This tutorial explain steps to configure Snort on Widnows XP machine and how to use it for detection of attacks.
Steps:
1. Download Snort from "
http://www.snort.org/" website.
2. Also download
Rules from the same website. You need to sign up to get rules for registered users.
3. Click on the
Snort_(version-number)_Installer.exe file to install it. By-default it will install snort in the "
C:\Snort" directory.
4. Extract downloaded Rules file:
snortrules-snapshot-(number).tar.gz
5. Copy all files from the "
rules" directory of the extracted folder and paste them into "
C:\Snort\rules" directory.
6. Copy "
snort.conf" file from the "
etc" directory of the extracted folder and paste it into "
C:\Snort\etc" directory. Overwrite existing file if there is any.
7. Open command prompt (
cmd.exe) and navigate to directory "
C:\Snort\bin" directory.
8. To execute snort in sniffer mode use following command:
snort -dev -i 2
-i indicate interface number.
-dev is used to run snort to capture packets.
To check interface list use following command:
snort -W
9. To execute snort in IDS mode, we need to configure a file "
snort.conf" according to our network environment.
10. Set up network address we want to protect in snort.conf file. To do that look for "
HOME_NET" and add your IP address.
var HOME_NET 10.1.1.17/8
11. You can also set addresses or DNS_SERVERS, if you have any. otherwise go to the next step.
12. Change
RULE_PATH variable with the path of rules directory.
var RULE_PATH c:\snort\rules
13. Change the path of all libraries with the name and path on your system. or change path of
snort_dynamicpreprocessor variable.
sor file C:\Snort\lib\snort_dynamiccpreprocessor\sf_dcerpc.dll
You need to do this to all library files in the "
C:\Snort\lib" directory. The old path might be something like: "
/usr/local/lib/...". you need to replace that path with you system path.
14. Change path of the "
dynamicengine" variable value in the "
snort.conf" file with the path of your system. Such as:
dynamicengine C:\Snort\lib\snort_dynamicengine\sf_engine.dll
15 Add complete path for "
include classification.config" and "
include reference.config" files.
include c:\snort\etc\classification.config
include c:\snort\etc\reference.config
16. Remove the comment on the line to allow
ICMP rules, if it is alredy commented.
include $RULE_PATH/icmp.rules
17. Similary, remove the comment of
ICMP-info rules comment, if it is already commented.
include $RULE_PATH/icmp-info.rules
18 To add log file to store alerts generated by snort, search for "output log" test and add following line:
output alert_fast: snort-alerts.ids
19. Comment whitelist
$WHITE_LIST_PATH/white_list.rules and
blacklist $BLACK_LIST_PATH/black_list.rules lines. Also ensure that you add change the line above $WHITE_LIST_PATH
Change
nested_ip inner , \ to
nested_ip inner #, \
20. Comment following lines:
#preprocessor normalize_ip4
#preprocessor normalize_tcp: ips ecn stream
#preprocessor normalize_icmp4
#preprocessor normalize_ip6
#preprocessor normalize_icmp6
21. Save the "
snort.conf" file and close it.
22. Go to the "
C:\Snort\log" directory and create a file:
snort-alerts.ids
23. To start snort in IDS mode, run following command:
snort -c c:\snort\etc\snort.conf -l c:\snort\log -i 2
Above command will generate log file that will not be readable without using a tool. To read it use following command:
C:\Snort\Bin\>
snort -r ..\log\log-filename
To generate Log files in ASCII mode use following command while running snort in IDS mode:
snort -A console -i2 -c c:\Snort\etc\snort.conf -l c:\Snort\log -K ascii
24. Scan the computer running snort from another computer using PING or launch attack. Then check
snort-alerts.ids file the
log folder.
You can also download my modified
snort.conf file
here. It works with
Snort_2_9_5_Installer.exe