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    Snort fails to start

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    • J
      jcascante
      last edited by

      Hello!

      I'm trying to use Snort in the pfSense but after I made the initial setup, it is not starting. I checked the system logs and notice the following but not really sure what this means:

      /tmp/snort_ix0.2_startcmd.php: The command '/usr/local/bin/snort -R _21459 -D -q --suppress-config-log --daq pcap --daq-mode passive --treat-drop-as-alert -l /var/log/snort/snort_ix0.221459 --pid-path /var/run --nolock-pidfile --no-interface-pidfile -G 21459 -c /usr/local/etc/snort/snort_21459_ix0.2/snort.conf -i ix0.2' returned exit code '1', the output was ''

      FATAL ERROR: /usr/local/etc/snort/snort_21459_ix0.2/snort.conf(130) Bad overlap_limit in frag3 config. Positive integer parameter required.

      The ix0.2 interface is my WAN interface. The config for the frag3 is the default one for the Snort. I haven't changed it

      Has anyone else had this issue?

      Thanks

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      • bmeeksB
        bmeeks
        last edited by bmeeks

        Obviously there is an improper value in the field. The default value is "0" (zero).

        Post back with the content of the /usr/local/etc/snort/snort_21459_ix0.2/snort.conf file. Specifically the value on line 130 in that file. Let's see what is actually there.

        Also post a screenshot of the Frag3 settings in the GUI. Somehow an illegal value seems to be getting sent to Snort.

        J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • J
          jcascante @bmeeks
          last edited by

          @bmeeks Thanks for the reply
          Attached is the file. It is quite big

          snort ix0.2.txt

          And this is the screenshot with the Frag3 settings

          ec8cbc34-3b7d-47c5-afeb-c2ca65e1ab22-image.png

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

            @jcascante said in Snort fails to start:

            @bmeeks Thanks for the reply
            Attached is the file. It is quite big

            snort ix0.2.txt

            And this is the screenshot with the Frag3 settings

            ec8cbc34-3b7d-47c5-afeb-c2ca65e1ab22-image.png

            I see the error in your snort.conf file. The "overlap-limit" parameter is empty, and that is not allowed.

            To see why, I need to see the Frag3 Engine configuration page. So on the page where you captured the screenshot above, click the pencil icon to the right of the "default" Server Configuration. That will open a second web page where the individual Frag3 settings for the default server will be shown. Let's see what the Overlap-Limit parameter is set for there. The default should be zero. Make sure an actual value is showing there and the field is not empty.

            J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • J
              jcascante @bmeeks
              last edited by

              @bmeeks
              Yes, I see that too. There is no value in the snort.conf file

              On the other side, in the Frag3 settings, the parameter is zero

              e2a72348-57ae-4518-bc59-7d8476ccd915-image.png

              Can I edit the snort.conf file and set zero in the "overlap-limit"?

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

                @jcascante said in Snort fails to start:

                @bmeeks
                Yes, I see that too. There is no value in the snort.conf file

                Can I edit the snort.conf file and set zero in the "overlap-limit"?

                That file is overwritten each time you save changes and/or stop/restart Snort from the GUI. So any manual edit you make won't last.

                Not sure why the zero is not getting written there properly. On the Engine Settings page (the one you last posted the screenshot of), try inputting a large number like 1024 or something. See if that takes and then lets Snort start up.

                J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • J
                  jcascante @bmeeks
                  last edited by

                  @bmeeks
                  Understood!
                  I will try to do that and let you know if it works

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

                    @jcascante said in Snort fails to start:

                    @bmeeks
                    Understood!
                    I will try to do that and let you know if it works

                    If that works, then try typing the zero back in there and saving the change. Then see if Snort starts. Really strange why it is not working unless there is actually a blank in the config.xml file for that parameter. That section of code has not been changed in a quite a long time.

                    J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • J
                      jcascante @bmeeks
                      last edited by

                      @bmeeks
                      Hello, just to let you know the workaround works
                      I put a higher value in the "overlap-limit", then save the configuration, returned the value to zero, check the snort.conf file and this time it saved the value. Finally, I started the service and now it's working

                      Thanks for your help

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

                        @jcascante said in Snort fails to start:

                        @bmeeks
                        Hello, just to let you know the workaround works
                        I put a higher value in the "overlap-limit", then save the configuration, returned the value to zero, check the snort.conf file and this time it saved the value. Finally, I started the service and now it's working

                        Thanks for your help

                        Glad you got it working. That was an unusual issue. Sounds like something weird got saved in the config.xml file for that particular parameter.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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