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    Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules

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    • stephenw10S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by

      Hmm, that's on custom hardware? Updated from CE to Plus?

      F 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • F
        Flole @stephenw10
        last edited by Flole

        It was on Plus 22.01, then it got upgraded to 22.05 and it worked perfectly fine. Then there was a power outage so the firewall got shutdown (graceful shutdown when the UPS ran out of battery) and after it booted again this issue started to appear. As there are multiple users affected by this apparently and rebooting sometimes seems to solve it (at least for others, for me it doesn't for some reason) there is probably some nasty bug somewhere. Shouldn't pfctl normally return an error message if something is not right?

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        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          It does if there's an error in the ruleset, yes. It doesn't if the rules file is empty though:

          [22.05-RELEASE][admin@4100-2.stevew.lan]/root: pfctl -vvvf /tmp/rules.bad
Loaded 762 passive OS fingerprints
[22.05-RELEASE][admin@4100-2.stevew.lan]/root: echo $?
0

          We have seen devices load a kernel from another storage device but I've never been able to replicate that here. Obviously that only applies if you have more than one drive in the system.
          And it doesn't appear to have happened here since the ported kernel is correct.

          However the other symptoms point to that.

          Are there any errors in the boot log?

          F 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • F
            Flole @stephenw10
            last edited by

            @stephenw10 said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

            It does if there's an error in the ruleset, yes. It doesn't if the rules file is empty though:

            You are getting exit code 0 there though, I am getting exit code 1 there.

            @stephenw10 said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

            We have seen devices load a kernel from another storage device but I've never been able to replicate that here. Obviously that only applies if you have more than one drive in the system.

            It's a single drive only. I always wanted to migrate to ZFS though and use mirroring on this system, so maybe it's a good time now to backup the config and reinstall using ZFS on 2 drives.

            I just saw in the system log this message from snort being logged:

            s2c_pf_block() => ioctl() DIOCRADDADDRS: No such process

            So maybe this gives more information on what's going on? I assume the same ioctl call is being made by pfctl aswell and most likely the same error is returned there? Just that pfctl isn't displaying that error.

            In the boot log I am only seeing this error, but it seems unrelated:

            dummynet: bad switch 21!
            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • stephenw10S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by

              Yeah those errors all point to a mismatch in something but I'm unsure what if the kernel and pfctl are correct.

              The quickest way back up is going to be a re-install though.

              Steve

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              • F
                Flole @stephenw10
                last edited by

                Maybe it's the library thats not matching? Snort doesn't call pfctl I think, if it uses the library which pfctl also uses and that one is corrupted/wrong that could explain it.

                sha256sum ./usr/lib/libpfctl*
bd164a6f18720e395fae0b30ae552afb04b5a86919e9ab8e0ba433678ef5b75b  ./usr/lib/libpfctl.a
aa7aa511a5d26c453dbbae04568ae5cecd39407d2b53be1fc66d51669af796c4  ./usr/lib/libpfctl.so
aa7aa511a5d26c453dbbae04568ae5cecd39407d2b53be1fc66d51669af796c4  ./usr/lib/libpfctl.so.5
                bmeeksB stephenw10S 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • bmeeksB
                  bmeeks @Flole
                  last edited by

                  @flole said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

                  Maybe it's the library thats not matching? Snort doesn't call pfctl I think, if it uses the library which pfctl also uses and that one is corrupted/wrong that could explain it.

                  sha256sum ./usr/lib/libpfctl*
bd164a6f18720e395fae0b30ae552afb04b5a86919e9ab8e0ba433678ef5b75b  ./usr/lib/libpfctl.a
aa7aa511a5d26c453dbbae04568ae5cecd39407d2b53be1fc66d51669af796c4  ./usr/lib/libpfctl.so
aa7aa511a5d26c453dbbae04568ae5cecd39407d2b53be1fc66d51669af796c4  ./usr/lib/libpfctl.so.5

                  As the author of the custom Snort plugin I can tell you how it works. It is making direct ioctl() system calls for all of its operations with the packet filter firewall. Those system calls will wind up using the library. You have a corrupted installation with mismatching versions of core system libraries.

                  F 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @Flole
                    last edited by

                    Looks like the expected values:

                    [22.05-RELEASE][admin@4100-2.stevew.lan]/root: sha256 /usr/lib/libpfctl*
SHA256 (/usr/lib/libpfctl.a) = bd164a6f18720e395fae0b30ae552afb04b5a86919e9ab8e0ba433678ef5b75b
SHA256 (/usr/lib/libpfctl.so) = aa7aa511a5d26c453dbbae04568ae5cecd39407d2b53be1fc66d51669af796c4
SHA256 (/usr/lib/libpfctl.so.5) = aa7aa511a5d26c453dbbae04568ae5cecd39407d2b53be1fc66d51669af796c4
                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • bmeeksB
                      bmeeks
                      last edited by

                      Did you by chance, at any point in the recent past, install some third-party package or otherwise switch the pkg repo pointer? The symptoms sound like some libraries on the system do not now match up with others.

