Enable to use your web application’s session IDs in order for FortiWeb to be able to track the state of web applications across multiple requests. Also configure Session Timeout.

Note: When FortiWeb is deployed in an offline topology or asynchronous operation mode, this feature requires that your web applications have session IDs in their URL. For details, see HTTP sessions & security and Supported features in each operation mode.

Note: Enabling this option is required if:

• you select features requiring session cookies, such as Hidden Fields Protection Rule
• in any policy, you will select an auto-learning profile with this profile
• you want to include this profile’s traffic in the traffic log

Type the HTTP session timeout in seconds.

After this time elapses during which there were no more subsequent requests, after which the FortiWeb appliance will regard the next request as the start of a new HTTP session.

This option appears only if Session Management is enabled. The default is 1200 (20 minutes). The valid range is from 20 to 3,600 seconds.

Select the X-Forwarded-For: and X-Real-IP: HTTP header settings to use, if any. For details, see Defining your proxies, clients, & X-headers.

Note: Configuring this option is required if the true IP address of the client is hidden from FortiWeb because a load balancer or other web proxy is deployed in front. In that case, you must configure an X-header rule so that FortiWeb will block only requests related to the original client. Otherwise, it may block all requests whenever any attack occurs, since all requests will appear to originate from the proxy’s IP.

Type the name of the session ID, if any, that your web application uses in the URL to identify each session.

By default, FortiWeb tracks some common session ID names: ASPSESSIONID, PHPSESSIONID, and JSESSIONID. Configure this field if your web application uses a custom or uncommon session ID. In those cases, you do not need to configure this setting.

For example, in the following URL, a web application identifies its sessions using a parameter with the name mysession:

page.php?mysession=123ABC&user=user1

In that case, you must configure Session Key to be mysession so that FortiWeb will be able to recognize the session ID, 123ABC, and apply features that require sessions in order to function.

This option appears only if Session Management is enabled.

Select the name of the signature set, if any, that FortiWeb applies to matching requests.

Attack log messages for this feature vary by which type of attack was detected. For a list, see Blocking known attacks & data leaks.

Note: If a WAF Auto Learning Profile will be selected in the policy with this profile, you should select a signature set whose Action is Alert. If the Action is Alert & Deny, the FortiWeb appliance will reset the connection when it detects an attack, resulting in incomplete session information for the auto-learning feature.

Enable to scan requests that use action message format 3.0 (AMF3) for:

• cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks
• SQL injection attacks
• common exploits

and other attack signatures that you have enabled in Signatures.

AMF3 is a binary format that can be used by Adobe Flash/Flex clients to send input to server-side software.

Caution: To scan for attacks or enforce input rules on AMF3, you must enable this option. Failure to enable the option will cause the FortiWeb appliance to be unable to scan AMF3 requests for attacks.

Enable to validate that XML elements and attributes in the request’s body conforms to the W3C XML 1.1 and/or XML 2.0 standards. Malformed XML, such as without the final > or with multiple >> in the closing tag, is often an attempt to exploit an unhandled error condition in a web application’s XHTML or XML parser.

If the request fails the validation, FortiWeb takes the specified action.

Attack log messages contain Illegal XML Format when this feature detects malformed XML.

• Alert — Accept the request and generate an alert email, log message, or both.
• Alert & Deny — Block the request and generate an alert, log message, or both.

In addition, select a severity level and trigger policy.

Available only when Enable XML Protocol Detection is On.

Enable to scan for illegal formatting in JSON data. If FortiWeb detects illegal formatting, it takes the specified action.

• Alert — Accept the request and generate an alert email, log message, or both.
• Alert & Deny — Block the request and generate an alert, log message, or both.

In addition, select a severity level and trigger policy.

Available only when Enable JSON Protocol Detection is On.

Select the name of a combination source IP, rate limit, HTTP header, and URL access policy, if any, that is applied to matching requests. See Combination access control & rate limiting.

Attack log messages contain Advanced Protection Violation when this feature detects a violation.

Select the name of padding oracle protection rule, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Defeating cipher padding attacks on individually encrypted inputs.

Attack log messages contain Padding Oracle Attack when this feature detects a violation.

Select the name of the HTTP parameter validation rule, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Validating parameters (“input rules”).

Attack log messages contain Parameter Validation Violation when this feature detects a parameter rule violation.

Note: If a WAF Auto Learning Profile will be selected in a server policy using this profile, you should select a parameter validation rule whose Action is Alert. If the Action is Alert & Deny, the FortiWeb appliance will reset the connection when it detects an attack, resulting in incomplete session information for the auto-learning feature.

Select the name of a hidden fields group, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Preventing tampering with hidden inputs.

Attack log messages contain Hidden Field Manipulation when this feature detects hidden input tampering.

This option appears only if Session Management is enabled.

Select an existing file upload restriction policy, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Limiting file uploads.

Attack log messages contain Illegal file size when this feature detects an excessively large upload.

Select the name of an HTTP protocol constraint, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See HTTP/HTTPS protocol constraints.

Attack log messages for this feature vary by which type of attack was detected. For a list, see HTTP/HTTPS protocol constraints.

Select the name of the URL access policy, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Restricting access to specific URLs.

Attack log messages contain URL Access Violation when this feature detects a request that violates this policy.

Note: Do not select an URL access policy if this offline protection profile will be used in a policy with WAF Auto Learning Profile. Selecting an URL access policy will cause the FortiWeb appliance to reset the connection when it detects a request with a blocked URL and Host: field combination, resulting in incomplete session information for the auto-learning feature.

Select an existing allowed method policy, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Specifying allowed HTTP methods.

Attack log messages contain HTTP Method Violation when this feature detects a non-allowed HTTP request method.

Note: If a WAF Auto Learning Profile will be selected in a server policy using this profile, you must enable the HTTP request methods that will be used by sessions that you want the FortiWeb appliance to learn about. If a method is disabled, the FortiWeb appliance will reset the connection, and therefore cannot learn about the session.

Select the name of a brute force login attack profile, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Preventing brute force logins.

Attack log messages contain Brute Force Login Violation when this feature detects a brute force login attack.

Select the name of a client black list or white list, if any, that will be applied to matching requests. See Blacklisting & whitelisting clients using a source IP or source IP range.

Attack log messages contain Blacklisted IP blocked when this feature detects a blacklisted source IP address.

Enable to exempt popular search engines’ spiders from DoS sensors, brute force login sensors, HTTP protocol constraints, and combination rate & access control (called “advanced protection” and “custom policies” in the web UI).

This option improves access for search engines. Rapid access rates, unusual HTTP usage, and other characteristics that may be abnormal for web browsers are often normal with search engines. If you block them, your web sites’ rankings and visibility may be affected.

By default, this option allows all popular predefined search engines. To specify which search engines will be exempt, click the Details link. A new frame will appear on the right side of the protection profile. Enable or disable each search engine, then click Apply. See also Blacklisting content scrapers, search engines, web crawlers, & other robots.