Designing and Implementing an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) with Snort: Detecting Malicious Behavior with WinPcap and Apache

Detailed design and implementation plan for an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) based on WinPcap, Snort, and Apache. This system uses WinPcap to capture network traffic, employs Snort to detect malicious behavior, and provides a web interface via Apache to display intrusion detection logs and analysis results.

System Architecture Design for Malicious Behavior Mitigation

System Components Involved in Malicious Behavior

1. WinPcap:

• Used for real-time network traffic capture.

1. Snort:

• Parses packets captured by WinPcap to detect potential threats.
• Implements intrusion detection based on rule matching.

1. Apache:

• Provides a web interface to display Snort’s detection logs and analysis results.

1. Log Management:

• Uses logs generated by Snort and parses them into visual data for display on the web interface.

Function Design for Malicious Behavior

1. Capturing and Processing Data Streams Involving Malicious Behavior

• WinPcap captures network traffic, which is provided to Snort for analysis.
• Snort uses rule matching to detect and record abnormal behaviors.

2. Threat Detection – Malicious Behavior

• Uses Snort rule set to detect common attack behaviors (such as SQL injection, DDoS attacks, port scanning, etc.).
• Stores detection results in the form of logs, which are visualized via Apache.

3. Display and Analysis of Malicious Behavior Logs

• Apache provides a front-end page where users can view real-time intrusion detection results through a browser.
• Supports log search and categorization (by attack type, time, etc.).

Technical Implementation Steps for Addressing Malicious Behavior

1. Install Necessary Software to Prevent Malicious Behavior

1.1 Install WinPcap to Prevent Malicious Behavior

• Download and install WinPcap from: WinPcap Official Site

1.2 Install Snort to Detect Malicious Behavior

• Download and install the Windows version of Snort: Snort Download
• Verify Snort installation:

snort -V

1.3 Install Apache

• Download and install Apache HTTP Server:
• Apache Lounge
• Start Apache:

httpd.exe

• Test if Apache is running correctly:
• Access http://localhost, you should see the default Apache page.

2. Configure Snort

2.1 Edit Snort Configuration File

Configuration file path: C:\Snort\etc\snort.conf

1. Configure network variables:

var HOME_NET 192.168.1.0/24
var EXTERNAL_NET any

1. Enable rules:

• Ensure the rule path is correct:

var RULE_PATH C:\Snort\rules

• Enable the required rules:

include $RULE_PATH/local.rules
include $RULE_PATH/icmp.rules
include $RULE_PATH/sql.rules

1. Set log path:

output alert_fast: C:\Snort\log\alerts

2.2 Create Custom Rules

Create or modify the C:\Snort\rules\local.rules file and add the following rules:

1. Detect Ping Scanning:

alert icmp any any -> $HOME_NET any (msg:"ICMP Ping Detected"; itype:8; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

1. Detect SQL Injection:

alert tcp any any -> $HOME_NET 80 (msg:"SQL Injection Attempt"; content:"SELECT"; nocase; sid:1000002; rev:1;)

1. Detect Port Scanning:

alert tcp any any -> $HOME_NET any (flags:S; msg:"Port Scan Detected"; sid:1000003; rev:1;)

3. Start System and Test Snort

3.1 Capture Traffic

Use WinPcap to capture network traffic:

windump -i 1 -w traffic.pcap

3.2 Analyze Traffic

Use Snort to analyze captured traffic:

snort -c C:\Snort\etc\snort.conf -r traffic.pcap

3.3 Real-time Monitoring

Run Snort directly using the network interface:

snort -c C:\Snort\etc\snort.conf -i 1

4. Configure Apache

4.1 Configure Log Display Web Page

1. Create Apache site root directory:

mkdir C:\Apache24\htdocs\snort

1. Copy Snort’s log files to Apache’s site directory:

copy C:\Snort\log\alerts C:\Apache24\htdocs\snort\alerts.log

1. Create an HTML page to display logs:

• File path: C:\Apache24\htdocs\snort\index.html
• Example code:

Snort Alerts

 

1. Enable PHP support (optional):

• Download PHP and configure it in Apache’s httpd.conf file.

1. Restart Apache service:

httpd.exe -k restart

5. Verify System Operation

1. Start WinPcap to capture traffic:

windump -i 1 -w traffic.pcap

1. Start Snort for detection:

snort -c C:\Snort\etc\snort.conf -i 1

1. Start Apache and access the log page:

• Open a browser and visit http://localhost/snort/index.html.
• The page should display the alert logs generated by Snort.

Function Extensions

1. Graphical Display

• Use JavaScript chart libraries (like Chart.js or D3.js) to visualize log data.
• Example: Display the number of different types of attacks in a bar chart.

2. Automated Log Updates

• Write scripts to periodically copy Snort-generated log files to Apache’s web directory.

3. Multi-interface Monitoring

• Configure multiple network interfaces to monitor traffic from different subnets.

4. Alert Notifications

• Add an alert module to notify administrators via email or SMS when a serious threat is detected.

Conclusion

By combining WinPcap, Snort, and Apache, we can create a powerful intrusion detection system:

1. WinPcap provides network traffic capture capability.
2. Snort is responsible for traffic analysis and threat detection.
3. Apache offers a user-friendly web interface to display detection logs.

Furthermore, by adding custom rules, we can tailor detection logic to specific scenarios or needs, enhancing the accuracy and timeliness of intrusion detection. Additionally, the system supports log data visualization, allowing administrators to intuitively understand the network traffic situation, identify, and analyze potential security threats. With features such as automated log updates and multi-interface monitoring, this system plays a significant role in ensuring network security. Lastly, the addition of an alert notification module provides administrators with a way to respond to and manage security events in real-time, greatly enhancing the system’s practicality and reliability. Customization is available upon request.