This plugin integrates CrowdSec's decision-making capabilities with Apache APISIX, allowing you to block IPs that have been flagged by CrowdSec. The plugin periodically fetches decisions from CrowdSec and applies them to incoming requests.
To install the CrowdSec Bouncer Plugin for APISIX, add it to your APISIX plugins directory and configure it in your config.yaml
and then enable it in apisix.conf
.
This plugin requires certain attributes to be configured in your config.yaml
under plugin_attr
for the crowdsec-bouncer
plugin.
Here is a breakdown of the available configuration options:
Attribute | Type | Default | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
crowdsec_lapi_scheme |
string | http |
Yes | The scheme to use when connecting to the CrowdSec API (http or https ). |
crowdsec_lapi_url |
string | None | Yes | The URL of the CrowdSec Local API (LAPI) without the scheme and port (e.g., localhost ). |
crowdsec_lapi_port |
integer | 8080 |
No | The port number where CrowdSec LAPI is running. |
crowdsec_lapi_key |
string | None | Yes | The API key to authenticate with the CrowdSec LAPI. |
update_interval |
integer | 300 |
No | Interval (in seconds) at which the plugin will fetch the latest decisions from CrowdSec. |
ssl_verify |
boolean | false |
No | Whether to verify the SSL certificate when connecting to the CrowdSec LAPI. |
whitelist |
array | [] |
No | A list of IPs or subnets that should be excluded from blocking by the plugin (in CIDR notation). |
Add the following configuration to your config.yaml
:
nginx_config:
http:
access_log_format: '$remote_addr - $remote_user [$time_local] "$request" $status $bytes_sent "$http_referer" "$http_user_agent" "$gzip_ratio"'
custom_lua_shared_dict:
plugin-crowdsec-bouncer: 10m
plugins:
- real-ip
- request-id
# [Other plugins...]
- crowdsec-bouncer
plugin_attr:
crowdsec-bouncer:
crowdsec_lapi_scheme: "http"
crowdsec_lapi_url: "localhost"
crowdsec_lapi_port: 8080
crowdsec_lapi_key: "your_api_key_here"
update_interval: 300
ssl_verify: false
whitelist:
- "192.168.1.0/24"
- "10.0.0.1"
-
Initialization: During the initialization phase of APISIX, the CrowdSec Bouncer Plugin sets up a recurring timer that triggers the
fetch_crowdsec_decisions
function at the interval specified byupdate_interval
. This function fetches the latest decisions from the CrowdSec LAPI. -
Fetching Decisions: The plugin makes an HTTP request to the CrowdSec LAPI to retrieve the latest decisions, including banned IPs. These decisions are stored in both a shared memory cache (for inter-worker communication) and an LRU cache (for fast access within the worker).
-
Request Handling: When a request is received, the plugin first checks if the client's IP address is in the whitelist. If not, it proceeds to check the shared cache and the LRU cache. If the IP is found and marked for banning, the plugin returns a
403 Forbidden
response, blocking the request. -
Whitelisting: The whitelist allows certain IPs or subnets to bypass the CrowdSec checks entirely, ensuring they are never blocked regardless of the decisions from CrowdSec.
-
Caching: The plugin uses a dual-layer caching mechanism to efficiently manage IP decisions. The shared cache ensures consistency across APISIX workers, while the LRU cache speeds up repeated lookups within a single worker.
The following sequence diagram provides a visual representation of the plugin's request-handling process, including how it interacts with APISIX, CrowdSec, and the internal caching mechanisms:
sequenceDiagram
participant Client as Client
participant APISIX as APISIX Gateway
participant Plugin as CrowdSec Bouncer Plugin
participant CrowdSec as CrowdSec API
participant Cache as APISIX Shared Cache
participant LRU as LRU Cache
Client->>APISIX: Send Request
APISIX->>Plugin: Invoke Access Phase
Plugin->>Plugin: Get Client IP
Plugin->>Plugin: Check if IP is Whitelisted
alt IP is Whitelisted
Plugin-->>APISIX: Allow Request (Whitelisted)
else IP is Not Whitelisted
Plugin->>Cache: Check if IP is in Cache
alt IP is Cached
Cache-->>Plugin: Return Decision
Plugin-->>APISIX: Allow or Deny Request
else IP is Not Cached
Plugin->>LRU: Check if IP is in LRU Cache
alt IP is Cached in LRU
LRU-->>Plugin: Return Decision
Plugin-->>APISIX: Allow or Deny Request
else IP is Not Cached in LRU
Plugin->>CrowdSec: Fetch Latest Decisions
CrowdSec-->>Plugin: Return Decisions (New and Deleted)
Plugin->>Cache: Update Shared Cache with New Decisions
Plugin->>LRU: Update LRU Cache
Plugin-->>APISIX: Allow or Deny Request
end
end
end
APISIX-->>Client: Respond (Allow or Deny)
After configuring the plugin in your config.yaml
, you can enable the CrowdSec Bouncer Plugin at different levels depending on your needs:
To enable the CrowdSec Bouncer Plugin globally for all routes, add it to your apisix.yaml
as a global rule:
global_rules:
- id: 1
plugins:
crowdsec-bouncer:
enable: true
This setup ensures that every request passing through the API Gateway is checked against CrowdSec decisions, providing comprehensive protection across all services.
If you prefer to apply the CrowdSec Bouncer Plugin to specific routes, you can enable it at the route level. This allows you to protect particular services without affecting others. Below is an example of how to enable the plugin for a specific route:
routes:
- uri: /your-service-endpoint
plugins:
crowdsec-bouncer:
enable: true
upstream:
nodes:
"your-upstream-service:80": 1
type: roundrobin
This configuration will only enforce CrowdSec decisions on the specified route, allowing you to selectively protect different parts of your API.
For a detailed walkthrough on how to configure and utilize this plugin effectively, please refer to my Medium article, where I provide an in-depth guide and additional insights.
This plugin is open-source and available under the Apache 2.0 License.