How to Block Empty Header Agents with Cloudflare Firewall
Empty header agents, also known as “blank user agents,” are a type of web traffic that lacks a proper user-agent string in the HTTP header.
These types of requests are often associated with malicious activities, such as automated scripts, bots, and DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks.
They pose a security risk because they can be used to bypass certain security measures and gain unauthorized access to a website or server.
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Devices or scripts that generate empty header agents are typically designed to avoid detection and bypass security measures.
Malicious actors may use these types of requests to launch various types of attacks, such as DDoS attacks, web scraping, or even attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the target system.
Threats of Empty Header Agents
Empty header agents can be a significant source of DDoS attacks, as they can be used to overwhelm a server with a large number of requests that do not contain any meaningful information.
This can lead to a denial of service, where legitimate users are unable to access the website or application.
Block Empty Header Agents with Cloudflare Firewall Rule
Cloudflare is a popular web infrastructure and cybersecurity company that offers a range of services, including a powerful firewall that can be used to block empty header agents.
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Here’s how to set up a Cloudflare Firewall Rule to block empty header agents:
- Log into your Cloudflare account and navigate to the dashboard for the website you want to protect.
- Under the “Security” section, select “WAF” (Web Application Firewall).
- In the “Custom Rules” section, click on “Create Custom Rule.”
- Set the rule name to something like “Block Empty Header Agents.”
- In the “Field” dropdown, select “User Agent.”
- For the “Operator,” select “Equals.“
- Leave the “Value” field blank, as you want to block any requests that do not have a valid user-agent string.
- For the “Action,” select “Block.”
- Click “Save” to create the custom rule.
Additionally, clear the cache under the “Caching” section, select “Configuration,” and then click “Purge everything” to ensure that the new rule is applied to all incoming requests.
After creating the custom rule, it’s important to monitor your web traffic to ensure that empty header agents are being blocked effectively.
You can do this by navigating to the “WAF” section of the Cloudflare dashboard and clicking on the “Block Empty Header Agents” rule. This will show you the number of requests that have been blocked by the rule, as well as other relevant information.
By implementing this Cloudflare Firewall Rule, you can effectively protect your website or server from the threats posed by empty header agents, such as DDoS attacks and other malicious activities.
