FAIL2BAN-CLIENT(1)

NAME
fail2ban-client - configure and control the server

SYNOPSIS
fail2ban-client [OPTIONS] <COMMAND>

DESCRIPTION
Fail2Ban v1.0.2 reads log file that contains password failure report and bans the corresponding IP addresses using firewall rules.

OPTIONS

-c, --conf <DIR>
    configuration directory

-s, --socket <FILE>
    socket path

-p, --pidfile <FILE>
    pidfile path

--pname <NAME>
    name of the process (main thread) to identify instance (default fail2ban-server)

--loglevel <LEVEL>
    logging level

--logtarget <TARGET>
    logging target, use file-name or stdout, stderr, syslog or sysout.

--syslogsocket auto|<FILE>

-d  dump configuration. For debugging

--dp, --dump-pretty
    dump the configuration using more human readable representation

-t, --test
    test configuration (can be also specified with start parameters)

-i  interactive mode

-v  increase verbosity

-q  decrease verbosity

-x  force execution of the server (remove socket file)

-b  start server in background (default)

-f  start server in foreground

--async
    start server in async mode (for internal usage only, don't read configuration)

--timeout
    timeout to wait for the server (for internal usage only, don't read configuration)

--str2sec <STRING>
    convert time abbreviation format to seconds

-h, --help
    display this help message

-V, --version
    print the version (-V returns machine-readable short format)

COMMAND

    BASIC

start
    starts the server and the jails

restart
    restarts the server

restart [--unban] [--if-exists] <JAIL>
    restarts the jail <JAIL> (alias for 'reload --restart ... <JAIL>')

reload [--restart] [--unban] [--all]
    reloads the configuration without restarting of the server, the option '--restart' activates completely restarting of affected jails, thereby can unban IP addresses (if option '--unban' specified)

reload [--restart] [--unban] [--if-exists] <JAIL>
    reloads the jail <JAIL>, or restarts it (if option '--restart' specified)

stop
    stops all jails and terminate the server

unban --all
    unbans all IP addresses (in all jails and database)

unban <IP> ... <IP>
    unbans <IP> (in all jails and database)

banned
    return jails with banned IPs as dictionary

banned <IP> ... <IP>]
    return list(s) of jails where given IP(s) are banned

status
    gets the current status of the server

ping
    tests if the server is alive

echo
    for internal usage, returns back and outputs a given string

help
    return this output

version
    return the server version

    LOGGING

set loglevel <LEVEL>
    sets logging level to <LEVEL>. Levels: CRITICAL, ERROR, WARNING, NOTICE, INFO, DEBUG, TRACEDEBUG, HEAVYDEBUG or corresponding numeric value (50-5)

get loglevel
    gets the logging level

set logtarget <TARGET>
    sets logging target to <TARGET>. Can be STDOUT, STDERR, SYSLOG, SYSTEMD-JOURNAL or a file

get logtarget
    gets logging target

set syslogsocket auto|<SOCKET>
    sets the syslog socket path to auto or <SOCKET>. Only used if logtarget is SYSLOG

get syslogsocket
    gets syslog socket path

flushlogs
    flushes the logtarget if a file and reopens it. For log rotation.

    DATABASE

set dbfile <FILE>
    set the location of fail2ban persistent datastore. Set to "None" to disable

get dbfile
    get the location of fail2ban persistent datastore

set dbmaxmatches <INT>
    sets the max number of matches stored in database per ticket

get dbmaxmatches
    gets the max number of matches stored in database per ticket

set dbpurgeage <SECONDS>
    sets the max age in <SECONDS> that history of bans will be kept

get dbpurgeage
    gets the max age in seconds that history of bans will be kept

    JAIL CONTROL

add <JAIL> <BACKEND>
    creates <JAIL> using <BACKEND>

start <JAIL>
    starts the jail <JAIL>

stop <JAIL>
    stops the jail <JAIL>. The jail is removed

status <JAIL> [FLAVOR]
    gets the current status of <JAIL>, with optional flavor or extended info

    JAIL CONFIGURATION

set <JAIL> idle on|off
    sets the idle state of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> ignoreself true|false
    allows the ignoring of own IP addresses

set <JAIL> addignoreip <IP>
    adds <IP> to the ignore list of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> delignoreip <IP>
    removes <IP> from the ignore list of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> ignorecommand <VALUE>
    sets ignorecommand of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> ignorecache <VALUE>
    sets ignorecache of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> addlogpath <FILE> ['tail']
    adds <FILE> to the monitoring list of <JAIL>, optionally starting at the 'tail' of the file (default 'head').

