WatchGuard is pleased to announce a significant update to our Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS) that will apply to all Fireware XTM 10.x and 11.3 and earlier releases for XTM and e-Series appliances. IPS is one of the most important security functions in the system, and these changes are designed to provide even stronger security and usability to help protect your business. We are updating the IPS signature set with new signatures similar to those used in the new 11.4 release. It’s now easier to investigate attacks or potential false positives. And, along with the new signatures, we provide a portal where you can look up more detailed information, including links to third party vulnerability databases like NIST, Mitre, Secunia, and Bugtraq.
All of the new signatures in this database start with the prefix WG. Previous signatures that begin with ED are no longer used. Any exceptions that point to these old signature ids are not relevant now, but there is no need to remove them from the product. (Search tip: you need to remove the WG- prefix from the signature id before entering it into the search on this webpage).
The new signatures are distributed more evenly across the different proxies now with more http-client signatures. Server protection signatures have been consolidated, consistent with a general industry trend of writing more general purpose and higher quality signatures. For example, we now deliver more generic signatures to capture SQL injections, instead of including hundreds of very application-specific SQL injection signatures in the http-server. These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to provide the highest quality protection to our customers.
If you have an active Intrusion Prevention license (or UTM Bundle or Software Suite), and have enabled automatic updates, your appliance will download the new IPS signatures automatically, as part of its regular signature updates. Otherwise, you should use the signature update button in Firebox System Manager (FSM) or the Web UI to get this new signature update.
Does This Update Pertain to Me?
This IPS update affects all XTM and e-Series appliances owners running Fireware versions previous to 11.4 (11.3.x and 10.x), which have an active IPS service subscription.
How Do I Get the Update?
If you’ve enabled automatic IPS updates, your appliance will download the new IPS signatures automatically, as part of its regular signature updates. Otherwise, you should use the signature update button in Firebox System Manager (FSM) or the Web UI to get this new signature update. As always, if you need support, please enter a support incident online or call our support staff directly. (When you contact Technical Support, please have your registered Product Serial Number, LiveSecurity Key, or Partner ID available.)
- U.S. End Users: 877.232.3531
- International End Users: +1.206.613.0456
- Authorized WatchGuard Resellers: +1.206.521.8375
I have older signature exclusions that begin with BE and ED. How do I know what WG exclusions I need to add as substitutes for the old ones?
Craig,
That is an excellent question, but I don’t have a perfect answer for you. Long story short, the new IPS signatures are totally different than the old ones. While there may be some cross-over (in which case I would understand how you might need to know new exclusions), we don’t have a list of known similar signatures. Unfortunately, this means you will have to learn what your new exclusions will be based on any false positives you might encounter in your network.
That said, I do think these signatures are much more effective than the old ones. We actually test our IPS signatures against an industry standard IPS test platform, and these signatures score well. In my tests, our old signatures did not always catch as much as I would expect them too, and these new ones do. Hopefully, they will work well in your network.
Corey,
Thanks for the information. So if its not a WG signature, it will be ignored?
As follow-up, which IPS signature version includes the updates. I’m on automatic update and I want to make sure I know when it takes place.
Thanks
Craig
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