macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install fail2banlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install fail2banMacPorts ports tree · security/fail2ban/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install fail2ban with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Scan log files and ban IPs showing malicious signs. Version 1.1.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add fail2banAlpine Linux edge package indexes · fail2ban · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install fail2banDebian stable package indexes · fail2ban · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install fail2banFedora Rawhide package metadata · fail2ban · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#fail2bannixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/fa/fail2ban/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S fail2banArch Linux sync databases · fail2ban · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install fail2banopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · fail2ban · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Scan log files and ban IPs showing malicious signs
Project links
Commands and aliases
- fail2ban-client
- fail2ban-python
- fail2ban-regex
- fail2ban-server
- fail2ban-testcases
history
Project history and usage
Fail2Ban is a long-running Python daemon and command-line toolkit for reacting to hostile log patterns by banning hosts through firewall actions. Its core appeal has stayed stable since the early releases: watch authentication and service logs, count repeated failures, and temporarily block the offending address.
Project history
The official changelog records Fail2Ban releases back to 0.1.0 in October 2004. Early 0.x releases moved quickly through alpha, beta, and stable lines, with 0.6.0 stable in 2005, the 0.7 branch in 2006, and 0.8.0 stable in 2007. The README still credits Cyril Jaquier as original author and describes the project as community-driven for years.
The 0.9 series, beginning in 2014, marked the modern service-management era by adding a systemd journal backend. The 0.10 line followed with IPv6 work, including an alpha labeled for IPv6 support in 2016 and a 0.10.0 release in 2017. Later releases continued to refine journald, iptables, nftables, firewalld, pf, and service-specific filters.
The 1.x line arrived with 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 releases in 2022 and 1.1.0 in 2024. These releases focused less on changing the basic model and more on compatibility, security, and operational maintenance: Python version support, CVE fixes, systemd backend stability, IPv6 auto-detection, newer service log formats, and additional filters and actions.
Adoption history
Fail2Ban became part of the standard Linux server-security toolbox because it matched the common shape of internet-facing Unix services: SSH, mail, web, and database daemons emitting failed-authentication logs. The project README says it is likely already packaged for a user's Linux distribution, and the supplied package-manager facts show broad availability across Alpine, Debian, Fedora/DNF, Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, and openSUSE.
Its adoption has been helped by configuration conventions that distributions can ship and administrators can override. Stock jails, filters, actions, and path files let package maintainers encode distribution-specific log locations while users keep local policy in `/etc/fail2ban`, especially `jail.local` and `jail.d` snippets.
How it is used
A typical Fail2Ban deployment installs the daemon, enables selected jails such as `sshd`, and lets `fail2ban-server` monitor logs while administrators use `fail2ban-client` for status, reloads, and manual control. The README explicitly warns users to interact through `fail2ban-client` rather than calling the server directly.
The package also matters to operators because `fail2ban-regex` gives a local way to test filters against log samples before enabling bans. That workflow, plus filter and action directories, made Fail2Ban not just a daemon but a small domain-specific toolkit for converting service logs into firewall state.
Why package nerds care
Fail2Ban is significant in package-manager culture because it is both ordinary and sharp-edged: a tiny install command can place a privileged daemon, distro-specific defaults, init/systemd integration, and firewall actions on a host. Packagers must get paths, service units, Python dependencies, and default actions right or administrators either get no protection or accidental lockouts.
It is also a classic example of a package whose value comes from accumulated operational knowledge. The code is important, but the long tail of maintained filters for OpenSSH, Apache, nginx, Postfix, Dovecot, Exim, and many other services is why administrators keep installing it.
Timeline
- 2004: Fail2Ban 0.1.0 alpha released.
- 2005: 0.6.0 stable release published.
- 2007: 0.8.0 stable release published.
- 2014: 0.9.0 beta added systemd journal backend.
- 2016: 0.10.0 alpha introduced IPv6-support work.
- 2017: 0.10.0 released.
- 2020: 0.11.2 released.
- 2022: 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 released with compatibility and security fixes.
