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Configure Fail2ban without editing its packaged configuration: create /etc/fail2ban/jail.local, set safe defaults in [DEFAULT], add your trusted administration addresses to ignoreip, enable the [sshd] jail, then reload and verify it. The example below uses a one-hour default ban, a ten-minute observation window and five failures as illustrative values; adjust them to your access pattern and risk tolerance.
What Fail2ban does on a VPS
Fail2ban watches authentication logs for patterns that match a jail filter. When an address exceeds that jail’s failure threshold during its time window, Fail2ban invokes the jail’s configured action to block the address. For an internet-facing VPS, the SSH jail is the usual starting point because repeated password guesses are visible in the SSH authentication log.
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Why jail.local is the right file
Leave the distributed .conf files unchanged. Package upgrades can replace those files, while your site-specific settings in .local files are intended to persist. The effective configuration is read in this order:
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jail.confjail.d/*.confjail.localjail.d/*.local
Later files override values loaded earlier. This ordering lets a small local override change a default without copying the entire vendor file. Every jail is disabled by default, so merely having an [sshd] section does not activate protection; it must contain enabled = true.
Prerequisites and lockout precautions
- Confirm that Fail2ban is installed and that the service starts on your distribution.
- Keep an existing SSH session open while changing the configuration. Test a second session before closing the first.
- Collect every address or subnet from which you administer the VPS, including a VPN egress address if you use one.
- Put those trusted addresses in
ignoreipbefore enabling a strict SSH jail. Otherwise your own failed login tests can trigger a ban. - Check the installed version and read its local
jail.conf(5)manual. Defaults and optional features differ between Fail2ban releases and distributions.
How to configure Fail2ban: create the override
-
Create or open the local override as root:
sudo editor /etc/fail2ban/jail.localIf the file does not exist, your editor will create it. Do not modify
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Add shared defaults. This example uses the loopback addresses and the documentation-only IPv4 address
203.0.113.10; replace that example with your real management address or subnet before saving:[DEFAULT] ignoreip = 127.0.0.1/8 ::1 203.0.113.10 bantime = 3600 findtime = 600 maxretry = 5These numbers are examples drawn from a published setup guide, not universal recommendations.
bantime = 3600is one hour,findtime = 600is ten minutes andmaxretry = 5permits five matching failures in that window before the jail bans the address. -
Enable SSH protection with an explicit jail section:
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[sshd] enabled = true port = ssh filter = sshd maxretry = 3 bantime = 86400Here the SSH jail overrides the shared retry and ban values: three failures trigger a 24-hour ban. Another documented example uses a five-minute (
findtime = 300) failure window in the SSH section. The tutorials disagree on exact numbers, so select values that match your normal login behavior and recovery capabilities.Quick wins for a faster PC:
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Save the file and check its permissions. It should be readable by the Fail2ban service and writable only by administrators; the exact owner and mode can vary by distribution.
fail2ban jail.local example
The following complete example combines the shared defaults and SSH jail in one file. The address shown is reserved for documentation; use your actual fixed address, VPN subnet or other trusted source in production.
[DEFAULT]
ignoreip = 127.0.0.1/8 ::1 203.0.113.10
bantime = 3600
findtime = 600
maxretry = 5
[sshd]
enabled = true
port = ssh
filter = sshd
maxretry = 3
bantime = 86400Values in [sshd] take precedence over the same option in [DEFAULT]. If you want the SSH jail to use the shared one-hour ban and five-failure threshold instead, omit the four jail-specific overrides and leave only enabled, port and filter.
Understanding the settings before you tune them
| Setting | What it controls | Example in this guide | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
ignoreip |
Addresses that are never banned by the jail | 127.0.0.1/8 ::1 203.0.113.10 |
Protects administrators, but an incorrect or stale address can leave an account exposed to repeated attempts from that source. |
bantime |
How long a matching address remains banned | 3,600 seconds globally; 86,400 seconds for SSH | Longer bans reduce repeat attempts but increase the cost of an accidental ban. |
findtime |
The period in which failures are counted | 600 seconds globally | A burst of failures must occur inside this window to reach the threshold. |
maxretry |
Failures allowed before a ban | Five globally; three for SSH | Lower values react sooner but are less forgiving of mistyped passwords or unstable keys. |
backend |
How a jail reads events | Not set in the basic example | On a systemd-only host, setting backend = systemd can avoid dependence on a traditional log file. |
action |
The firewall mechanism used to enforce a ban | Distribution default | Keep the packaged action unless you have confirmed that your firewall framework and Fail2ban version support a different one. |
For example, with the SSH overrides above, an address that produces three filter-matching failures within the jail’s configured window receives a 24-hour ban. A fourth attempt after the window has expired starts a new count instead of being combined with the old events.
