streamfwd app error in /var/log/splunk/streamfwd.log

[johnncennaa]

Hello! I am trying to get the streamfwd app to capture traffic on an interface located on my virtual machine.

Does this app not recognize link layer virtualization? This is the error I am receiving and currently can't find a workaround...

"(SnifferReactor/PcapNetworkCapture.cpp:238)  stream.NetworkCapture - SnifferReactor unrecognized link layer for device <lo0>: 253"

I was also receiving the same error when I changed my streamfwd.conf to capture on a different network interface. Even tried putting the interface into promiscuous mode. Any help/troubleshooting on this would be appreciated! Fysa, I am using a 64bit CentOS8.

[patrickvanreck]

Hi Splunkers

I notice the same issue and wonder really why Splunk is not fixing this issue?
Is seems to be an incompatibility on the VMware stack with the streamfwd service. 
I use Splunk Universalforwarder 9.1.2 and Splunk Stream 9.1.1.

Specially the installation on Universalforwarders fails massively on Linux systems which makes Splunk Stream not really usable in a distributed environment with Linux systems.

My streamfwd.log tells always the same error:

2024-03-08 14:59:54 INFO  [139974317471680] (CaptureServer.cpp:2001) stream.CaptureServer - Starting data capture
2024-03-08 14:59:54 INFO  [139974317471680] (SnifferReactor/SnifferReactor.cpp:161) stream.SnifferReactor - Starting network capture: sniffer
2024-03-08 14:59:54 ERROR [139974317471680] (SnifferReactor/PcapNetworkCapture.cpp:238) stream.NetworkCapture - SnifferReactor unrecognized link layer for device <eth0>: 253
2024-03-08 14:59:54 FATAL [139974317471680] (CaptureServer.cpp:2337) stream.CaptureServer - SnifferReactor was unable to start packet capturesniffer
2024-03-08 14:59:54 INFO  [139974317471680] (CaptureServer.cpp:2362) stream.CaptureServer - Done pinging stream senders (config was updated)
2024-03-08 14:59:54 INFO  [139974317471680] (main.cpp:1109) stream.main - streamfwd has started successfully (version 8.1.1 build afdcef4b)
2024-03-08 14:59:54 INFO  [139974317471680] (main.cpp:1111) stream.main - web interface listening on port 8889

As you all can see, my streamfwd.conf is more or less the same as all of you have also.
No matter if for example i change the ipAddr to 0.0.0.0. I always get the same error.

[streamfwd]
logConfig = streamfwdlog.conf
port = 8889
ipAddr = 127.0.0.1
## --> Token HFWD
httpEventCollectorToken = ba4a2b2-2544-55e3-22ft-234vt68m0szp
## --> Specify the interface
streamfwdcapture.1.interface = eth0

Side remark:

If I reinstall Splunk Enterprise 9.1.2 on the same server on which UniversalForwarder 9.1.2 with Splunk Stream 9.1.1 was installed, Splunk Stream works.
That sounds like a bug in Splunk_TA_stream.

Would be great to hear a statement of Splunk within the next weeks.
Kind regards

Patrick

[jratl2t]

I'm have the same problem.  Multiple VMs with Stream that have been working, but they all now fail with "unrecognized link layer for this device <eth1> 253".   Does the current version no longer support link layer virtualization

[jorob]

We finally got stream working - but more of a work around.  The problem is in part due to starting the UF using systemd, which allocates CPU slices for different processes.   When using systemd to start the UF, stream fails.   Disabling start on boot, and manually starting the UF from ./slunk start, stream works.

The second part is that when the UF starts, ownership of all the UF files is chowned  splunk:splunk.  This seems logical to ensure the UF runs as splunk (or splunkfwd).  However, when stream is initially installed, the set_permissions.sh changes ownership of ../Splunk_TA_stream/Linux_x86_64/streamfwd-rhel6 to root.  Starting the UF undoes this, changing ownership back to splunk.   We made streamfwwd-rhel6 immutable - which did prevent the ownership change back to splunk, but stream still failed when starting with systemd.

Ultimately, we had to disable systemd, make streamfwd-rhel6 immutable (after running set_permissions.sh), then start the UF manually via /splunk start.    

Splunk needs to fix this so stream works as expected without having to disable boot-start and set the immutable flag.

[adrojis]

Hi,

I have the same problem too, on my ubuntu VM with the interface ens33. If you find the solution, ping me please.

[milad001mehdi]

hello

I have this problem last week and this error occur

i searched in any communities but i didn't find any solution

i'm using ubuntu 64 bit

i checked both interface that connect to my forwarder. both of them had this problem and error

please help us if every one have solution