The use of Squid as proxy and content filter in PFSense software was, for many years, a solution widely adopted by network administrators. However, recent changes in maintaining PFSense software have brought an important warning to those who still depend on this technology: Squid is officially discontinued . Netgate, a company responsible for PFSense software, has not only ended SQUID support but also recommends its immediate removal , citing serious safety and stability risks.
This content aims to inform PFSense software users about the dangers of maintaining production in production, explain the reasons behind its discontinuation and present more modern and secure alternatives for internet access control, especially Lumiun DNS, which is a practical and effective solution for those seeking protection, ease and integration with PFSense software.
If you prefer, you can watch a video about the PFSense software configuration to use Lumiun DNS. In addition, you will see the block in practice, and visualization of access in the report.
Discontinued Squid
Squid , traditional proxy tools and content filtering, were officially discontinued by Netgate in 2023, and its removal from the PFSense software package repository was announced as definitive. According to Netgate itself, this decision is due to a combination of critical safety risks, difficulty maintenance and incompatibilities with the evolution of the system.
The announcement, made on Netgate's official blog, makes it clear that the company no longer offers support for Squid and Squidguard in current and future versions of PFSense software. With this, packages no longer receive updates or safety corrections.
The recommendation to immediately remove the Squid from its facilities , aims to avoid exposure to serious vulnerabilities and instability that may compromise network safety.
What are the risks of maintaining use in PFSense software?
With the end of the support, Squid no longer receives safety updates. This means that known failures remain active in the system, making the network vulnerable to external attacks, exploration of breaches and data impairment. Several flaws were reported while Squid had active support. Researcher Joshua Rogers found and reported Squid's security failures in 2021 and released the technical details of his findings in 2023 after 2 years without resolutions. Rogers identified 55 vulnerabilities using manual revision of code, static analysis and fuzzing, an automated software testing technique aimed at finding safety bugs and vulnerabilities providing invalid or unexpected entries to a program.
"The Squid team has been helpful during the process of reporting these problems. However, they have an insufficient team and simply do not have the necessary resources to correct the discovered problems," Rogers said in 2023.
Many of the vulnerabilities can lead to a failure, but some can also be explored for arbitrary code ( ACE )
In addition, we can add the list of non -recommendation to the use of Squid, its obsolete and unstable code, lack of compatibility with new Firewall versions and loss of effectiveness as proxy.
Alternatives to maintain access control with PFSense software
Aiming at all content already mentioned here, it is necessary to rethink the way to apply access policies, content filtering and navigation protection. Fortunately, the market offers modern, efficient and compatible solutions with PFsense software.
Pfblockerng
A well -known alternative among PFSense software users is PFBLockerng , which operates at DNS level and offers:
- Blockade of domains by categories (ads, malware, social networks, etc.).
- Filter by Country (Geoip) for international traffic control.
- Advanced Block List Customization
PFBLockerng is powerful, but it turns out to be complex for less experienced users and requires a higher level of learning, as well as the manual setting and maintenance of lists.
Lumiun DNS
Lumiun Lumiun DNS emerges as an affordable, managed and easy solution to integrate with PFSense software. Allows a cloud configuration control, focusing on safety and productivity, which offers:
- Web Panel for Creation of Rules and Reports.
- Locking by categories, TLDs, updated API lists and application filters.
- Release time.
- Real time monitoring of network accesses, with internal IP and MAC identified.
- Simple integration with any edge and firewall router, including PFSense software.
By using Lumiun DNS, you get effective control over internet access, without the complexity of maintaining proxies or manually configuring multiple lists. In addition, Lumiun DNS offers humanized support, with experts available to assist in the configuration, questions and other user demands.
Using Lumiun DNS
Registration at Lumiun DNS
Visit https://dns.lumiun.com/register to create your free account. When you create the account, you will be starting a 14 -day pro plan for plan. After 14 days, you can choose from free (free), pro or education plans.
Fill in your first name, surname, email, phone and password to create your account for free. If you prefer, you can create directly with your Google account.
Confirm registration in the email
After registration, confirm your account via the "Check email" in the email that was sent to you. If the email is not in your inbox, check the spams and mark as “no spam” to receive the next.
Complete the initial steps
Upon confirmation, you will be directed to the policy page, but first, you must enter the information regarding your organization.
After this insertion, you will go through a brief “tour” about Lumiun DNS.
Don't give it soft, protect your network
Squid discontinuation in PFSense software requires an update on network access control practices with PFSense software. Keeping Squid in production is not only risky, but it also makes productivity limited in the face of the vulnerabilities and limitations that this obsolete resource offers.
Instead of insisting on obsolete and insecure solutions, follow the safest and most efficient path. Adopt modern tools, easy to manage and compatible with current safety standards. In this scenario, Lumiun DNS stands out as one of the best alternatives, offering a combination of ease, control power and visibility and with full compatibility with PFSense software.
