Is there a python interface to iptables?

Question

Im trying to retrieve the current iptables chains configured on the system via python. If I strace the iptables command, it outputs:

strace iptables -L INPUT
socket(PF_INET, SOCK_RAW, IPPROTO_RAW)  = 3
getsockopt(3, SOL_IP, 0x40 /* IP_??? */, "filter\0\377`\2\351\1\0\210\377\377\210}\313\276\0\210\377\377\354\206\0\201\377\377\377\377"..., [84]) = 0

full output here: http://pastebin.com/e7XEsaZV

In python I create the socket obj and try to call getsockopt and it errors:

>>> s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_RAW, socket.IPPROTO_RAW)
>>> s.getsockopt(socket.SOL_IP, 0x40)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<pyshell#46>", line 1, in <module>
    s.getsockopt(socket.SOL_IP, 0x40)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/socket.py", line 224, in meth
    return getattr(self._sock,name)(*args)
error: [Errno 22] Invalid argument
>>>
>>> s = socket.socket(2, socket.SOCK_RAW, socket.IPPROTO_RAW)
>>> s.getsockopt(socket.SOL_IP, 0x41)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<pyshell#48>", line 1, in <module>
    s.getsockopt(socket.SOL_IP, 0x41)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/socket.py", line 224, in meth
    return getattr(self._sock,name)(*args)
error: [Errno 22] Invalid argument
>>> 

Is this just not possible?

Answer 1

Have you seen python-iptables?

Python-iptables provides python bindings to iptables under Linux. Interoperability with iptables is achieved via using the iptables C libraries (libiptc, libxtables, and the iptables extensions), not calling the iptables binary and parsing its output.