set <JAIL> dellogpath <FILE>
    removes <FILE> from the monitoring list of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> logencoding <ENCODING>
    sets the <ENCODING> of the log files for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> addjournalmatch <MATCH>
    adds <MATCH> to the journal filter of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> deljournalmatch <MATCH>
    removes <MATCH> from the journal filter of <JAIL>

set <JAIL> addfailregex <REGEX>
    adds the regular expression <REGEX> which must match failures for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> delfailregex <INDEX>
    removes the regular expression at <INDEX> for failregex

set <JAIL> addignoreregex <REGEX>
    adds the regular expression <REGEX> which should match pattern to exclude for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> delignoreregex <INDEX>
    removes the regular expression at <INDEX> for ignoreregex

set <JAIL> findtime <TIME>
    sets the number of seconds <TIME> for which the filter will look back for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> bantime <TIME>
    sets the number of seconds <TIME> a host will be banned for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> datepattern <PATTERN>
    sets the <PATTERN> used to match date/times for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> usedns <VALUE>
    sets the usedns mode for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> attempt <IP> [<failure1> ... <failureN>]
    manually notify about <IP> failure

set <JAIL> banip <IP> ... <IP>
    manually Ban <IP> for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> unbanip [--report-absent] <IP> ... <IP>
    manually Unban <IP> in <JAIL>

set <JAIL> maxretry <RETRY>
    sets the number of failures <RETRY> before banning the host for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> maxmatches <INT>
    sets the max number of matches stored in memory per ticket in <JAIL>

set <JAIL> maxlines <LINES>
    sets the number of <LINES> to buffer for regex search for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> addaction <ACT>[ <PYTHONFILE> <JSONKWARGS>]
    adds a new action named <ACT> for <JAIL>. Optionally for a Python based action, a <PYTHONFILE> and <JSONKWARGS> can be specified, else will be a Command Action

set <JAIL> delaction <ACT>
    removes the action <ACT> from <JAIL>

    COMMAND ACTION CONFIGURATION

set <JAIL> action <ACT> actionstart <CMD>
    sets the start command <CMD> of the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> action <ACT> actionstop <CMD> sets the stop command <CMD> of the
    action <ACT> for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> action <ACT> actioncheck <CMD>
    sets the check command <CMD> of the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> action <ACT> actionban <CMD>
    sets the ban command <CMD> of the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> action <ACT> actionunban <CMD>
    sets the unban command <CMD> of the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> action <ACT> timeout <TIMEOUT>
    sets <TIMEOUT> as the command timeout in seconds for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

    GENERAL ACTION CONFIGURATION

set <JAIL> action <ACT> <PROPERTY> <VALUE>
    sets the <VALUE> of <PROPERTY> for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

set <JAIL> action <ACT> <METHOD>[ <JSONKWARGS>]
    calls the <METHOD> with <JSONKWARGS> for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

    JAIL INFORMATION

get <JAIL> banned
    return banned IPs of <JAIL>

get <JAIL> banned <IP> ... <IP>]
    return 1 if IP is banned in <JAIL> otherwise 0, or a list of 1/0 for multiple IPs

get <JAIL> logpath
    gets the list of the monitored files for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> logencoding
    gets the encoding of the log files for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> journalmatch
    gets the journal filter match for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> ignoreself
    gets the current value of the ignoring the own IP addresses

get <JAIL> ignoreip
    gets the list of ignored IP addresses for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> ignorecommand
    gets ignorecommand of <JAIL>

get <JAIL> failregex
    gets the list of regular expressions which matches the failures for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> ignoreregex
    gets the list of regular expressions which matches patterns to ignore for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> findtime
    gets the time for which the filter will look back for failures for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> bantime
    gets the time a host is banned for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> datepattern
    gets the pattern used to match date/times for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> usedns
    gets the usedns setting for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> banip [<SEP>|--with-time]
    gets the list of of banned IP addresses for <JAIL>. Optionally the separator character ('<SEP>', default is space) or the option '--with-time' (printing the times of ban) may be specified. The IPs are ordered by end of ban.

get <JAIL> maxretry
    gets the number of failures allowed for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> maxmatches
    gets the max number of matches stored in memory per ticket in <JAIL>

get <JAIL> maxlines
    gets the number of lines to buffer for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> actions
    gets a list of actions for <JAIL>

    COMMAND ACTION INFORMATION

get <JAIL> action <ACT> actionstart
    gets the start command for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> action <ACT> actionstop
    gets the stop command for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> action <ACT> actioncheck
    gets the check command for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> action <ACT> actionban
    gets the ban command for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> action <ACT> actionunban
    gets the unban command for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> action <ACT> timeout
    gets the command timeout in seconds for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

    GENERAL ACTION INFORMATION

get <JAIL> actionproperties <ACT>
    gets a list of properties for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> actionmethods <ACT>
    gets a list of methods for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

get <JAIL> action <ACT> <PROPERTY>
    gets the value of <PROPERTY> for the action <ACT> for <JAIL>

FILES
/etc/fail2ban/*

REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban/issues

SEE ALSO
fail2ban-server(1) jail.conf(5)