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Description of problem:

The ip(6)tables service has a severe issue that impacts the ability to use configuration management automation solutions and is a security vulnerability opening up the firewall for host attack.  When the firewall is in the stopped state, the execution of ip(6)tables -L restarts the firewall with a blank configuration.


Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

iptables-1.4.7-16.el6.x86_64
iptables-ipv6-1.4.7-16.el6.x86_64

How reproducible:

Always

Steps to Reproduce:

1. service ip(6)tables stop
2. service ip(6)tables status
(shows ip(6)tables: Firewall is not running)
3. iptables -L
4. service ip(6)tables status

Actual results:

Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination 


Expected results:

Should show "ip(6)tables: Firewall is not running", and should not be in the running state.

Additional info:

This should be a possible candidate for a CVE.

Why is this a "a security vulnerability"? Not having rules is the same as default policy ACCEPT.

If you do not want to load the base netfilter modules, then you could use the iptables-save command.

The iptables -L command is loading netfilter modules if they are not loaded, yet.

The iptables init script is offering a way to list the rules only if the base netfilter modules are loaded: "service iptables status"
Also iptables-save can be used.

Closing this bug as not a bug.

The needinfo request[s] on this closed bug have been removed as they have been unresolved for 1000 days