Enabling DNSBL in pfBlockerNG with logging turned on breaks DNS resolution

smacdoug1

I'm using pfBlockerNG-devel 3.2.14_1 on pfSense 2.8.1, but the same issue exists in pfBlockerNG 3.2.8. If I have 'DNS Reply Logging' enabled, DNS resolution breaks. The log shows this:

Apr 14 08:24:40 unbound 20418 [20418:0] error: pythonmod: python error: Traceback (most recent call last): File "pfb_unbound.py", line 803, in log_entry with open(log, 'a') as append_log: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory:

smacdoug1

In fact, resolver doesn't work reliably unless I have the logging set to 'Null Blocking (no logging)' on the DNBL gropu or global settings.

tinfoilmatt

Sounds like (at least) an attempted package reinstall scenario.

resolver doesn't work reliably

Not clear what this could mean or that it has anything to do with pfBlockerNG.

smacdoug1

based on some of my own googling, resolver is crashing because the DNBL log files don't exist in /var/log/pfblockerng.

In fact they do, but there's another directory I was eventually pointed to:

/var/unbound/var/log/pfblockerng

evidently sym links are supposed to be created here by DNSBL that point to /var/log/pfblockerng, but it's not happening no matter how many times I reinstall pfblockerng, or reload/restart it.

It's also impossible to manually create the links in this directory for some reason:

/var/unbound/var/log/pfblockerng: touch dns_reply.log
touch: dns_reply.log: No such file or directory

tinfoilmatt

Can you post a screencap of your Unbound settings (i.e., Services > DNS Resolver > General Settings)?

smacdoug1

@tinfoilmatt

Screenshot from 2026-04-14 11-32-55.png

smacdoug1

I've been trying to post the other half, but it keeps getting flagged as spam.

tinfoilmatt

Try editing your post (and without including of this page in the capture area).

smacdoug1

tinfoilmatt

That all looks fine.

You've tried a package reinstall without "Keep Settings" (i.e., Firewall > pfBlockerNG > General > General Settings > Keep Settings unchecked, click "Save" at the bottom, prior to uninstall/reinstall)?

smacdoug1

@tinfoilmatt

Not recently, early on I tried switching between the dev and non dev versions with the 'Keep Settings' unchecked and rebuilt the config from scratch. I had the same resolver issue with both versions. I only figured out recently it was due to logging and I could get it working again by changing to 'Null Block (no logging)' but haven't tried a reinstall since then.

tinfoilmatt

I would, again with "Keep Settings" unchecked (and saved) in-between.

Something is borked and not worth troubleshooting nor manually 'massaging' even if you do drill down on it.

Gertjan

@smacdoug1 said in Enabling DNSBL in pfBlockerNG with logging turned on breaks DNS resolution:

/var/unbound/var/log/pfblockerng: touch dns_reply.log
touch: dns_reply.log: No such file or directory

You mean :

[26.03-RELEASE][root@pfSense.bhf.tld]root: ls -al  /var/unbound/var/log/pfblockerng/
total 4210
drwxr-xr-x  2 unbound unbound      12 Apr 15 00:45 .
drwxr-xr-x  3 root    unbound       3 Nov 19  2023 ..
-rw-------  1 unbound unbound 6319943 Apr 15 08:39 dns_reply.log
-rw-------  1 unbound unbound 2496785 Apr 15 08:34 dnsbl.log
-rw-------  1 root    wheel      3058 Apr 15 00:45 dnsbl_parsed_error.log
-rw-------  1 root    wheel      8437 Apr 15 06:00 error.log
-rw-------  1 root    wheel    146157 Apr 15 06:01 extras.log
-rw-------  1 root    wheel     43232 Apr 15 00:45 ip_permit.log
-rw-r--r--  1 root    unbound     121 Apr 15 06:00 maxmind_ver
-rw-------  1 root    wheel   3486322 Apr 15 06:00 pfblockerng.log
-rw-r--r--  1 unbound unbound       0 Feb 17  2025 py_error.log
-rw-------  1 unbound unbound 6347723 Apr 15 08:39 unified.log

No files are there ??

This folder :
[26.03-RELEASE][root@pfSense.brit-hotel-fumel.net]/root: ll /var/log/pfblockerng/
total 4209
-rw------- 1 unbound unbound 6341700 Apr 15 08:41 dns_reply.log
-rw------- 1 unbound unbound 2496785 Apr 15 08:34 dnsbl.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 3058 Apr 15 00:45 dnsbl_parsed_error.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 8437 Apr 15 06:00 error.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 146157 Apr 15 06:01 extras.log
-rw------- 1 root wheel 43232 Apr 15 00:45 ip_permit.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root unbound 121 Apr 15 06:00 maxmind_ver
-rw------- 1 root wheel 3486322 Apr 15 06:00 pfblockerng.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 unbound unbound 0 Feb 17 2025 py_error.log
-rw------- 1 unbound unbound 6369480 Apr 15 08:41 unified.log

looks identical, and is identical.
unbound runs 'chrooted' in /var/bound, which means it can't access anything outside - above of /var/unbound so it mounts several folders into its own folder.
"/var/log/pfblockerng/" is mounted into /var/unbound"/var/log/pfblockerng/"

It's pfBlockernf that creates the logs files.

Something goes wrong during the start of Unbound ? (see resolver log)
File system ok ?
"/var/log/pfblockerng/" is mounted into /var/unbound"/var/log/pfblockerng/"

smacdoug1

@Gertjan

I followed an earlier suggestion to reinstall with 'keep settings' disabled. Although I had tried that already, for some reason this time it worked.

DNSBL is functioning correctly now.