Introduction to Nginx WAF AI

Nginx WAF AI is an intelligent security layer for Nginx that analyzes HTTP traffic patterns in real-time, detects anomalies and threats using machine learning (Isolation Forest and Random Forest), and automatically generates and deploys protective WAF rules.

The system provides a RESTful FastAPI backend, a web-based control panel, Prometheus metrics integration, and automated SSH-based rule synchronization with rollback capabilities.

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🚀 Key Features

• Traffic Analysis: Real-time collection and parsing of HTTP request data from multiple Nginx ingress nodes.
• Machine Learning Detection: Dual-model architecture featuring Scikit-Learn Isolation Forest (unsupervised anomaly detection) and Random Forest (supervised classification).
• Automated Rule Generation: Dynamic generation of Nginx deny/allow directives based on threat classification confidence.
• Fleet Management: Centralized deployment across Nginx nodes over SSH with automated configuration validation and rollback.
• RESTful API: Fast and modular FastAPI server with JWT authentication and granular role-based access controls.
• Web Control Panel: Responsive dashboard for monitoring live traffic, reviewing detected threats, and managing rules.
• Observability: Built-in Prometheus /metrics endpoint with ready-to-use Grafana and Loki monitoring configurations.

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🏗️ Architecture Overview

[Nginx Nodes] ──(Traffic Logs)──> [Traffic Collector]
                                          │
                                          ▼
                                   [ML Engine (RF/IF)]
                                          │
                                          ▼
                                   [Rule Generator]
                                          │
                                 (FastAPI Server)
                                    /         \
                             [Control Panel]  [Prometheus]
                                    \         /
                                   [Nginx Fleet (SSH Deploy)]

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🧭 Documentation Map

• Quick Start Guide: Get up and running in under 5 minutes with Docker Compose.
• Production Deployment: Hardening, TLS, multi-node configuration, and environment setup.
• REST API Reference: Complete endpoint documentation and status audit.
• Documentation Audit: Current implementation matrix and roadmap.
• Changelog: Version release notes.