---
title: "Wazuh - Patryk Chrostowski"
author: Petar Cubela
date: May 12, 2025
geometry: margin=1.5cm
output: pdf_document
---

## Gemma

### USER
I am a project supporter for a trainee which is working on his final project.  
The project studies the implementation and evaluation of the open source security solution, [Wazuh](https://documentation.wazuh.com/).  
**Study the documentation via a Web Search before answering.**  
  
The project has to be completed in a time span of two weeks (10 work days).  
  
For our hardware base we have a computer with 32 GB of RAM and a strong enough CPU.  
Outline the project planning; this is a template for the project goals:  
1. Implement Wazuh in a test environment. The base infrastructure has to be build and prepared. (Which OS?, Infrastructure scheme for the Wazuh agent, manager and alerting systems)  
2. Implementation of penetration tests and potential attack scenarios (brute-force-attacks, port-scanning and exploits and weaknesses)  
3. Analysis of Wazuh’s reaction. (Real time monitoring and alerting, automatic defense mechanisms, Logging and Reporting)  
4. Optimization of Wazuh and Security policies.  
5. Piratical importance and use in the industry  
  
Think about the time scheduling and difficulties in the project.

### ASSISTANT
Okay, let's map out a project plan for your trainee's Wazuh final project. Considering the two-week (10 workdays) timeframe, a Proxmox base, and the scope you're outlining, we need to be realistic and prioritize. This outline balances project goals with achievable milestones within the time constraint.  I’ll provide a detailed schedule with estimated time commitments and potential pitfalls.

**Overall Strategy:**  We're going to aim for a *functional* implementation with a strong foundation for further exploration. We won't necessarily cover *every* feature of Wazuh in detail, but we will demonstrate core functionality and build a platform for the trainee to learn more.  Documenting each step thoroughly is crucial, not just for the project itself, but also for the trainee's learning.

**1. Infrastructure & Base Build (Days 1-2 – High Priority)**

*   **Operating System Choice:**  Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS is a solid choice. It's widely supported, has excellent Wazuh compatibility, and is familiar to many Linux users. Debian is also excellent, but Ubuntu’s larger community and readily available resources often make troubleshooting easier.
*   **Proxmox VM Configuration:**
    *   **Manager VM:** Minimum 4GB RAM (6-8GB is better for future expansion), 2 vCPUs.  Allocate enough disk space (50GB+) for logs and Wazuh data.
    *   **Agent VM (at least 2-3 for testing):** 2GB RAM is typically sufficient.  Allocate 20-30GB of disk space.
*   **Infrastructure Scheme:**
    *   **Manager (Centralized):** This VM hosts the Wazuh manager components: `wazuh-manager`, `wazuh-logtest`, `wazuh-api`, and database (Elasticsearch is standard).
    *   **Agents (Distributed):** These VMs are the targets of Wazuh monitoring. They run the `wazuh-agent` process.  Ideally, these should represent different "typical" workloads: a web server, a database server (if possible), and maybe a desktop environment.
    *   **Alerting:**  We'll leverage Wazuh’s built-in alerting mechanism (email, Syslog). We're not setting up a dedicated external SIEM in this timeframe.
*   **Task Breakdown (Days 1-2):**
    *   **Day 1:** Proxmox setup, Manager VM creation & basic configuration (network, hostname, time).
    *   **Day 1.5:** Agent VM creation (at least 2, more if time allows).
    *   **Day 2:**  Install and configure Wazuh Manager components on the Manager VM. Initial agent deployment. *Key: Get at least one agent reporting successfully to the manager.*

