Files
NetAlertX/docs/PIHOLE_GUIDE.md
T
sebingel 71efcd0ba0 fixes PIHOLEAPI's ignored VERIFY_SSL setting and checks setting keys
main() read the setting 'PIHOLEAPI_SSL_VERIFY', but config.json defines
the function VERIFY_SSL, so the real key is PIHOLEAPI_VERIFY_SSL.
get_setting_value() returns "" for a key nobody defined, so every Pi-hole
API request got verify="": certificate checks were always off and the
InsecureRequestWarning was suppressed, even when a user had turned on
"Verify SSL". The login request sends the Pi-hole web password to
api/auth. The plugin README and docs/PIHOLE_GUIDE.md used the wrong name
too. test_plugin_conventions.py did not catch it: it only looks at
get_setting_value("X") or <literal>, and this line had no fallback.

Changes:
- test/plugins/test_plugin_conventions.py: new
  test_own_setting_keys_exist_in_config. Every literal
  get_setting_value('<PREFIX>_X') in a plugin's scripts must name a
  setting its own config.json defines; core settings and other plugins'
  keys are not checked. Before the fix it fails for exactly one of the 54
  plugins: pihole_api_scan.py, get_setting_value('PIHOLEAPI_SSL_VERIFY').
- New test/plugins/test_pihole_api_scan_verify_ssl.py: runs main() with
  VERIFY_SSL true and false and checks the verify= value that reaches
  requests.post() for api/auth. Only the HTTP call is mocked. It fails
  before the fix (verify=None).
- server/plugins/pihole_api_scan/pihole_api_scan.py: main() reads
  PIHOLEAPI_VERIFY_SSL.
- server/plugins/pihole_api_scan/README.md and docs/PIHOLE_GUIDE.md name
  the setting PIHOLEAPI_VERIFY_SSL.
- docs/PLUGINS_DEV.md, Conventions Checklist: read a setting under the
  exact key config.json defines; names the new check.

Impact:
"Verify SSL" now works. The default stays false, so default installs
behave as before. A user who turned it on while Pi-hole uses a
self-signed certificate will now see the login fail, as the setting
description says ("Disable if you are using a self-signed certificate").
Live check against Pi-hole v6.8 behind a proxy with an untrusted
certificate: with "Verify SSL" on the fixed code refused to log in, the
old code logged in and imported 33 entries.
2026-11-01 09:32:55 +00:00

