Snort 3

advanced

Network intrusion detection and prevention system.

Overview

Snort 3 is the latest generation of the industry-leading open-source network intrusion detection and prevention system originally developed by Martin Roesch in 1998. This next-generation NIDS/NIPS engine provides real-time network traffic analysis, protocol detection, content searching, and pattern matching to identify malicious network activity. Unlike its predecessor Snort 2, Snort 3 features a completely rewritten codebase with multi-threading support, improved performance, and a modernized Lua-based configuration system that can process gigabit network speeds with significantly lower resource consumption. This Docker deployment leverages the official Cisco Talos Snort 3 container to monitor network traffic in real-time, detecting everything from port scans and buffer overflows to stealth attacks and CGI attacks through its comprehensive rule-based detection engine. The configuration runs Snort in host networking mode with elevated privileges to capture raw network packets, making it ideal for security operations centers, penetration testing labs, and network security monitoring deployments where immediate threat detection and alerting are critical for maintaining network integrity.

Key Features

Multi-threaded packet processing engine with significantly improved performance over Snort 2
Lua-based configuration system replacing the legacy snort.conf format for more flexible rule management
Built-in support for modern protocols including IPv6, GTP, and various tunneling protocols
Real-time packet capture and analysis with microsecond-level timestamp precision
Integrated reputation-based IP filtering using Cisco Talos threat intelligence feeds
Dynamic rule loading and reloading without service interruption
Advanced stream reassembly for TCP, UDP, and ICMP traffic analysis
Plugin-based architecture supporting custom preprocessors and detection modules

Common Use Cases

1Enterprise perimeter security monitoring to detect network-based attacks and intrusions
2Security operations center (SOC) deployment for 24/7 network threat detection and alerting
3Compliance monitoring for PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and other regulatory frameworks requiring NIDS
4Penetration testing lab environments for testing attack vectors and evasion techniques
5Industrial control system (ICS/SCADA) network monitoring for operational technology security
6Incident response investigations requiring detailed network traffic analysis and forensics
7Honeypot and deception technology integration for advanced threat research

Prerequisites

Minimum 4GB RAM and 2 CPU cores for processing moderate network traffic loads
Root privileges or CAP_NET_ADMIN/CAP_NET_RAW capabilities for raw packet capture
Network interface operating in promiscuous mode or mirrored/span port access
Snort.org community account and oinkcode for downloading current rule packages
Understanding of network protocols, TCP/IP stack, and intrusion detection concepts
Sufficient disk space for log storage (estimated 1-10GB per day depending on traffic volume)

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  snort: 
3    image: ciscotalos/snort3:latest
4    container_name: snort
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    network_mode: host
7    cap_add: 
8      - NET_ADMIN
9      - NET_RAW
10    volumes: 
11      - snort_rules:/usr/local/etc/rules
12      - snort_logs:/var/log/snort
13    command: -i eth0 -c /usr/local/etc/snort/snort.lua
14
15volumes: 
16  snort_rules: 
17  snort_logs:

.env Template

.env

1# Configure interface in command
2# Download rules from snort.org

Usage Notes

1Docs: https://www.snort.org/documents
2Runs in host network mode - change -i eth0 to your interface
3Register at snort.org for free community rules (oinkcode)
4Download rules to /usr/local/etc/rules volume
5Logs output to /var/log/snort - integrate with SIEM
6IPS mode requires inline network setup (bridge mode)

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  snort:
5    image: ciscotalos/snort3:latest
6    container_name: snort
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    network_mode: host
9    cap_add:
10      - NET_ADMIN
11      - NET_RAW
12    volumes:
13      - snort_rules:/usr/local/etc/rules
14      - snort_logs:/var/log/snort
15    command: -i eth0 -c /usr/local/etc/snort/snort.lua
16
17volumes:
18  snort_rules:
19  snort_logs:
20EOF
21
22# 2. Create the .env file
23cat > .env << 'EOF'
24# Configure interface in command
25# Download rules from snort.org
26EOF
27
28# 3. Start the services
29docker compose up -d
30
31# 4. View logs
32docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/snort3/run | bash

Troubleshooting

DAQ module initialization failed: Verify network interface name matches your system (replace eth0 with correct interface)
Permission denied accessing network interface: Ensure container has CAP_NET_ADMIN and CAP_NET_RAW capabilities
No packets being processed: Check if network interface is in promiscuous mode and receiving mirrored traffic
Lua configuration errors on startup: Validate snort.lua syntax and verify all referenced rule files exist in mounted volume
High memory consumption and dropped packets: Increase container memory limits and tune packet processing threads in configuration
Rules not loading or outdated signatures: Download latest community rules from Snort.org using valid oinkcode and update mounted rules volume

Community Notes

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Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

snort

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