                      F 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • F
                        Flole @bmeeks
                        last edited by

                        @bmeeks said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

                        You have a corrupted installation with mismatching versions of core system libraries.

                        Not entirely sure how that could happen by simply rebooting and why the initial loading of the rules when booting works (aswell as querying the rules/tables and so on) though. To me that sounds like something after the initial loading is causing those errors, otherwise no rules would be loaded?

                        Others solved the same behaviour by rebooting, that obviously doesn't fix a mismatched version.

                        bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          I suspect in the cases that fixed this by simply rebooting it had somehow loaded an old kernel from a different device.

                          I assume you are running Snort?

                          F 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • F
                            Flole @bmeeks
                            last edited by

                            @bmeeks said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

                            Did you by chance, at any point in the recent past, install some third-party package or otherwise switch the pkg repo pointer? The symptoms sound like some libraries on the system do not now match up with others.

                            No I didn't, I did a normal reboot and since then things started acting in this weird way. I don't think I updated any packages since I upgraded to 2.6.0 (and that was already a few weeks ago). A messed up library would be used immediately without rebooting though.

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                            • bmeeksB
                              bmeeks @Flole
                              last edited by

                              @flole said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

                              @bmeeks said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

                              You have a corrupted installation with mismatching versions of core system libraries.

                              Not entirely sure how that could happen by simply rebooting and why the initial loading of the rules when booting works (aswell as querying the rules/tables and so on) though. To me that sounds like something after the initial loading is causing those errors, otherwise no rules would be loaded?

                              Others solved the same behaviour by rebooting, that obviously doesn't fix a mismatched version.

                              The Snort error you posted is coming directly from the custom blocking plug-in code. When the Snort binary is implementing a "block", it does so by making a pf call using the ioctl() primitive within FreeBSD. It passes an Op-Code along with the system call letting the OS know what it wants. In the case of your error, it is asking pf to add an IP address to the snort2c table. That is what the DIOCRADDADDRS op-code means.

                              The fact that call is failing tells me that the code for that operation is not present in the OS. But it should always be there.

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                              • bmeeksB
                                bmeeks
                                last edited by

                                The shortest road back to normal operation may be a reinstall.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • F
                                  Flole @stephenw10
                                  last edited by

                                  @stephenw10 said in Strange error: There were error(s) loading the rules: pfctl: pfctl_rules:

                                  I assume you are running Snort?

                                  Correct, I am running Snort.

                                  It doesn't seem completely broken though:

                                  [22.05-RELEASE][root@XXXXXXX]/: pfctl -d
pf disabled
[22.05-RELEASE][root@XXXXXXX]/: pfctl -e
pf enabled

                                  So it works to some extend apparently. And even running pfctl -a shows that rules are loaded. It seems to me like somehow it's not possible to add new rules to the filter.

                                  However, clearing rules also does not work:

                                  [22.05-RELEASE][root@XXXXXX]/: pfctl -Fa
pfctl: pfctl_clear_eth_rules: Device busy

                                  Is that really the behaviour if there's a mismatch of some libraries? How do the rules end up there initially and why can I query them properly?

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                                  • stephenw10S
                                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                    last edited by

                                    Try running:

                                    truss pfctl -g -f /tmp/rules.debug
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                                    • F
                                      Flole @stephenw10
                                      last edited by

                                      Looks like it does "prepare" them to some extend and then tries to apply(?), which fails and then rolls back:

                                      ....
ioctl(3,DIOCOSFPADD,0x7fffffffe450)              = 0 (0x0)
ioctl(3,DIOCOSFPADD,0x7fffffffe450)              = 0 (0x0)
read(4,0x8007174c0,32768)                        = 0 (0x0)
close(4)                                         = 0 (0x0)
mmap(0x0,28672,PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE,MAP_PRIVATE|MAP_ANON,-1,0x0) = 34367270912 (0x80072f000)
mmap(0x0,20480,PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE,MAP_PRIVATE|MAP_ANON,-1,0x0) = 34367299584 (0x800736000)
mmap(0x0,86016,PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE,MAP_PRIVATE|MAP_ANON,-1,0x0) = 34367320064 (0x80073b000)
ioctl(3,DIOCXBEGIN,0x7fffffffd568)               ERR#16 'Device busy'
pfctl: write(2,"pfctl: ",7)                              = 7 (0x7)
pfctl_ruleswrite(2,"pfctl_rules",11)                     = 11 (0xb)

