ufw-reset: Reset UFW Firewall Configuration

Overview

ufw-reset is a powerful command that reverts the UFW firewall to its state upon initial installation. All user-defined rules are removed, and the firewall is disabled. This is useful when firewall configurations become complex or when unexpected issues arise, requiring a fresh start.

Key Features

Deletes all UFW firewall rules
Disables the UFW firewall
Resets to default policies (deny incoming, allow outgoing)

Installation

UFW is included by default on most Debian/Ubuntu-based systems or can be easily installed. On other distributions or minimal installations, manual installation might be necessary.

Debian/Ubuntu

Install UFW using the APT package manager.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ufw

CentOS/RHEL (Using UFW instead of Firewalld)

CentOS/RHEL typically uses firewalld by default. To install UFW, you might need to enable the EPEL repository. (Note: Using firewalld is recommended on CentOS/RHEL.)

sudo dnf install epel-release
sudo dnf install ufw

Usage Examples

The ufw-reset command is straightforward to execute. After running it, you should re-enable the firewall and configure the necessary rules.

Reset UFW Firewall Configuration

sudo ufw reset

Deletes all UFW rules and disables the firewall. This command will prompt for confirmation.

Re-enable Firewall and Check Status After Reset

sudo ufw reset
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status verbose

After executing ufw-reset, this shows the process of re-enabling the firewall and checking its current status.

Tips & Precautions

ufw-reset is a powerful command that directly impacts system security. When using it, be sure to consider the following points:

Precautions

**Risk of Data Loss**: All previously configured firewall rules will be permanently deleted. Access to critical services may be blocked.
**Security Vulnerability**: Since the firewall will be disabled, your system may be exposed to external attacks if you do not immediately re-enable the firewall and reconfigure necessary rules after the reset.
**Confirmation Prompt**: When executing the command, you will see a confirmation message like 'This will remove all rules and disable the firewall. Are you sure? (y/n)'. You must carefully type 'y' to proceed.

Tips

**Backup Rules**: Before resetting, it's advisable to check your current rules using commands like `sudo ufw show added` or `sudo ufw status`. If necessary, back them up to a file, e.g., `sudo ufw status > ufw_rules_backup.txt`.
**Remote Access Caution**: If you are connected remotely via SSH, you might lose your connection after `ufw-reset` if you don't re-enable the firewall and add a rule to allow the SSH port (default 22). It's safer to perform this operation from a physically accessible console.
**Reconfigure After Reset**: After resetting, re-enable the firewall with `sudo ufw enable` and then re-open necessary service ports using commands like `sudo ufw allow <port_number>`.