PFIL(9)

NAME
pfil, pfil_head_create, pfil_head_destroy, pfil_head_get, pfil_hook_get, pfil_add_hook, pfil_remove_hook, pfil_run_hooks, pfil_add_ihook, pfil_remove_ihook, pfil_run_addrhooks, pfil_run_ifhooks - packet filter interface

SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/param.h>
#include <sys/mbuf.h>
#include <net/if.h>
#include <net/pfil.h>
pfil_head_t *
pfil_head_create(int type, void *key);
int
pfil_head_destroy(pfil_head_t *ph);
pfil_head_t *
pfil_head_get(int type, void *key);
struct packet_filter_hook *
pfil_hook_get(int dir, pfil_head_t *ph);
int
pfil_add_hook(pfil_func_t func, void *arg, int flags, pfil_head_t *ph);
int
pfil_remove_hook(pfil_func_t func, void *arg, int flags, pfil_head_t *ph);
int
(*func)(void *arg, struct mbuf **mp, struct ifnet *, int dir);
int
pfil_run_hooks(pfil_head_t *ph, struct mbuf **mp, struct ifnet *ifp, int dir);
int
pfil_add_ihook(pfil_ifunc_t ifunc, void *arg, int flags, pfil_head_t *ph);
int
pfil_remove_ihook(pfil_ifunc_t ifunc, void *arg, int flags, pfil_head_t *ph);
void
(*ifunc)(void *arg, unsigned long cmd, void *ptr);
void
pfil_run_addrhooks(pfil_head_t *ph, unsigned long, struct ifaddr *ifa);
void
pfil_run_ifhooks(pfil_head_t *ph, unsigned long, struct ifnet *ifp);

DESCRIPTION
The pfil framework allows for a specified function to be invoked for every incoming or outgoing packet for a particular network I/O stream. These hooks may be used to implement a firewall or perform packet transformations.

Packet filtering points are created with pfil_head_create(). Filtering points are identified by a data link (int) type and a (void *) key. If a packet filtering point already exists for that data link type and key then the pfil_head_create() function returns NULL. Packet filters use the pfil_head_get() function specifying the data link type and the key to look up the filtering point with which they register themselves. The key is unique to the filtering point. The data link type is a bpf(4) DLT_type constant indicating what kind of header is present on the packet at the filtering point. Filtering points may be destroyed with the pfil_head_destroy() function.

Packet filters register/unregister themselves with a filtering point with the pfil_add_hook() and pfil_remove_hook() functions, respectively. The head is looked up using the pfil_head_get() function, which takes the data link type and the key that the packet filter expects. Filters may provide an argument to be passed to the filter when invoked on a packet.

When a filter is invoked, the packet appears just as if it “came off the wire”. That is, all protocol fields are in network byte order. The filter is called with its specified argument, the pointer to the pointer to the mbuf containing the packet, the pointer to the network interface that the packet is traversing, and the direction (either PFIL_IN or PFIL_OUT, see also below) that the packet is traveling. The filter may change which mbuf the mbuf ** argument references. The filter returns an errno if the packet processing is to stop, or 0 if the processing is to continue. If the packet processing is to stop, it is the responsibility of the filter to free the packet.

The flags parameter, used in the pfil_add_hook() and pfil_remove_hook() functions, indicates when the filter should be called. The flags are:

PFIL_IN
    call me on incoming packets
PFIL_OUT
    call me on outgoing packets
PFIL_ALL
    call me on all of the above

By the same token, event handlers register/unregister themselves with the pfil_add_ihook() and pfil_remove_ihook() functions, respectively. The event handler is called with its specified argument, the event id (either PFIL_IFNET_ATTACH or PFIL_IFNET_DETACH, see also below) or ioctl number, and the pointer to the network interface or the pointer to the ifaddr.

The flags parameter, used in the pfil_add_ihook() and pfil_remove_ihook() functions, indicates when the filter should be called. The flags are:

PFIL_IFADDR
    call me on interface reconfig (cmd is ioctl #)
PFIL_IFNET
    call me on interface attach/detach (cmd is either PFIL_IFNET_ATTACH or PFIL_IFNET_DETACH)

SEE ALSO
bpf(4)

HISTORY
The pfil interface first appeared in NetBSD 1.3. The pfil input and output lists were originally implemented as <sys/queue.h> LIST structures; however this was changed in NetBSD 1.4 to TAILQ structures. This change was to allow the input and output filters to be processed in reverse order, to allow the same path to be taken, in or out of the kernel.

The pfil interface was changed in 1.4T to accept a 3rd parameter to both pfil_add_hook() and pfil_remove_hook(), introducing the capability of per-protocol filtering. This was done primarily in order to support filtering of IPv6.

In 1.5K, the pfil framework was changed to work with an arbitrary number of filtering points, as well as be less IP-centric.

pfil_add_ihook() and pfil_remove_ihook() were added in NetBSD 8.0.

AUTHORS
-nosplit The pfil interface was designed and implemented by Matthew R. Green, with help from Darren Reed, Jason R. Thorpe, and Charles M. Hannum. Darren Reed added support for IPv6 in addition to IPv4. Jason R. Thorpe added support for multiple hooks and other clean up.

BUGS
The current pfil implementation will need changes to suit a threaded kernel model.