**2. Penetration Tests & Attack Scenarios (Days 3-5 – Medium Priority)**

*   **Focus on Fundamentals:** Don't try to do everything.  Pick 2-3 realistic scenarios that demonstrate Wazuh's capabilities.
    *   **Scenario 1: Brute-Force SSH:** Simple to execute, demonstrates authentication monitoring.
    *   **Scenario 2: Port Scanning (Nmap):** Demonstrates detection of reconnaissance activity.  Make sure the firewall rules don’t block the manager, so Wazuh can detect the scan.
    *   **Scenario 3: Exploiting a Vulnerable Service (e.g., vulnerable web server):**  Requires more setup but showcases vulnerability detection (if Wazuh's rules are configured to cover it, otherwise the goal is to show Wazuh detection and alerting of unexpected service activity).
*   **Tools:**  Nmap, Hydra (for brute-force), Metasploit (optional for more complex exploits).
*   **Task Breakdown (Days 3-5):**
    *   **Day 3:** Set up basic penetration testing environment (tools installation, initial configuration).  Execute SSH brute-force attack against an agent.
    *   **Day 4:** Execute port scanning against agents. Begin initial configuration of Wazuh rules (if time allows, focus on SSH brute-force and port scanning detection).
    *   **Day 5:** Execute the vulnerable service exploit (if chosen).  Focus on observing Wazuh's reactions.

**3. Analysis of Wazuh Reaction (Days 5-7 – High Priority)**

*   **Focus:** Real-time monitoring, alerting effectiveness, log analysis, and reporting.
*   **Metrics:** Time to detection, accuracy of alerts, frequency of false positives.
*   **Tools:** Wazuh dashboard, log files, command-line tools (grep, less).
*   **Task Breakdown (Days 5-7):**
    *   **Days 5-6:** Review Wazuh dashboards and logs in real-time during and after the penetration tests.  Analyze the alerts generated.
    *   **Day 7:** Generate a basic Wazuh report (daily/weekly summary of detected events).

**4. Optimization of Wazuh and Security Policies (Days 8-9 – Medium Priority)**

*   **Goal:** Reduce false positives, improve detection accuracy, and tailor Wazuh to the specific environment.
*   **Tasks:** Fine-tune Wazuh rules, adjust thresholds, exclude specific events from monitoring (carefully).
*   **Considerations:** This is iterative. Expect to make adjustments based on observations from the analysis phase.
*   **Task Breakdown (Days 8-9):** Review Wazuh’s documentation on rule customization and exclusion. Adjust rules as needed.

**5. Practical Importance & Use in the Industry (Day 10 – Low Priority/Presentation Prep)**

*   **Research:** Briefly research how Wazuh is used in different industries (security vendors, cloud providers, etc.).
*   **Presentation:** Prepare a short presentation summarizing the project's findings, demonstrating Wazuh's capabilities, and discussing its potential benefits.



**Potential Difficulties & Mitigation:**

*   **Time Constraints:** Prioritize core functionality. Don’t try to cover everything.
*   **Wazuh Complexity:** The initial setup can be challenging. Start with the basics and gradually add complexity.
*   **False Positives:** Expected.  Requires time and effort to mitigate.  Emphasize the iterative nature of rule tuning.
*   **Proxmox Knowledge:** Ensure the trainee has basic familiarity with Proxmox.
*   **Dependency Conflicts:**  Occasionally, packages can conflict.  Be prepared to troubleshoot.



**Important Notes for the Trainee:**

*   **Documentation:**  Document every step, including successes and failures. This is critical for learning.
*   **Ask Questions:**  Don't hesitate to ask for help.
*   **Focus on Understanding:** The goal is to understand how Wazuh works, not just to get it working.
*   **Have Fun!**




To help me refine this plan further, could you tell me:

*   What's the trainee's current level of Linux experience?
*   Has the trainee worked with Proxmox before?
*   Are there any specific security concepts or vulnerabilities the project should focus on?

### USER
Write a summary - potentially visual/graphical - which shows the structure of the chosen setup: proxmox host with several VMs for the different purposes with taking into account network settings, user settings and other necessary information.    
  
Too answer your questions:  
- The trainee’s Linux experience is medium. But he has beginner knowledge in using the command line as he’s doing a course by <https://tryhackme.com/login>  
- The trainee has not worked with promxox before, but I would help him to setup it up.  
- The project should focus on security concept important in industry environments which are usually internal networks.

### ASSISTANT
Okay, let's create a visual summary of the proposed setup, tailored to the trainee's experience and the focus on internal network security. I'll present this as a layered description that you can translate into a diagram (using tools like draw.io, Lucidchart, or even just hand-drawn).  I'll then follow this with considerations for user accounts and networking.

