RE: how to block connections running on non-default ports

[abretten () kroger com]

If people are trying to run SSL on a non-standard port (e.g. not tcp 443) a
proxy level firewall or in this specific example a decent web proxy with
access lists WILL block access based on port #.

Even in SSL the HTTP method still has to reference the host name and
non-standard port number and thus can be used as part of the ACL logic.

Andy


"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new
discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny ... '    Isaac Asimov

Andrew P Bretten
andrew.bretten () kroger com
Office (513) 459 9519 - 9am-5pm EST



(Embedded image moved to file: pic22830.jpg)





                                                                           
             "Roger A. Grimes"                                             
             <roger@banneretcs                                             
             .com>                                                      To 
                                       "Niranjan S Patil"                  
             08/18/2005 07:50          <niranjan.patil () gmail com>,         
             AM                        <security-basics () securityfocus com> 
                                                                        cc 
                                                                           
                                                                   Subject 
                                       RE: how to block connections        
                                       running on non-default ports        
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           




This is a common issue and a proxy device is needed. By definition a
proxy firewall, with a service proxy, would review and strip out all
"malformed" data from a communication's stream. Unfortunately, because
443 is normally encrypted, I'm not sure how accurate any 443 proxy
firewall service would be...but many firewalls let you build your own
proxy filters and I'm sure you could be fairly accurate with a little
research.

Also, many network traffic analyzers, like Ethereal, can sometimes not
the correct traffic type even when running on non-default ports. It
depends on the sniffer and the protocol.

Roger

************************************************************************
***
*Roger A. Grimes, Banneret Computer Security, Computer Security
Consultant
*CPA, CISSP, MCSE: Security (NT/2000/2003/MVP), CNE (3/4), CEH, CHFI
*email: roger () banneretcs com
*cell: 757-615-3355
*Author of Malicious Mobile Code:  Virus Protection for Windows by
O'Reilly
*http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/malmobcode
*Author of Honeypots for Windows (Apress)
*http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=281
************************************************************************
****



-----Original Message-----
From: Niranjan S Patil [mailto:niranjan.patil () gmail com]
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 11:36 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: how to block connections running on non-default ports

Hi list,

I recently noticed that our corporate IDS could not block some of
connections that are seemingly unauthorised.

I launched a telnet connection to a remote server on Internet on port
23 and it was successfully blocked by our firewall. I change the
listening port of the telnet server to 443 and launched another telnet
connection on port 443. Neither our firewall or IDS was able to block
this connection.

Aren't IDS supposed to block such masqueraded connections, i.e.,
protocols with non-default ports.

I have less knowledge on IDS, but isn't it simple for them to check
packet headers and block/filter if they are not on right protocol/port?

Is this normal with all IDS?

Any help is appreciated.

--
Regards,
Niranjan S Patil