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    “snort *** Caught Term-Signal” errors

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    • bmeeksB
      bmeeks
      last edited by

      What kind of hardware are you running on?

      Signal 4 is an "illegal instruction" error. Typically that happens if you compiled something against the wrong hardware type or severe memory corruption occurred and the CPU attempted to "execute" random data.

      chudakC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • chudakC
        chudak @bmeeks
        last edited by

        @bmeeks

        I run on custom box QOTOM-Q355G4
        Not sure if I had this error before 2.5.0 or not

        Overall performance and work is normal

        bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • bmeeksB
          bmeeks @chudak
          last edited by

          @chudak said in “snort *** Caught Term-Signal” errors:

          @bmeeks

          I run on custom box QOTOM-Q355G4
          Not sure if I had this error before 2.5.0 or not

          Overall performance and work is normal

          A Signal 4 error is most definitely not "normal". Something severe happened in that case to trigger that error. That means the CPU tried to execute binary code that is incompatbile with the CPU platform.

          That error is coming from the Snort binary and not from the PHP GUI package code.

          chudakC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • chudakC
            chudak @bmeeks
            last edited by

            @bmeeks

            Anything I can do to troubleshoot or maybe collect more info and log a bug?

            bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • bmeeksB
              bmeeks @chudak
              last edited by bmeeks

              @chudak said in “snort *** Caught Term-Signal” errors:

              @bmeeks

              Anything I can do to troubleshoot or maybe collect more info and log a bug?

              This is highly likely something peculiar to your configuration. Otherwise, there would be lots of reports on here. Yours is the only Signal 4 error I've seen posted. Compare that to all the SG-3100 folks with Signal 11 issues, for example. So that strongly indicates it's something in your configuration or it could be a hardware issue. As I've said, a Signal 4 should essentially never happen. It can only happen in running software if the memory is corrupted. One way for that to happen is for hardware failures such that on a memory read from an address the CPU gets back bogus data.

              If you want to try some things on your end, the first one I would do is a hardware memory diagnostic test with something like memtest to thoroughly shake-out your RAM and be sure no issue exists there. If that finds no issues, I would dump your Snort configuration and recreate it from scratch. However, my first bet is on faulty hardware.

              chudakC 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • chudakC
                chudak @bmeeks
                last edited by

                I am doubtful about h/w, otherwise would see something else. And it's been in used for several years. But see your point.

                @bmeeks said in “snort *** Caught Term-Signal” errors:

                I would dump your Snort configuration and recreate it from scratch.

                Any way to dump it and not waste all settings ?

                (I did do reinstall today will see maybe it gone)

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • chudakC
                  chudak @bmeeks
                  last edited by chudak

                  @bmeeks

                  I isolated the time for this issue => 12:45 am
                  It corresponds to the crontab entry :

                  45	0,6,12,18	*	*	*	root	/usr/bin/nice -n20 /usr/local/bin/php -f /usr/local/pkg/snort/snort_check_for_rule_updates.php
                  

                  Funny part is that it happens only at 12:45 !

                  I am lost and don't even know what to say :(

                  Interesting sequences in the log:

                  Mar 8 11:45:17	php-fpm	35099	/rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: Info: starting on igb1.
                  Mar 8 11:45:16	check_reload_status	378	Reloading filter
                  Mar 8 11:45:16	check_reload_status	378	rc.newwanip starting igb1
                  Mar 8 11:45:16	php-fpm	35099	/rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for LAN(lan) static IP (192.168.90.1 )
                  Mar 8 11:45:15	kernel		igb1: link state changed to UP
                  Mar 8 11:45:15	check_reload_status	378	Linkup starting igb1
                  Mar 8 11:45:14	php	83972	[Snort] The Rules update has finished.
                  Mar 8 11:45:14	php	83972	[Snort] Snort has restarted with your new set of rules...
                  Mar 8 11:45:12	check_reload_status	378	Reloading filter
                  Mar 8 11:45:12	php-fpm	9076	/rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for LAN(lan) static IP (192.168.90.1 )
                  Mar 8 11:45:11	kernel		igb1: link state changed to DOWN
                  Mar 8 11:45:11	check_reload_status	378	Linkup starting igb1
                  Mar 8 11:45:11	php	83972	[Snort] Snort START for WAN(igb0)...
                  Mar 8 11:45:08	snort	93761	*** Caught Term-Signal
                  Mar 8 11:45:07	php	83972	[Snort] Snort STOP for WAN(igb0)...
                  Mar 8 11:45:07	php	83972	[Snort] Building new sid-msg.map file for WAN...
                  Mar 8 11:45:07	php	83972	[Snort] Enabling any flowbit-required rules for: WAN...
                  
