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Upgrading an EOL Docker NGINX- or Envoy-based image

These instructions describe the steps to upgrade the running end‑of‑life Docker NGINX- or Envoy-based image (version 3.6 and lower) to the version 4.10.

Wallarm nodes 3.6 and lower are not supported

You are recommended to upgrade the Wallarm nodes 3.6 and lower since these versions are not supported, they are end-of-life.

Node configuration and traffic filtration have been significantly simplified in the Wallarm node of the latest versions. Before upgrading the modules, please carefully review the list of changes and general recommendations. Please note that some settings of the latest node are incompatible with the nodes 3.6 and lower.

Requirements

  • Docker installed on your host system

  • Access to https://hub.docker.com/r/wallarm/node to download the Docker image. Please ensure the access is not blocked by a firewall

  • Access to the account with the Administrator role in Wallarm Console in the US Cloud or EU Cloud

  • Access to https://us1.api.wallarm.com if working with US Wallarm Cloud or to https://api.wallarm.com if working with EU Wallarm Cloud. Please ensure the access is not blocked by a firewall

  • Access to the IP addresses of Google Cloud Storage listed within the link. When you allowlist, denylist, or graylist entire countries, regions, or data centers instead of individual IP addresses, the Wallarm node retrieves precise IP addresses related to the entries in the IP lists from the aggregated database hosted on Google Storage.

Step 1: Inform Wallarm technical support that you are upgrading filtering node modules (only if upgrading node 2.18 or lower)

If upgrading node 2.18 or lower, please inform Wallarm technical support that you are upgrading filtering node modules up to 4.10 and ask to enable new IP list logic for your Wallarm account. When new IP list logic is enabled, please ensure the section IP lists of Wallarm Console is available.

Step 2: Disable the Active threat verification module (only if upgrading node 2.16 or lower)

If upgrading Wallarm node 2.16 or lower, please disable the Active threat verification module in Wallarm Console → Vulnerabilities → Configure.

The module operation can cause false positives during the upgrade process. Disabling the module minimizes this risk.

Step 3: Update API port

Starting with version 4.0, the filtering node uploads data to the Cloud using the us1.api.wallarm.com:443 (US Cloud) and api.wallarm.com:443 (EU Cloud) API endpoints instead of us1.api.wallarm.com:444 and api.wallarm.com:444.

If you upgrade the node from the version 3.x or lower and your server with the deployed node has a limited access to the external resources and the access is granted to each resource separately, then after upgrade the synchronization between the filtering node and the Cloud will stop.

To restore the synchronization, in your configuration, change port 444 to 443 for API endpoint for each resource.

Step 4: Download the updated filtering node image

docker pull wallarm/node:4.10.4-1

docker pull wallarm/envoy:4.8.0-1

Step 5: Switch to the token-based connection to the Wallarm Cloud

With the release of version 4.x, approach to connect the container to the Wallarm Cloud has been upgraded as follows:

  • The "email and password"-based approach has been deprecated. In this approach, the node was registered in the Wallarm Cloud automatically once the container started with correct credentials passed in the DEPLOY_USER and DEPLOY_PASSWORD variables.

  • The token-based approach has been included. To connect the container to the Cloud, run the container with the WALLARM_API_TOKEN variable containing the Wallarm node token copied from the Wallarm Console UI.

It is recommended to use the new approach to run the image 4.10. The "email and password"-based approach will be deleted in future releases, please migrate before.

To create a new Wallarm node and get its token:

  1. Open Wallarm Console → Nodes in the US Cloud or EU Cloud and create the node of the Wallarm node type.

    Wallarm node creation

  2. Copy the generated token.

Step 6: Migrate allowlists and denylists from the previous Wallarm node version to 4.10 (only if upgrading node 2.18 or lower)

If upgrading node 2.18 or lower, migrate allowlist and denylist configuration from previous Wallarm node version to 4.10.

Step 7: Switch from deprecated configuration options

There are the following deprecated configuration options:

  • The WALLARM_ACL_ENABLE environment variable has been deprecated. If IP lists are migrated to the new node version, remove this variable from the docker run command.

  • The following NGINX directives have been renamed:

    We only changed the names of the directives, their logic remains the same. Directives with former names will be deprecated soon, so you are recommended to rename them before.

    Please check if the directives with former names are explicitly specified in the mounted configuration files. If so, rename them.

  • The wallarm_request_time logging variable has been renamed to wallarm_request_cpu_time.

    We only changed the variable name, its logic remains the same. The old name is temporarily supported as well, but still it is recommended to rename the variable.