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When an SSH jail needs the systemd backend
Some current Linux installations keep SSH events in the systemd journal and do not create /var/log/auth.log. If Fail2ban reports that it cannot find a log file for the SSH jail, add the backend inside [sshd]:
[sshd]
enabled = true
port = ssh
filter = sshd
backend = systemd
maxretry = 3
bantime = 86400The alternative is to install and configure rsyslog so that the traditional authentication log exists, then point the jail at that log according to your distribution’s layout. Do not assume that a path from one distribution applies to another. The important diagnostic is whether the selected backend can read the events that the sshd filter expects.
Reload Fail2ban and verify the merged configuration
-
Reload the service after saving the file:
sudo systemctl reload fail2banIf your service manager or package does not support that operation, use:
sudo fail2ban-client reload -
List the active jails:
sudo fail2ban-client statusThe output should include
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Inspect the SSH jail:
sudo fail2ban-client status sshdThis reports the jail’s current counters and banned addresses. It confirms that Fail2ban created the jail and can expose whether bans are accumulating.
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Dump the merged configuration when you need to see what Fail2ban actually loaded:
sudo fail2ban-client -dSearch the dump for
sshd,enabled,ignoreip, the backend and the action. This is more reliable than inspecting one file in isolation because later overrides may have changed its values.
Protect VPS from SSH brute force: an operating checklist
- Use a fixed administrative address or a tightly controlled VPN subnet in
ignoreip; remove addresses that are no longer under your control. - Choose
findtimeandmaxretrytogether. A low retry limit over a long window is strict; a higher limit over a short window tolerates slower, human login mistakes. - Set a longer SSH-specific
bantimeonly after confirming that you have an out-of-band recovery path or a trusted address that cannot be banned. - Watch the status output after deployment rather than assuming that an enabled jail is seeing events.
- Record any local changes in
jail.localor a dedicated file under/etc/fail2ban/jail.d/so an administrator can understand which later override wins. - Review the installed manual before copying options from a tutorial. The available actions, defaults and backends are version-dependent.
fail2ban sshd jail not working or not found
The jail does not appear in status
Check the three common causes first:
enabled = trueis missing or misspelled.- The section name is not exactly
[sshd], or another file defines a different name than the one you queried. - A syntax error earlier in
jail.localprevented the later section from being parsed as intended.
Run sudo fail2ban-client -d and inspect the service’s journal for parsing errors. Correct the file, reload Fail2ban and run sudo fail2ban-client status again.
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The jail exists but never bans
First run sudo fail2ban-client status sshd. If the failure count remains at zero while you know failed logins occurred, verify the log source. A systemd host may need backend = systemd; a file-based setup may need rsyslog to create the expected authentication log. Also confirm that the SSH service is producing events that the installed sshd filter recognizes.
If counters increase but no address is banned, inspect the merged action and the host firewall. The jail can detect failures while an incompatible or unavailable action fails to enforce the block. Keep the action aligned with the firewall framework installed on the VPS.
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fail2ban Ubuntu no log file for sshd
This message means the jail is configured to read a file that is not present, not necessarily that SSH has no authentication events. On a systemd-based Ubuntu installation, add backend = systemd under [sshd] and reload. If you prefer file-based processing, install and configure rsyslog so /var/log/auth.log is generated, then ensure the jail’s log path matches the actual file. Verify the result with sudo fail2ban-client status sshd and the merged dump.
Do not create an empty log file merely to silence the error: an empty file gives the filter nothing to match. The backend must point to the source where the SSH daemon is really writing events.
Recovering from an accidental ban
If you can still connect from an address listed in ignoreip, use that session to inspect the jail. If the address is currently banned, remove it with the client command supported by your installed Fail2ban version, then correct ignoreip before testing again. Keep a second administrative path open while making the change. The exact unban command and action syntax can vary by release, so consult the local fail2ban-client help rather than copying a command intended for another version.
Optional escalating bans and nftables actions
Some Fail2ban versions support escalating bans with options such as bantime.increment = true, a multiplication factor and a maximum ban time. The Kernelhost example also uses an nftables action. These are optional, version-dependent features: confirm that your installed release documents them and that nftables is the firewall framework actually active on the VPS before adding them. Introduce one change at a time, reload, and verify the resulting action with fail2ban-client -d.
Keeping the configuration maintainable
Keep local policy in jail.local or narrowly scoped files in /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/, rather than copying the entire packaged jail.conf. When a package upgrade changes a filter, backend or default, compare the new manual with your local overrides. The local file should state the values you intentionally changed, while inherited defaults remain visible in the merged dump. This approach makes precedence predictable and avoids losing protection when a distribution replaces its packaged configuration.
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