Stateful and stateless firewall (2024)

Hi Eric

To answer the 2nd part of your question.

A stateful firewall keeps track of the "state" of connections based on source/destination IP, source/destination port and connections flags. It can really only keep state for TCP connections because TCP uses flags in the packet headers. eg

When a client telnets to a server.

Client address = 192.168.5.1

Server address = 172.16.5.2

The client picks a random port eg 33212 and sends a packet to the server

source IP = 192.168.5.1

source port = 33212

destination IP = 172.16.5.2

destination port = 23 ( 23 is telnet port )

TCP Flag = SYN

Server responds

source IP = 172.16.5.1

source port = 23

destination IP = 192.168.5.1

destination port = 33212

TCP FLAG = SYN/ACK

Client responds

Same as original client packet except

TCP FLAG = ACK

The above is called the TCP 3 way handshake.

Now lets say there is a stateful firewall in between the client and the server.

When the firewall sees the initial packet from the client it records all the info above.

When the server responds the firewall looks up it's state table to see if it has a matching entry for the connection and finds it does. What's more because the firewall expects to see a SYN/ACK from the server because it recorded a SYN from the client. So the packet is allowed.

Now lets say the client hasn't sent an intital packet and the server sent a packet with the same info as above. The TCP FLAGS are SYN/ACK but the firewall has no record of a SYN packet sent from the client. So the packet is dropped.

In essence this is how stateful firewalls work . They keep track of each connection and allow the traffic to flow through only if there are corresponding entries in it's state table.

For non-TCP protocols eg UDP there are no flags so the stateful firewall sets a timer ie. if it sees a DNS query go out it records the IP source/destination and the Port source/destination. If within a certain amount of time a packet is received back with the same IP'S and port number, although obviously the source and destination are flipped, the packet is allowed through.

Hope this makes sense

Jon

Stateful and stateless firewall (2024)

FAQs

What is stateless and stateful firewall? ›

Stateful firewalls keep track of the state or context of connections by maintaining a state table. This allows them to differentiate between legitimate packets belonging to established connections and potentially malicious or unauthorized packets. Stateless firewalls do not track the state of connections.

Are ACLs stateful or stateless? ›

Network ACLs are stateless: This means any changes applied to an incoming rule will not be applied to the outgoing rule. If you allow an incoming port 22, you would also need to apply the rule for outgoing traffic.

Can a single firewall conduct both a stateless and stateful inspection? ›

Can a single firewall conduct both a stateless and stateful inspection? Yes, the stateless inspection is conducted first and then a stateful inspection is done. Yes but not on the same packet. A decision is made which type of inspection will be most effective on a packet - by - packet bases.

What is one advantage that a stateless firewall has over its stateful counterparts? ›

The one big advantage that a stateless firewall has over its stateful counterparts is that it uses less memory. Today, stateless firewalls are best if used on an internal network where security threats are lower and there are few restrictions.

Should I use stateless or stateful? ›

Stateless is the way to go if you just need information in a transitory manner, quickly and temporarily. If your app requires more memory of what happens from one session to the next, however, stateful might be the way to go.

What is the main difference between stateless and stateful servers? ›

Stateful means that the server retains information about previous interactions and uses that information to maintain an ongoing session or context with the client. Stateless means that each request from the client to the server is treated as an isolated request, without any knowledge of previous requests.

Is TCP IP stateful or stateless? ›

Unlike the stateless nature of HTTP, the TCP protocol is connection-oriented and stateful. It establishes a connection between two devices (usually a client and a server) and maintains a continuous communication channel until the connection is terminated.

Is HTTP is stateful or stateless? ›

The HTTP protocol is a stateless one. This means that every HTTP request the server receives is independent and does not relate to requests that came prior to it.

Is Windows Defender a stateless or stateful firewall? ›

The Windows Defender Firewall is a stateful firewall. This means that you can create a rule to allow inbound traffic, and established traffic will automatically be let back out. If you create an outbound rule, traffic going out will automatically be allowed back in.

Is Palo Alto stateful or stateless? ›

Palo Alto's Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is a stateful firewall that's capable of managing and monitoring the network's layer on the 4th layer, but also traffic match and application on the 7th layer.

Which three 3 things are true about stateless firewalls? ›

Which three ( 3 ) things are True about Stateless firewalls? They are faster than Stateful firewalls. They are also known as packet - filtering firewalls. They maintain tables that allow them to compare current packets with previous packets.

What is the advantage of a stateful firewall over a stateless firewall? ›

Stateful firewalls have no need for many ports to be open to facilitate smooth communication. A stateful network firewall can log the behavior of attacks and then use that information to better prevent future attempts. This is one of the biggest advantages of stateful vs. stateless.

Why stateless is better than stateful firewall? ›

Speed and Efficiency: Stateless firewalls are generally faster than stateful firewalls because they inspect packets based on pre-defined rules without needing to track the state of each network connection. This makes them efficient for networks where speed is critical.

What is the problem with stateless firewall? ›

Stateless firewalls are unable to detect many common types of attacks, including the following: Out-of-Sequence Packets: Stateless packets lack visibility into the current state of a network connection and can't detect legitimate packets sent deliberately out of sequence.

What is considered a drawback to stateless firewalls? ›

Cons of Stateless Firewalls

Stateless firewalls do not inspect traffic. The stateless firewall also does not examine an entire packet, but instead decides whether the packet satisfies existing security rules. These firewalls require some configuration to arrive at a suitable level of protection.

Is Windows firewall stateful or stateless? ›

The Windows Defender Firewall is a stateful firewall. This means that you can create a rule to allow inbound traffic, and established traffic will automatically be let back out. If you create an outbound rule, traffic going out will automatically be allowed back in.

What is the difference between stateful and stateless IP? ›

The stateless approach is used when a site is not concerned with the exact addresses that hosts use. However, the addresses must be unique. The addresses must also be properly routable. The stateful approach is used when a site requires more precise control over exact address assignments.

Is HTTP stateful or stateless? ›

The HTTP protocol is a stateless one. This means that every HTTP request the server receives is independent and does not relate to requests that came prior to it.

What is stateful and stateless mode? ›

Stateful means that the computer or the program keeps track of interactions, usually by setting values in a storage field designated for that purpose. Stateless means that there is no record of previous interactions. Each interaction request is entirely processed from information that comes with it.

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