Wireguard setup in Docker on Debian stable kernel meant for a simple personal VPN
This docker image and configuration is my simple version of a wireguard personal VPN, used for the goal of security over insecure (public) networks, not necessarily for Internet anonymity. The docker images uses debian stable, and the host OS must also use the debian stable kernel, since the image will build the wireguard kernel modules on first run. As such, the hosts /lib/modules directory also needs to be mounted to the container on the first run to install the module (see the Running section below). Thanks to activeeos/wireguard-docker for the general structure of the docker image. It is the same concept just built on Ubuntu 16.04.
In my use case, I'm running the wireguard docker image on a free-tier Google Cloud Platform debian virtual machine and connect to it with Android, Linux, and a GL-Inet router as clients.
docker build -t wireguard:local github.com/cmulk/wireguard-docker
If the wireguard kernel module is not already installed on the host system, use this first run command to install it:
docker run -it --rm --cap-add sys_module -v /lib/modules:/lib/modules wireguard:local install-module
docker run --cap-add net_admin --cap-add sys_module -v <config volume or host dir>:/etc/wireguard -p <externalport>:<dockerport>/udp wireguard:local
Example:
docker run --cap-add net_admin --cap-add sys_module -v wireguard_conf:/etc/wireguard -p 5555:5555/udp wireguard:local
This shortcut can be used to generate and display public/private key pairs to use for the server or clients
docker run -it --rm wireguard:local genkeys
Sample server configuration to go in /etc/wireguard:
[Interface]
Address = 192.168.20.1/24
PrivateKey = <server_private_key>
ListenPort = 5555
[Peer]
PublicKey = <client_public_key>
AllowedIPs = 192.168.20.2
Sample client configuration:
[Interface]
Address = 192.168.20.2/24
PrivateKey = <client_private_key>
ListenPort = 0 #needed for some clients to accept the config
[Peer]
PublicKey = <server_public_key>
Endpoint = <server_public_ip>:5555
AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0,::/0 #makes sure ALL traffic routed through VPN
PersistentKeepalive = 25
- This Docker image also has a iptables NAT (MASQUERADE) rule already configured to make traffic through the VPN to the Internet work.
- For some clients (a GL.inet router in my case) you may have trouble with HTTPS (SSL/TLS) due to the MTU on the VPN. Ping and HTTP work fine but HTTPS does not for some sites. This can be fixed with MSS Clamping. This is simply a checkbox in the OpenWRT Firewall settings interface.
Sample docker-compose.yml
version: "2"
services:
vpn:
image: wireguard:local
build: github.com/cmulk/wireguard-docker
volumes:
- data:/etc/wireguard
networks:
- net
ports:
- 5555:5555/udp
restart: unless-stopped
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
- SYS_MODULE
networks:
net:
volumes:
data:
driver: local