  • The following Envoy parameters have been renamed:

    We only changed the names of the parameters, their logic remains the same. Parameters with former names will be deprecated soon, so you are recommended to rename them before.

    Please check if the parameters with former names are explicitly specified in the mounted configuration files. If so, rename them.

Step 8: Update the Wallarm blocking page (if upgrading NGINX-based image)

In new node version, the Wallarm sample blocking page has been changed. The logo and support email on the page are now empty by default.

If the Docker container was configured to return the &/usr/share/nginx/html/wallarm_blocked.html page to blocked requests, change this configuration as follows:

  1. Copy and customize the new version of a sample page.

  2. Mount the customized page and the NGINX configuration file to a new Docker container in the next step.

Step 9: Review recent architectural updates (for NGINX-based Docker image)

The latest update has introduced architectural changes that may impact users, especially those mounting custom configuration files during container initiation due to alterations in the paths of certain files. Please familiarize yourself with these changes to ensure proper configuration and usage of the new image.

Step 10: Transfer the overlimit_res attack detection configuration from directives to the rule

Starting from the version 3.6, you can fine-tune the overlimit_res attack detection using the rule in Wallarm Console.

Earlier, the following options have been used:

The listed directives and parameters are considered to be deprecated with the new rule release and will be deleted in future releases.

If the overlimit_res attack detection settings are customized via the listed parameters, it is recommended to transfer them to the rule as follows:

  1. Open Wallarm Console → Rules and proceed to the Fine-tune the overlimit_res attack detection rule setup.

  2. Configure the rule as done in the mounted configuration files:

    • The rule condition should match the NGINX or Envoy configuration block with the wallarm_process_time_limit and wallarm_process_time_limit_block directives or the process_time_limit and process_time_limit_block parameters specified.
    • The time limit for the node to process a single request (milliseconds): the value of wallarm_process_time_limit or process_time_limit.

    • Request processing: the Stop processing option is recommended.

      Risk of running out of system memory

      The high time limit and/or continuation of request processing after the limit is exceeded can trigger memory exhaustion or out-of-time request processing.

    • Register the overlimit_res attack: the Register and display in the events option is recommended.

      If the wallarm_process_time_limit_block or process_time_limit_block value is off, choose the Do not create attack event option.

    • The rule does not have the explicit equivalent option for the wallarm_process_time_limit_block (process_time_limit_block in Envoy) directive. If the rule sets Register and display in the events, the node will either block or pass the overlimit_res attack depending on the node filtration mode:

      • In the monitoring mode, the node forwards the original request to the application address. The application has the risk to be exploited by the attacks included in both processed and unprocessed request parts.
      • In the safe blocking mode, the node blocks the request if it is originated from the graylisted IP address. Otherwise, the node forwards the original request to the application address. The application has the risk to be exploited by the attacks included in both processed and unprocessed request parts.
      • In the block mode, the node blocks the request.

  3. Delete the wallarm_process_time_limit, wallarm_process_time_limit_block NGINX directives and the process_time_limit, process_time_limit_block Envoy parameters from the mounted configuration file.

    If the overlimit_res attack detection is fine-tuned using both the parameters and the rule, the node will process requests as the rule sets.

Step 11: Stop the running container

docker stop <RUNNING_CONTAINER_NAME>

Step 12: Run the container using the updated image

Run the container using the updated image and making necessary adjustments to the paths for the mounted files if required by the recent changes to the image.

There are two options for running the container using the updated image:

Step 13: Adjust Wallarm node filtration mode settings to changes released in the latest versions (only if upgrading node 2.18 or lower)

  1. Ensure that the expected behavior of settings listed below corresponds to the changed logic of the off and monitoring filtration modes:

  2. If the expected behavior does not correspond to the changed filtration mode logic, please adjust the filtration mode settings to released changes using the instructions.

Step 14: Test the filtering node operation

  1. Send the request with the test Path Traversal attack to the application address:

    curl http://localhost/etc/passwd

  2. Make sure the node of the new type processes the request in the same way as the regular node did, e.g.:

  3. Open Wallarm Console → Attacks in the EU Cloud or US Cloud and make sure that:

    • The attack is displayed in the list.
    • Hit details display the Wallarm node UUID.

    Attacks in the interface

Step 15: Delete the filtering node of the previous version

If the deployed image of the version 4.10 operates correctly, you can delete the filtering node of the previous version in the Wallarm Console → Nodes section.

Step 16: Re-enable the Active threat verification module (only if upgrading node 2.16 or lower)

Learn the recommendation on the Active threat verification module setup and re-enable it if required.

After a while, ensure the module operation does not cause false positives. If discovering false positives, please contact the Wallarm technical support.