                  chudakC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • chudakC
                    chudak @chudak
                    last edited by chudak

                    Still on every snort stop/restart see

                    Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Snort START for WAN(igb0)...
                    Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Building new sid-msg.map file for WAN...
                    Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Enabling any flowbit-required rules for: WAN...
                    Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Enabling any flowbit-required rules for: WAN...
                    Apr 2 12:48:07	php	81121	[Snort] Updating rules configuration for: WAN ...
                    Apr 2 12:48:06	snort	1634	*** Caught Term-Signal
                    Apr 2 12:48:05	php-fpm	73757	[Snort] Snort STOP for WAN(igb0)...
                    

                    removed and installed again with no luck :(

                    bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • bmeeksB
                      bmeeks @chudak
                      last edited by bmeeks

                      @chudak said in “snort *** Caught Term-Signal” errors:

                      Still on every snort stop/restart see

                      Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Snort START for WAN(igb0)...
                      Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Building new sid-msg.map file for WAN...
                      Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Enabling any flowbit-required rules for: WAN...
                      Apr 2 12:48:08	php	81121	[Snort] Enabling any flowbit-required rules for: WAN...
                      Apr 2 12:48:07	php	81121	[Snort] Updating rules configuration for: WAN ...
                      Apr 2 12:48:06	snort	1634	*** Caught Term-Signal
                      Apr 2 12:48:05	php-fpm	73757	[Snort] Snort STOP for WAN(igb0)...
                      

                      removed and installed again with no luck :(

                      That's perfectly normal. Snort stops, updates the rules, then starts itself again. That is all expected behavior. The cron task that checks for, and updates, new rules does this.

                      And if you are using the Inline IPS Mode, then this cycling of Snort will also cycle the physical interface due to the way the netmap kernel device operates. So that will show as a "down" then "up" cycle of the interface.

                      This automatic stop then restart behavior is exactly why I tell users to NEVER use the Service Watchdog service with either of the two IDS/IPS packages. Service Watchdog would see the "stop", and then immediately issue a restart command of its own while Snort was down updating the rules.

                      chudakC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • chudakC
                        chudak @bmeeks
                        last edited by

                        @bmeeks said in

                        This automatic stop then restart behavior is exactly why I tell users to NEVER use the Service Watchdog service with either of the two IDS/IPS packages. Service Watchdog would see the "stop", and then immediately issue a restart command of its own while Snort was down updating the rules.

                        That sounds good !
                        Are you saying that if snort is removed from Service Watchdog that ***** Caught Term-Signal** will disappear from the logs ?

                        bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • bmeeksB
                          bmeeks @chudak
                          last edited by bmeeks

                          @chudak said in “snort *** Caught Term-Signal” errors:

                          Are you saying that if snort is removed from Service Watchdog that ***** Caught Term-Signal** will disappear from the logs ?

                          No, go back and read again what I said. The "Caught Term-Signal" is simply Snort's way of saying "I was told to shutdown, so I am". It is a completely harmless message. It is just logging the fact it is shutting down in a controlled fashion. It is the periodic cron task that actually tells Snort to shutdown, then restarts it.

                          chudakC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • chudakC
                            chudak @bmeeks
                            last edited by

                            @bmeeks

                            I am happy to accept that this is normal

                            I was confused by “A Signal 4 error is most definitely not "normal". Something severe happened in that case to trigger that error. That means the CPU tried to execute binary code that is incompatbile with the CPU platform.”

                            Thx!

                            bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • bmeeksB
                              bmeeks @chudak
                              last edited by

                              @chudak said in “snort *** Caught Term-Signal” errors:

                              @bmeeks

                              I am happy to accept that this is normal

                              I was confused by “A Signal 4 error is most definitely not "normal". Something severe happened in that case to trigger that error. That means the CPU tried to execute binary code that is incompatbile with the CPU platform.”

                              Thx!

                              A Signal 4 error is indeed not normal. A Term-Signal is perfectly normal. They are not at all related.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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