- 2024: 1.1.0 released with newer Python support and further backend/filter updates.
Related projects
- OpenSSH, iptables, nftables, firewalld, pf, systemd-journald, DenyHosts, sshguard
Sources
security posture
Risk level: orange
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. formula declares a Homebrew service.
Risk classifier
orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
- formula declares a Homebrew service
Signals
- metadata:service
- text:client,server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Formula metadata declares a service or daemon block.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
/etc/fail2ban/jail.conf/etc/fail2ban/jail.local/etc/fail2ban/jail.d/*.conf/etc/fail2ban/filter.d/*.conf/etc/fail2ban/action.d/*.conf
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
fail2ban-client | cli | global executable | |
fail2ban-python | cli | global executable | |
fail2ban-regex | cli | global executable | |
fail2ban-server | cli | global executable | |
fail2ban-testcases | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.1.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected1.1.0
https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:fail2ban |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.1.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/fail2ban |
| Homepage | https://www.fail2ban.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban |
| Upstream docs | https://fail2ban.readthedocs.io/ |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban/archive/refs/tags/1.1.0.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | python@3.14 |
| Build dependencies | sphinx-doc |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | declared |
| Caveats | You must enable any jails by editing: $HOMEBREW_PREFIX/etc/fail2ban/jail.conf Other configuration files are in $HOMEBREW_PREFIX/etc/fail2ban. See more instructions at https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban/wiki/Proper-fail2ban-configuration. |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | fail2ban |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 2 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
fail2ban 1.1.0-8
ban hosts that cause multiple authentication errors
sudo apt install fail2ban- Section: net
- Architecture: all
- 2 dependencies
- 9 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
Nix95%
fail2ban
nix profile install nixpkgs#fail2ban- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
Ubuntu apt95%
fail2ban 1.0.2-3
ban hosts that cause multiple authentication errors
sudo apt install fail2ban- Section: universe/net
- Architecture: all
- 2 dependencies
- 8 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
apk95%
fail2ban 1.1.0-r3
Scans log files for login failures then updates iptables to reject originating ip address
sudo apk add fail2ban- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
apk95%
fail2ban-doc 1.1.0-r3
Scans log files for login failures then updates iptables to reject originating ip address (documentation)
sudo apk add fail2ban-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fail2ban
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
apk95%
fail2ban-openrc 1.1.0-r3
Scans log files for login failures then updates iptables to reject originating ip address (OpenRC init scripts)
sudo apk add fail2ban-openrc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fail2ban
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
apk95%
fail2ban-pyc 1.1.0-r3
Precompiled Python bytecode for fail2ban
sudo apk add fail2ban-pyc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
apk95%
fail2ban-tests 1.1.0-r3
Fail2ban test cases
sudo apk add fail2ban-tests- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban 1.1.0-17.fc45
Daemon to ban hosts that cause multiple authentication errors
sudo dnf install fail2ban- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban-all 1.1.0-17.fc45
Install all Fail2Ban packages and dependencies
sudo dnf install fail2ban-all- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 9 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban-firewalld 1.1.0-17.fc45
Firewalld support for Fail2Ban
sudo dnf install fail2ban-firewalld- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban-hostsdeny 1.1.0-17.fc45
Hostsdeny (tcp_wrappers) support for Fail2Ban
sudo dnf install fail2ban-hostsdeny- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban-mail 1.1.0-17.fc45
Mail actions for Fail2Ban
sudo dnf install fail2ban-mail- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban-selinux 1.1.0-17.fc45
SELinux policies for Fail2Ban
sudo dnf install fail2ban-selinux- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 6 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban-sendmail 1.1.0-17.fc45
Sendmail actions for Fail2Ban
sudo dnf install fail2ban-sendmail- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 2 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
dnf95%
fail2ban-server 1.1.0-17.fc45
Core server component for Fail2Ban
sudo dnf install fail2ban-server- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: fail2ban
- 8 dependencies
- 4 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Fail2ban
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment