Docker DDoS testbed

Docker testbed describes how to use Docker Desktop to build a test network to experiment with real-time sFlow streaming telemetry and analytics. This article extends the testbed to experiment with distributed denial of service (DDoS) detection and mitigation techniques described in Real-time DDoS mitigation using BGP RTBH and FlowSpec.

Start a Host sFlow agent using the pre-built sflow/host-sflow image:

docker run --rm -d -e "COLLECTOR=host.docker.internal" -e "SAMPLING=10" \
--net=host -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro \
--name=host-sflow sflow/host-sflow

Start ExaBGP using the pre-built sflow/exabgp image. ExaBGP connects to the sFlow-RT analytics software and displays BGP RTBH / Flowspec controls sent by sFlow-RT:

docker run --rm sflow/exabgp

In a second terminal window, start an instance of the sFlow-RT analytics software using the pre-built sflow/ddos-protect image:

GW=`docker network inspect bridge -f '{{range .IPAM.Config}}{{.Gateway}}{{end}}'`

SUBNET=`docker network inspect bridge -f '{{range .IPAM.Config}}{{.Subnet}}{{end}}'`

docker run --rm -p 6343:6343/udp -p 8008:8008 -p 1179:1179 --name=sflow-rt \
sflow/ddos-protect -Dddos_protect.router=$GW -Dddos_protect.as=65001 \
-Dddos_protect.enable.flowspec=yes -Dddos_protect.group.local=$SUBNET \
-Dddos_protect.mode=automatic \
-Dddos_protect.udp_amplification.action=filter \
-Dddos_protect.udp_amplification.threshold=5000

Open the sFlow-RT dashboard at http://localhost:8008/

The sFlow Agents gauge confirms that sFlow is being received from the Host sFlow agent. Now access the DDoS Protect application at http://localhost:8008/app/ddos-protect/html/index.html

The BGP chart at the bottom right verifies that BGP connection has been established so that controls can be sent to ExaBGP, which will display them in the terminal window.

Finally, hping3 can be used to generate simulated DDoS attacks. Start a simulated DNS amplification attack using the pre-built sflow/hping3 image:

GW=`docker network inspect bridge -f '{{range .IPAM.Config}}{{.Gateway}}{{end}}'`

docker run --rm sflow/hping3 --flood --udp -k -a 198.51.100.1 -s 53 $GW

The attack shows up immediately in the DDoS protect dashboard, http://localhost:8008/app/ddos-protect/html/index.html

The udp_amplification chart shows the traffic rising to cross the threshold and trigger the control shown in the Controls chart.

The exabgp log shows the Flowspec rule that was sent to block the attack, filtering traffic to 172.17.0.1/32 with UDP source port 53. Type CNTRL+C in the hping3 window to end the attack.

This testbed provides a convenient way to become familiar with the tools to automatically mitigate DDoS attacks. The following articles provide additional information on moving the solution into production: Real-time DDoS mitigation using BGP RTBH and FlowSpec, Pushing BGP Flowspec rules to multiple routers, and Monitoring DDoS mitigation. Real-time network and system metrics as a service provides background on the sFlow-RT analytics platform running the DDoS Protect application.