3-Minute Setup: The Open Source WAF Thatโs Taking Over GitHub

Looking for a Web Application Firewall (WAF) that actually works โ and doesn't take hours to configure?
Meet SafeLine, a lightweight, open source WAF thatโs built for developers, DevOps teams, and security engineers who want real protection without the complexity.
SafeLine is gaining serious traction with 310,000+ installs and 16K+ GitHub stars, thanks to its intelligent detection engine and rapid 3-minute deployment.
Letโs see why itโs quickly becoming a favorite among developers and security professionals.
๐ What Makes SafeLine Stand Out?
๐ง Intelligent Semantic Analysis Engine
No rule library needed: SafeLine analyzes HTTP request semantics to detect attack intent, not just patterns.
Excellent zero-day defense: Intercepts 98% of unknown attacks like SQLi, XSS, and RCE in real-world testing.
False positives under 0.1%: Learns user behavior to distinguish legit traffic from malicious activity.
๐ Real-Time Dynamic Protection
Dynamic Protection: SafeLine encrypts HTML and JavaScript on the fly, generating random code each visit.
Example:Before:
/admin/login
is exposed in source.After: paths become
/a1b2c3
, and change on every refresh.
Bots and scanners canโt keep up.
Bot & scanner blocking: Detects and blocks automated tools using fingerprinting, mouse movement, IP reputation, and more.
โ๏ธ Lightweight & Easy to Deploy
Quick Docker install: Works on single-core CPU, 1GB RAM โ setup takes just minutes.
Intuitive dashboard: Real-time logs, traffic stats, and attack reports with zero learning curve.
๐ Get Protected in 3 Minutes
On your Linux server, run:
bash -c "$(curl -fsSLk https://waf-ce.chaitin.cn/release/latest/manager.sh)"
Then access the dashboard at:
https://<your-server-ip>:9443/
First-time login? Reset the admin password with:
docker exec safeline-mgt resetadmin
Output looks like this:
[SafeLine] Initial username: admin
[SafeLine] Initial password: **********
Once logged in, add your website in the panel โ SafeLine immediately starts filtering and monitoring your traffic.
๐ก๏ธ Block Attacks and View Logs in Real Time
Hackers and bots trying to attack your site will get a hard stop message โ while you get full visibility in the dashboard:
Attacker IPs
Payloads used
Attack types
Timestamps and frequency
Know exactly whoโs trying to break in โ and how they failed.
๐ Highlights
Core engine is fully open and production-ready
Works seamlessly with ELK or other monitoring stacks
Includes essential detection and alerts
Simple, powerful, and open. SafeLine is everything a modern WAF should be.
๐ง Final Thoughts
SafeLine is fast to deploy, easy to use, and extremely effective at keeping bad traffic out.
If you're running a personal site, a SaaS project, or managing cloud services โ give it a try.
๐ [GitHub Repository] (https://github.com/chaitin/safeline)
๐ [Official Docs] (https://docs.waf.chaitin.com/)
๐ฌ [Discord Community] (https://discord.gg/dy3JT7dkmY)
Subscribe to my newsletter
Read articles from Sharon directly inside your inbox. Subscribe to the newsletter, and don't miss out.
Written by
