AWS WAF Sample
This repository contains example scripts and sets of rules for the AWS WAF service. Please be aware that the applicability of these examples to specific workloads may vary.
| Category | Threat Detection & Response |
|---|---|
| Community Stars | 512 |
| Last Commit | 5 years ago |
| Last page update | 19 days ago |
| Pricing Details | Free to use under MIT No Attribution license. |
| Target Audience | Developers and security professionals looking to implement AWS WAF. |
The AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) is designed to protect web applications from common web-based attacks, such as those outlined in the OWASP Top 10. Here’s a technical overview of its architecture and operational considerations:
AWS WAF operates by inspecting incoming web requests to Amazon CloudFront distributions or Application Load Balancers. It uses a set of predefined rules and conditions to filter out malicious traffic. The architecture involves creating web access control lists (web ACLs) that include rules to match and block specific attack patterns. These rules can be defined using AWS CloudFormation templates, which automate the deployment and configuration of WAF rule sets.
The WAF rules are built around various match conditions, such as byte matches, IP sets, and SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS) patterns. For example, the OWASP Top 10 example template includes rules to detect bad authentication tokens, XSS attacks, and other common vulnerabilities. These rules apply text transformations like URL decoding and HTML entity decoding to inspect request components such as URIs, query strings, bodies, and headers.
Deploying AWS WAF involves launching a CloudFormation template that sets up the necessary web ACLs, rules, and associated resources like AWS Lambda functions for automated updates. For instance, the Security Automations for AWS WAF solution uses Lambda functions to parse access logs, update IP sets, and block malicious IP addresses. This automation is crucial for maintaining up-to-date protection without manual intervention.
While AWS WAF provides robust protection, it has operational limits. For example, the number of rules and conditions that can be applied within a web ACL is limited. Additionally, the performance of WAF can be affected by the complexity and number of rules, potentially leading to increased latency in request processing. The solution also relies on regular updates of IP reputation lists and other rule sets to maintain effectiveness, which can be managed through scheduled CloudWatch events.
In summary, AWS WAF is a powerful tool for web application security, leveraging a combination of predefined rules, automated updates, and integration with other AWS services to protect against a wide range of web-based threats. However, it requires careful configuration and ongoing maintenance to ensure optimal performance and security.