Hardening Apache

Gianluca writes "If security is not a concern, installing the Apache web server is a simple task even for an inexperienced system administrator. The problem is that security should always be a concern, and in case of Apache the information about making it secure can be sparse and fragmented. This is probably the reason why many web administrators are pretty clueless when it comes to Apache security. Needless to say, this creates a worrisome situation (to say the least): many web servers are vulnerable and exposed to thousands of potential attackers." Read on for Gianluca's review of Hardening Apache, a book intended to consolidate and clarify that information. Hardening Apache author Tony Mobily pages 270 publisher Apress rating 9 reviewer Gianluca Insolvibile ISBN 1590593782 summary A thorough guide through the intricacies and gotchas involved in securing an Apache installation

Hardening Apache fills a huge gap in this sense, providing web administrators with a complete and yet concise book aimed to guide them from the very beginning of the installation process to the final steps of the server configuration. The author, Tony Mobily, is also the mind behind Professional Apache Security, a book published by Wrox Press which I reviewed on Slashdot about 17 months ago. Since Wrox's unfortunate closure, some of the material from that book has been moved into Hardening Apache. More specifically:

• The excellent chapter on "jailing" Apache is exactly the same;
• The chapter on XSS attacks has been slightly improved;
• The chapter on logging, which was nothing remarkable, has been greatly improved. It now includes a complete architecture to log on a remote host using encryption and a TCP/IP connection.

The first chapter of the book deals with deploying a clean and safe base installation, which will then be the grounds for adding extra functionality. Unfortunately, this task is often underestimated. What I liked in this chapter is the step-by-step guide to correctly downloading the source distribution and verifying its integrity (by checking its digital signature), as well as the clean approach to the creation of a lean, easily readable configuration file, which grants a painless maintenance. A highlight of this section is the use of Nikto to analyse and explain common weaknesses and to show how to fix them.

Chapter 2 presents some vulnerabilities and explains how to exploit them. The chapter doesn't have any "pearls of wisdom" (but it's nevertheless important to show that Apache can be vulnerable), and presents some important reference sites every web administrator should be aware of.

Chapter 3 definitely deserves a special mention: after introducing the "common" ways of logging and syslogd's architecture, the author describes a rational approach to realizing a complete logging solution which entails remote log servers, encryption of logs, and the use of a MySQL database to better organize them.

Chapter 4 is the only one which deals with the "programming" side of web security. It is not a comprehensive guide on how to write safe programs for the web, as it focuses on cross-site scripting attacks; it shows how to secure a simple and vulnerable message board written in PHP.

The following chapter talks about security modules: it presents an interesting overview of the most useful modules related to security, which will help administrators understand the importance of third-party modules and explains how to install and use some of them. I also liked Chapter 6, which deals with the installation of Apache in a secure, chrooted environment: the chapter does a great job in guiding the reader through the non-trivial steps required to get Apache, Perl and PHP working correctly in such a restricted environment.

The last chapter presents a number of powerful and well-written scripts which anybody can use to automate security and keep an eye on their web server (monitoring log growth, Apache's responsiveness, and so on).

What's to like Information throughout the book is very well focused and presented with a clean and friendly writing style. The book provides a clear and detailed walkthrough of the process of securing an Apache installation, covering both versions 1.3.x and 2.x and thus providing long lasting information. The book has lots of references and pointers to resources on the web, and - what's more important - instructions on how to read them. I also liked the "checkpoints" at the end of each chapter.

What's to consider Apart from chapter 4 on cross-site scripting attacks, the book does not cover secure web programming at all. It doesn't cover OS hardening either, which is out of scope but part of the game anyway. Going through the book requires some familiarity with Unix and Apache; otherwise you will have to resort to other books for the very basic steps.

All in all, I found this sort of "new edition" of the book by Apress to be greatly enhanced, more homogeneous and better focused than the previous book: I had been happy with Wrox's version, but I am enthusiastic about this one. This is a book which should definitely be included in any serious Apache administrator's bookshelf.

You can purchase Hardening Apache from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

Comments

Re:Don't forget

[pyrrhonist]

To Harden PHP while you're at it.

...or your concrete for that professional look.

Re:One of the unfortunate things about Apache...

[Skjellifetti]

Oh, did you shoot yourself in the ass and get a silver star for it too? I support my troops, and I am voting for Bush.

Comments like that are a great way to win people over to your side. In fact, it is precisely the tactics of the Swift Boat Liars and rude fools like this AC who have convinced me to wholeheartedly support Kerry even though I'd rather vote for a third party candidate. Well, that and the fact that Bush has proven to be really incompetent at conducting wars.