Snort is an open source network intrusion prevention and detection system utilizing a rule-driven language, which combines the benefits of signature, protocol and anomaly based inspection methods.
It can perform real-time traffic analysis, alerting, blocking and packet logging on IP networks. It utilizes a combination of protocol analysis and pattern matching in order to detect a anomalies, misuse and attacks. It detects a variety of attacks and probes, such as buffer overflows, stealth port scans, CGI attacks, SMB probes, OS fingerprinting attempts, and much more.
Snort uses a flexible rules language to describe activity that can be considered malicious or anomalous as well as an analysis engine that incorporates a modular plugin architecture. Snort is capable of detecting and responding in real-time, sending alerts, performing session sniping, logging packets, or dropping sessions/packets when deployed in-line.
Features include:
- 3 primary functional modes:
- Packet Sniffer like tcpdump.
- Packet logger (useful for network traffic debugging etc).
- Full blown network intrusion, detection, and prevention system.
- Performs TCP stream reassembly.
- Stateful protocol analysis.
- Handles IP dedragmentation.
- Logs the full packets when alerts are generated.
- Support multiple packet processing threads.
- Use a shared configuration and attribute table.
- Use a simple, scriptable configuration.
- Make key components pluggable.
- Autodetect services for portless configuration.
- Support sticky buffers in rules.
- Autogenerate reference documentation.
- Provide better cross platform support.
- Facilitate component testing.
- Use a shared network map.
Website: www.snort.org
Support: Documentation, GitHub Code Repository
Developer: Cisco Systems
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
Snort is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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