, "does not exist". I tried to find the executable in the directory, but I couldn't except sh file. Manual execution of sh files did neither produce executable nor start the service.

                [25.07.1-RELEASE][suser@...]/root: service pfb_filter status
                pfb_filter does not exist in /etc/rc.d or the local startup
                directories (/usr/local/etc/rc.d), or is not executable
                [25.07.1-RELEASE][suser@...]/root: ls /usr/local/etc/rc.d/
                choparp          dnsmasq          isc-dhcrelay6    nginx            php_fpm          sshguard         unbound
                dbus             expiretable      kea              openvpn          radvd            strongswan       uuidd
                dhcp6c           igmpproxy        lighttpd         pcscd            rrdcached        suricata         waagent
                dhcp6relay       isc-dhcpd        microcode_update pfb_dnsbl.sh     rsyncd           suricata.sh      waagent.sh
                dhcp6s           isc-dhcpd6       miniupnpd        pfb_filter.sh    scponlyc         syslog-ng        wireguardd
                dhcpcd           isc-dhcrelay     mpd5             pfnet-controller smartd           syslog-ng.sh     xinetd
                
                J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • J Offline
                  jrey @nanda
                  last edited by jrey

                  @nanda said in pfb_filter and pfb_dnsbl services are not running Pfsense 25.07.1:

                  When I checked the status of the service, the firewall returned, "does not exist".

                  as in on the Status -> Services page? or where specifically ?
                  and yet it shows on the dashboard services widget..

                  And you said this was a fresh install so ...

                  are there any errors in pfblockerNG 's error.log, dnsbl_parsed_error or py_error
                  (Firewall -> pfBlockerNG -> Logs

                  on the pfblockerNG -> General.

                  make sure the Keep Settings option is enabled

                  then head over to packages and try to reinstall the package (you may remove and install or just reinstall)
                  see if you spot any install errors during the install

                  then when complete
                  you will need to change the masterfile / mastercat line again

                  and then check the update page at
                  Firewall -> pfBlockerNG -> Update

                  should have a status showing the next scheduled cron event (if that is within a few minutes just wait for it to run). if it is more than say 20 minutes away or says not scheduled (or similar) then on the same update screen force Cron hit run.

                  when that is complete
                  check the status
                  then reboot
                  check the status

                  N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • N Offline
                    nanda @jrey
                    last edited by nanda

                    @jrey said

                    When I checked the status of the service, the firewall returned, "does not exist".

                    as in on the Status -> Services page? or where specifically ?
                    and yet it shows on the dashboard services widget..

                    Please see below. I can see .sh files but not executables (suricata & syslog-ng have both).

                    [25.07.1-RELEASE][suser@...]/root: ls /usr/local/etc/rc.d/
                    choparp          dnsmasq          isc-dhcrelay6    nginx            php_fpm          sshguard         unbound
                    dbus             expiretable      kea              openvpn          radvd            strongswan       uuidd
                    dhcp6c           igmpproxy        lighttpd         pcscd            rrdcached        suricata         waagent
                    dhcp6relay       isc-dhcpd        microcode_update pfb_dnsbl.sh     rsyncd           suricata.sh      waagent.sh
                    dhcp6s           isc-dhcpd6       miniupnpd        pfb_filter.sh    scponlyc         syslog-ng        wireguardd
                    dhcpcd           isc-dhcrelay     mpd5             pfnet-controller smartd           syslog-ng.sh     xinetd
                    

                    are there any errors in pfblockerNG 's error.log, dnsbl_parsed_error or py_error
                    (Firewall -> pfBlockerNG -> Logs

                    error.log contains a few lines on feeds failed to fetch entires
                    py_error is empty
                    dnsbl_parsed_error (see below) did not have any errors that prevent service execution

                    ... 19:00:44,StevenBlack_ADs,ip6-loopback,::1 ip6-loopback
                    ... 19:14:40,StevenBlack_ADs,ip6-loopback,::1 ip6-loopback
                    ... 19:14:46,EasyList,admi2fib4exit,||admi2fib4exit^
                    ... 00:01:20,EasyList,admi2fib4exit,||admi2fib4exit^
                    ... 00:01:09,EasyList,admi2fib4exit,||admi2fib4exit^
                    ... 16:50:29,UT1_adult,xxx,xxx
                    

                    Keep settings is enabled, package uninstalled and reinstalled, code changed, feed updated and finally system rebooted. No change in the service status in dashboard's service widget.

                    I found that except log (e.g., block, permit), the other functions are working. So, I will stop digging further on this regard and hope that future firewall upgrade will solve it. I need to identify, segregate and transfer logs to SIEM, which won't be a hassle.

                    Thank you very much for your assistance.

                    With appreciation
                    Nanda, D.Sc. (Tech.)

                    J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • J Offline
                      jrey @nanda
                      last edited by

                      @nanda said in pfb_filter and pfb_dnsbl services are not running Pfsense 25.07.1:

                      I can see .sh files but not executables

                      those pfb_*.sh files are the executables

                      looking at the errors (suggests some of the lists you are using) you might want to look for these lines in the pfblockerng.log especially if you are on smaller hardware (like an 1100) you may just have to be more selective on your list selection (smaller lists)

                      pfSense Table Stats
                      -------------------
                      table-entries hard limit   600000
                      Table Usage Count         161557
                      

                      You likely have the default values set, (which might be too small)
                      then the idea here is to have the Total Usage Count < (Hard Limit / 2)

                      If you need adjustment will find the setting for the hard limit on
                      System -> Advanced / Firewall & NAT -> (in the section Packet Processing) (on 25.07.1)

                      the comment there reads:

                      Maximum number of table entries for systems such
                      as aliases, sshguard, snort, etc, combined.
                      Note: Leave this blank for the default.
                      
                      N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • N Offline
                        nanda @jrey
                        last edited by nanda

                        @jrey

                        those pfb_*.sh files are the executables

                        Thanks for clarifying the executables.

                        I do not think that the hardware and table entry size won't be problem as the current configuration provides sufficient computation and memory for its operations. Pfsense is running in different hardware, e.g., Intel Xenon Platinum 8272CL processor and maximum table entries is set to 10 times than the default.

                        pfSense Table Stats
                        -------------------
                        table-entries hard limit  4000000
                        Table Usage Count         465931
                        
                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • First post
                          Last post
                        Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.