The rp_filter is an important feature of Linux and you must know how it works. If you are a beginner in networking, then this article will help you to understand what rp_filter means and how it works on Linux.
What is rp_filter?
First of all, what is rp_filter?
Linux has the ability to filter out bad packets before they reach your machine. This feature is called rp_filter. Rp stands for route prefix and it acts as a kind of firewall for your network. It protects against network attacks and spoofed packets which are used in man-in-the-middle attacks (MITM).
How rp_filter works on Linux?
Rp_filter is a kernel module that works on the netfilter framework. Its function is to filter outbound packets. It adds a chain to the main table, which can be used by applications to filter specific packets before they are sent out from your computer.
This means that if you want your computer to send only those packets you allow it, then rp_filter will help you achieve this goal.
Other Articles related to Linux Networking
If you are interested in learning more about rp_filter, the following articles may be helpful:
- [How to Enable/Disable Rp_filter on linux](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-enable-and-disable-rp_filter-on-linux)
- [Linux Routing Protocol Filters](http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/wiki/index.php?title=Routing_Protocol_Filters)
The rp_filter is an important feature of Linux and you must know how it works.
The rp_filter is an important feature of Linux and you must know how it works.
The rp_filter is a kernel feature, not a network application; this means that it’s enabled by default on most Linux distributions. In addition to filtering packets that are not destined for your host, rp_filter also allows you to filter out ICMP requests (e.g., ping requests), IP fragments and so on.
For example, if you have an SSH server running locally on your machine but no web server listening on port 8080 or 443, then all incoming HTTP/HTTPS traffic would be dropped by default because these ports are closed in your iptables ruleset:
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed how rp_filter works on Linux. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post and learned something new about the rp_filter.