write(2,"\n",1)                                  = 1 (0x1)
ioctl(3,DIOCXROLLBACK,0x7fffffffd5a8)            = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK,{ SIGHUP|SIGINT|SIGQUIT|SIGKILL|SIGPIPE|SIGALRM|SIGTERM|SIGURG|SIGSTOP|SIGTSTP|SIGCONT|SIGCHLD|SIGTTIN|SIGTTOU|SIGIO|SIGXCPU|SIGXFSZ|SIGVTALRM|SIGPROF|SIGWINCH|SIGINFO|SIGUSR1|SIGUSR2 },{ }) = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK,{ },0x0)                 = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK,{ SIGHUP|SIGINT|SIGQUIT|SIGKILL|SIGPIPE|SIGALRM|SIGTERM|SIGURG|SIGSTOP|SIGTSTP|SIGCONT|SIGCHLD|SIGTTIN|SIGTTOU|SIGIO|SIGXCPU|SIGXFSZ|SIGVTALRM|SIGPROF|SIGWINCH|SIGINFO|SIGUSR1|SIGUSR2 },{ }) = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK,{ },0x0)                 = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK,{ SIGHUP|SIGINT|SIGQUIT|SIGKILL|SIGPIPE|SIGALRM|SIGTERM|SIGURG|SIGSTOP|SIGTSTP|SIGCONT|SIGCHLD|SIGTTIN|SIGTTOU|SIGIO|SIGXCPU|SIGXFSZ|SIGVTALRM|SIGPROF|SIGWINCH|SIGINFO|SIGUSR1|SIGUSR2 },{ }) = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK,{ },0x0)                 = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK,{ SIGHUP|SIGINT|SIGQUIT|SIGKILL|SIGPIPE|SIGALRM|SIGTERM|SIGURG|SIGSTOP|SIGTSTP|SIGCONT|SIGCHLD|SIGTTIN|SIGTTOU|SIGIO|SIGXCPU|SIGXFSZ|SIGVTALRM|SIGPROF|SIGWINCH|SIGINFO|SIGUSR1|SIGUSR2 },{ }) = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK,{ },0x0)                 = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK,{ SIGHUP|SIGINT|SIGQUIT|SIGKILL|SIGPIPE|SIGALRM|SIGTERM|SIGURG|SIGSTOP|SIGTSTP|SIGCONT|SIGCHLD|SIGTTIN|SIGTTOU|SIGIO|SIGXCPU|SIGXFSZ|SIGVTALRM|SIGPROF|SIGWINCH|SIGINFO|SIGUSR1|SIGUSR2 },{ }) = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK,{ },0x0)                 = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK,{ SIGHUP|SIGINT|SIGQUIT|SIGKILL|SIGPIPE|SIGALRM|SIGTERM|SIGURG|SIGSTOP|SIGTSTP|SIGCONT|SIGCHLD|SIGTTIN|SIGTTOU|SIGIO|SIGXCPU|SIGXFSZ|SIGVTALRM|SIGPROF|SIGWINCH|SIGINFO|SIGUSR1|SIGUSR2 },{ }) = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK,{ },0x0)                 = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK,{ SIGHUP|SIGINT|SIGQUIT|SIGKILL|SIGPIPE|SIGALRM|SIGTERM|SIGURG|SIGSTOP|SIGTSTP|SIGCONT|SIGCHLD|SIGTTIN|SIGTTOU|SIGIO|SIGXCPU|SIGXFSZ|SIGVTALRM|SIGPROF|SIGWINCH|SIGINFO|SIGUSR1|SIGUSR2 },{ }) = 0 (0x0)
sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK,{ },0x0)                 = 0 (0x0)
exit(0x1)
process exit, rval = 1
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                                      • stephenw10S
                                        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                        last edited by

                                        Hmm, not really anything very insightful there unfortunately.

                                        I would reinstall that if that's an option for you.

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                                        • F
                                          Flole @stephenw10
                                          last edited by

                                          Isn't the "Device busy" error when it comes to applying those rules showing that something causes some kind of lockup? The first rule loading works apparently, otherwise after a reboot I would end up with an empty ruleset, but something later on causes issue. For examble pf_begin_eth would return EBUSY if it's still waiting for NET_EPOCH_CALL(pf_rollback_eth_cb) to finish (according to the comments in there). As the ethernet-based filtering is new in 2.6.0 afaik it could be that it introduced a bug, especially since I am not the only one having such an issue and such a lockup would also be fixed with a reboot (assuming after the reboot it isn't simply caused again), so that's consistent with what others are seeing aswell, except for me apparently the issue is automatically re-triggered after a reboot for some reason.

                                          I will try a reinstall though so I finally migrate to ZFS and have redundant disks aswell, the second HDD is in the appliance now for a few years but is completely unused so far :D

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                                          • stephenw10S
                                            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                            last edited by

                                            Yeah, it could well be a bug. I have alerted out developers.

                                            artooroA F 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
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