What is IP Tables?

iptables is a user-space application program that allows system administrators to configure the tables provided by the Linux kernel firewall (implemented as different Netfilter modules) and the chains and rules it stores. It is commonly used to filter network traffic, perform network address translation (NAT), and other packet manipulation tasks. It works by matching packets against a set of rules and then taking a specified action, such as accepting, dropping, or modifying the packet. While often referred to as a firewall, it is more precisely a ruleset for managing the Linux kernel's built-in firewall functionality.