**1. Visual Summary - Layered Diagram Description**

*(Imagine this as a diagram with layers. We’ll describe each layer. I'm using text to represent visual elements; you or the trainee would translate this into an actual visual representation).*

**Layer 3: Physical Hardware (Base)**

*   **Element:** A box labeled "Proxmox Host Server"
    *   **Attributes:**  "32GB RAM", "Strong CPU", "Sufficient Storage"
    *   **Connection:** This is the base of the diagram.

**Layer 2: Virtual Machines (VMs)**

*   **Elements:** Three distinct boxes positioned above the Proxmox Host:
    *   **VM1: "Wazuh Manager"**
        *   **Attributes:** "4GB RAM (6-8GB Recommended)", "2 vCPUs", "50GB+ Disk"
        *   **Operating System:** Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
        *   **Services:** `wazuh-manager`, `wazuh-logtest`, `wazuh-api`, Elasticsearch (for Wazuh data)
    *   **VM2: "Agent 1 – Web Server"**
        *   **Attributes:** "2GB RAM", "1 vCPU", "30GB Disk"
        *   **Operating System:** Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS (or a simplified web server OS like Alpine Linux for minimal attack surface – if appropriate for the trainee’s skill level)
        *   **Services:**  Apache/Nginx (minimal web server setup), `wazuh-agent`
    *   **VM3: "Agent 2 – Database Server"** (Optional – if time allows and the trainee is comfortable)
        *   **Attributes:** "2GB RAM", "1 vCPU", "30GB Disk"
        *   **Operating System:** Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
        *   **Services:**  MySQL/PostgreSQL (minimal database setup), `wazuh-agent`
*   **Connections:** Arrows pointing *upward* from the Proxmox Host to each VM, indicating virtualization.

**Layer 1: Logical Network (Overlay)**

*   **Element:** A dotted-line box encompassing all three VMs, labeled "Internal Network (192.168.1.0/24)" – This is a simplified private network.
*   **IP Addresses (Example):**
    *   Proxmox Host (Management Interface): 192.168.1.10
    *   Wazuh Manager: 192.168.1.11
    *   Agent 1 (Web Server): 192.168.1.12
    *   Agent 2 (Database Server): 192.168.1.13
*   **Firewall:** *Crucially*, a simplified representation of a firewall within the Proxmox Host or on the network itself.  This highlights the need for controlled access.

**2. User Accounts & Security**

*   **Proxmox Host:**
    *   Create a dedicated user account for the trainee (e.g., `wazuh-trainee`).  Restrict access to the minimum necessary for managing the VMs.
    *   Enable 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) for all Proxmox accounts.
*   **Wazuh Manager VM:**
    *   Create a dedicated user for the Wazuh manager (e.g., `wazuh`).  Restrict privileges.
    *   *Important:* Configure SSH access to the manager *only* with key-based authentication. Disable password authentication.
*   **Agent VMs:**
    *   Create a dedicated user for each agent (e.g., `webuser`, `dbuser`).
    *   Restrict user privileges.  Use `sudo` for necessary administrative tasks.
    *   Disable direct SSH access to the agents if possible (use `wazuh-agent` for remote management).

**3. Network Considerations**

*   **Private Network:** Use a private IP address range (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24, 10.0.0.0/24).
*   **DHCP:**  Consider a DHCP server for simplified IP assignment.
*   **DNS:**  Set up a basic DNS server (even just a local one) for name resolution.
*   **Firewall Rules:**  (This is vital for a secure internal network)
    *   Allow traffic *between* the VMs necessary for Wazuh monitoring and agent communication.
    *   Restrict external access to the VMs.  For example, only allow SSH access to the Wazuh Manager from the Proxmox Host.



**Important Notes for the Trainee & You:**

*   **Documentation is Key:** Document *everything* – VM creation, configuration, network settings, user accounts.
*   **Security Best Practices:** Reinforce security best practices throughout the setup process.
*   **Gradual Complexity:** Start with the basics and gradually add complexity as the trainee gains experience.
*   **Focus on the "Why":** Explain *why* certain configurations are necessary for security.
*   **Testing:**  Thoroughly test the setup after each configuration change.



To tailor this further, could you clarify:

*   What level of detail should the trainee document? (e.g., full command output, just configuration files)
*   Do you want the trainee to focus on specific security concepts (e.g., least privilege, defense in depth)?