# Enable F5 WAF for NGINX Logs

Type of document: How-to guide
Product: NGINXaaS for Azure

---


## Overview

F5 NGINXaaS for Azure (NGINXaaS) supports exporting F5 WAF for NGINX logs to an Azure Storage account or to a Log Analytics workspace.

## Setting up operational logs

F5 WAF for NGINX operational logs are sent to the NGINX error logs. See [Enable NGINX Logs](/nginxaas-azure/monitoring/enable-logging/) to configure error logs.

## Setting up security logs

1. Enable the NGINX Security Logs category in **Diagnostic Settings**. For more information on logging, see [Enable NGINX Logs](/nginxaas-azure/monitoring/enable-logging/).

![Screenshot of the NGINXaaS WAF security logs diagnostic settings](nginxaas-azure/security-diagnostic-setting.png)

2. Update your NGINX configuration to enable security logs in an http/server/location context.

```nginx
app_protect_security_log_enable on;
```

3. Configure the log configuration path and destination to the `app_protect_security_log` directive. More information on supported log configurations and destination can be found in the following sections.
```nginx
app_protect_security_log "/etc/app_protect/conf/log_all.json" syslog:server=localhost:5140;
```

Sample NGINX config with security logs enabled:

```nginx
user nginx;
worker_processes auto;
worker_rlimit_nofile 8192;
pid /run/nginx/nginx.pid;

load_module modules/ngx_http_app_protect_module.so;

events {
    worker_connections 4000;
}

error_log /var/log/nginx/error.log debug;

http {
    access_log off;
    server_tokens "";

    app_protect_enforcer_address 127.0.0.1:50000;

    server {
        listen 80 default_server;

        location / {
            app_protect_enable on;
            app_protect_policy_file /etc/app_protect/conf/NginxDefaultPolicy.tgz;
            app_protect_security_log_enable on;
            app_protect_security_log "/etc/app_protect/conf/log_all.tgz" syslog:server=localhost:5140;
            proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:80/proxy/$request_uri;
        }

        location /proxy {
            default_type text/html;
            return 200 "Hello World\n";
        }
    }
}
```

You can find more details on these directives in the [Security log](https://docs.nginx.com/nginx-app-protect-waf/v5/logging-overview/security-log/) documentation.

### Log Configuration

NGINXaaS for Azure ships with several pre-compiled log configuration bundles. More details on these logging bundles can be found in the [Security log](https://docs.nginx.com/waf/logging/security-logs/) documentation.

The following table shows the path to the log configuration file that needs to be used with the app_protect_security_log directive:

 
  | Profile                     | Path                                         |
  |---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
  | log_default                 | /etc/app_protect/conf/log_default.json |
  | log_all                     | /etc/app_protect/conf/log_all.json |
  | log_illegal                 | /etc/app_protect/conf/log_illegal.json |
  | log_blocked                 | /etc/app_protect/conf/log_blocked.json |
  | log_grpc_all                | /etc/app_protect/conf/log_grpc_all.json |
  | log_grpc_illegal            | /etc/app_protect/conf/log_grpc_illegal.json |
  | log_grpc_blocked            | /etc/app_protect/conf/log_grpc_blocked.json |
   

To view the contents of the available log configuration, navigate to the azure portal and select the Log Configurations tab in the F5 WAF for NGINX section.

### Logging Destinations

1. Logging to NGINXaaS syslog (Recommended)

NGINXaaS for Azure supports a local syslog server running on port 5140. Syslogs forwarded to this destination are sent to the sink configured in the **Diagnostic Setting** section.

```nginx
app_protect_security_log "/etc/app_protect/conf/log_all.json" syslog:server=localhost:5140;
```

**Note:**  When using a NGINXaaS syslog destination, the syslog server destination needs to match localhost:5140. Configuring log directives to other syslog locations will result in an error in the NGINX config.

2. File Logging

NGINXaaS for Azure supports logging to a file path. Any logs written under `/var/log/app_protect` will be sent to the sink configured in **Diagnostic Setting**.

```nginx
app_protect_security_log "/etc/app_protect/conf/log_all.json" /var/log/app_protect/security.log;
```

**Note:** When using a file destination, the configured path for nginx security logs has to be within `/var/log/app_protect`. Configuring log directives to other file locations will result in an error in the NGINX config.

## Analyzing NGINX security logs in Azure Log Analytics workspaces.

If the diagnostic setting destination details included a Logs Analytics workspace, logs appear in the "NGXSecurityLogs" table with the following columns:

| **Attribute**               | **Description** |
|-----------------------------|-----------------|
| **Location**                  | The location of the NGINXaaS resource.|
| **Message**                 | The generated NGINX security log line. |
| **FilePath**                 | The path to which NGINX security logs are configured to be logged to if the nginx config uses file-based logs. |
| **Tag**                 | The tag with which NGINX security logs are generated if syslog-based log configuration is used. |
| **Facility**                 | The syslog facility that generates the NGINX security logs if syslog-based log configuration is being used. |
| **Severity**                | The syslog severity with which NGINX security logs were generated if syslog-based log configuration is used. |

To view the raw data in the NGINX security log, run the following KQL query:
```
NGXSecurityLogs
| extend JSONLog = extract(@"json_log\s*=\s*""({.*?})""", 1, Message)
| extend Log = parse_json(replace_string(JSONLog, '""', '"'))
| project Log
```

![Screenshot showing NGINX security logs in the Logs Analytics Workspace](nginxaas-azure/log-analytics-security.png)

The following sample queries will help you get started with creating visualizations based on security logs.

Blocked requests by IP

```
NGXSecurityLogs
| extend JSONLog = extract(@"json_log\s*=\s*""({.*?})""", 1, Message)
| extend Log = parse_json(replace_string(JSONLog, '""', '"'))
| where Log.enforcementAction == "block"
| project ClientIP = tostring(Log.clientIp), TimeGenerated
| summarize count() by ClientIP, bin(TimeGenerated, 1m)
| render timechart
```

Blocked requests by URL

```
NGXSecurityLogs
| extend JSONLog = extract(@"json_log\s*=\s*""({.*?})""", 1, Message)
| extend Log = parse_json(replace_string(JSONLog, '""', '"'))
| where Log.enforcementAction == "block"
| project URL = tostring(Log.url), TimeGenerated
| summarize count() by URL, bin(TimeGenerated, 1m)
| render timechart
```

Top matched rules

```
NGXSecurityLogs
| extend JSONLog = extract(@"json_log\s*=\s*""({.*?})""", 1, Message)
| extend Log = parse_json(replace_string(JSONLog, '""', '"'))
| where Log.enforcementAction == "block"
| project attackType = Log.enforcementState.attackType, TimeGenerated
| mv-expand attackType
| project attackName = tostring(attackType.name), TimeGenerated
| summarize count() by attackName, bin(TimeGenerated, 1m)
| render timechart
```

To add a visualization to a dashboard, select the **Pin to dashboard** icon in the top right of the log analytics workspace.

**Note:** It can take up to 90 minutes after adding diagnostic settings for logs to appear in the provided Logs Analytics Workspace.