97 lines
7.8 KiB
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# Integration with Pi-hole
NetAlertX includes four plugins for integrating with an existing Pi-hole installation. The first plugin imports devices through the Pi-hole v6 API, the second parses the `dhcp.leases` file generated by Pi-hole, the third reads the Pi-hole SQLite database directly, and the fourth flags devices with a blocked-query spike (a common malware/compromised-device signature) and, alongside that, imports devices from one or two Pi-hole v6 instances at once. You can use any of these approaches individually or combine them with each other and other [plugins](/PLUGINS_OVERVIEW).
## Approach 1: `PIHOLEAPI` Plugin - Import devices directly from the Pi-hole v6 API
To use this approach, make sure a Web UI password is configured in **Pi-hole**.
### Settings
![PIHOLEAPI sample settings](./img/PIHOLE_GUIDE/PIHOLEAPI_settings.png)
| Setting | Description | Recommended value |
| :------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------- |
| `PIHOLEAPI_URL` | Your Pi-hole base URL, including the port. | `http://192.168.1.82:9880/` |
| `PIHOLEAPI_RUN_SCHD` | If you run multiple device scanner plugins, configure them to use the same schedule. | `*/5 * * * *` |
| `PIHOLEAPI_PASSWORD` | The Pi-hole Web UI admin password. NetAlertX automatically handles Base64 encoding and decoding. | `passw0rd` |
| `PIHOLEAPI_VERIFY_SSL` | Whether to verify HTTPS certificates. Disable only when using self-signed certificates. | `False` |
| `PIHOLEAPI_API_MAXCLIENTS` | Maximum number of devices to request from Pi-hole. The default value is usually sufficient. | `500` |
| `PIHOLEAPI_FAKE_MAC` | Generate a deterministic fake MAC address from the IP address. | `False` |
Check the [PIHOLEAPI plugin README](https://docs.netalertx.com/plugins/pihole_api_scan) for additional details and troubleshooting.
### docker-compose changes
No changes are required.
---
## Approach 2: `DHCPLSS` Plugin - Import devices from the Pi-hole DHCP leases file
This approach requires mounting the Pi-hole DHCP leases file (`dhcp.leases`) into the NetAlertX container. This is straightforward when both applications run on the same host. If they run on different hosts, you'll need to synchronize the file or use the `PIHOLEAPI` plugin instead.
### Settings
![DHCPLSS sample settings](./img/PIHOLE_GUIDE/DHCPLSS_pihole_settings.png)
| Setting | Description | Recommended value |
| :----------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------- |
| `DHCPLSS_RUN` | When the plugin should run. | `schedule` |
| `DHCPLSS_RUN_SCHD` | If you run multiple device scanner plugins, configure them to use the same schedule. | `*/5 * * * *` |
| `DHCPLSS_paths_to_check` | Path to the mapped `dhcp.leases` file inside the container. The path must include `pihole` so the plugin can identify it as a Pi-hole leases file. | `['/etc/pihole/dhcp.leases']` |
Check the [DHCPLSS plugin README](https://docs.netalertx.com/plugins/dhcp_leases#overview) for additional details.
### docker-compose changes
| Path | Description |
| :------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `:/etc/pihole/dhcp.leases` | Mount Pi-hole's `dhcp.leases` file. This path must match an entry in `DHCPLSS_paths_to_check`. |
---
## Approach 3: `PIHOLE` Plugin - Import devices directly from the Pi-hole database
This approach requires mounting the Pi-hole database file into the NetAlertX container. This is straightforward when both applications run on the same host. If Pi-hole is running on a different host, you'll need to synchronize the database file into the NetAlertX container. In that scenario, the `PIHOLEAPI` or `DHCPLSS` plugins are usually simpler.
### Settings
![PIHOLE sample settings](./img/PIHOLE_GUIDE/PIHOLE_settings.png)
| Setting | Description | Recommended value |
| :---------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------- |
| `PIHOLE_RUN` | When the plugin should run. | `schedule` |
| `PIHOLE_RUN_SCHD` | If you run multiple device scanner plugins, configure them to use the same schedule. | `*/5 * * * *` |
| `PIHOLE_DB_PATH` | Path to the mapped Pi-hole database file inside the container. | `/etc/pihole/pihole-FTL.db` |
Check the [PIHOLE plugin README](https://docs.netalertx.com/plugins/pihole_scan) for additional details.
### docker-compose changes
| Path | Description |
| :--------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- |
| `:/etc/pihole/pihole-FTL.db` | Mount Pi-hole's `pihole-FTL.db` database file. |
---
## Approach 4: `PIHOLEMON` Plugin - Blocked-query anomaly detection (plus device import from one or two Pi-hole v6 instances)
This plugin's main job is different from the other three above: it watches each device's own blocked-query count and flags it when that count spikes well above its recent average - a common signature of malware or a compromised device beaconing out to blocklisted domains, not just device discovery. Bundled into the same connection is a second job, the same idea as `PIHOLEAPI`'s device import, extended to a primary **and** an optional secondary/failover Pi-hole instance under one set of settings.
**How it differs from `PIHOLEAPI`:**
* **Anomaly detection is the point, not a bonus.** `PIHOLEAPI` only imports devices. This plugin's reason to exist is watching a device you *already* know for a sudden change in its own behavior - device import is the second, supporting job, not the main one.
* **Two Pi-hole instances, not one.** A primary and an optional secondary/failover are both checked and their results combined under one set of settings - useful if you run more than one Pi-hole (e.g. two resolvers for redundancy) and want a single device list and a single anomaly baseline across both, instead of a blind spot on whichever instance isn't being watched.
* **Choose `PIHOLEAPI`** if you only run one Pi-hole and just want device import - it's the simpler, more focused option. **Choose `PIHOLEMON`** if you want the anomaly detection, or run two Pi-holes needing one configuration, or both.
Check the [PIHOLEMON plugin README](https://docs.netalertx.com/plugins/pihole_monitor) for the full settings reference, the `http://` vs `https://` trade-off, and troubleshooting.
### docker-compose changes
No changes are required - this plugin only talks to Pi-hole's API, the same as `PIHOLEAPI`.
---
Explore other [plugins](./PLUGINS_OVERVIEW.md) to discover additional information about your network, or learn how to scan [remote networks](./REMOTE_NETWORKS.md).