SCG WS Apache

This article is part of the OWASP Secure Configuration Guide.

Back to the OWASP Secure Configuration Guide ToC:
   https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Secure_Configuration_Guide
Back to the OWASP Secure Configuration Guide Project:
   https://www.owasp.org/index.php/OWASP_Secure_Configuration_Guide

Summary

The Apache HTTP Server Project is a collaborative software development effort aimed at creating a robust, commercial-grade, featureful, and freely-available source code implementation of an HTTP (Web) server. The project is jointly managed by a group of volunteers located around the world, using the Internet and the Web to communicate, plan, and develop the server and its related documentation. This project is part of the Apache Software Foundation. In addition, hundreds of users have contributed ideas, code, and documentation to the project. This file is intended to briefly describe the history of the Apache HTTP Server and recognize the many contributors.

Important Files of Apache Server

Apache Global Server Configuration Files

Debian

/etc/apache2/apache2.conf

RHEL / Red Hat / CentOS / Fedora Linux

/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

FreeBSD

/usr/local/etc/apache2X/httpd.conf

Note:X represents the version number

Apache Module Files

Debian

/etc/apache2/mods-enabled

RHEL / Red Hat / CentOS / Fedora Linux

/etc/httpd/conf/conf.d

Apache Port Configuration File

Debian

/etc/apache2/ports.conf

RHEL / Red Hat / CentOS / Fedora Linux

/etc/httpd/conf/conf.d

Apache Error Files

Debian

/var/log/apache2/error.log

RHEL / Red Hat / CentOS / Fedora Linux

var/log/httpd/error_log

FreeBSD

/var/log/httpd-error.log

Apache Server Information Leakage

Server Token Directive

Description

This Directive Controls wheather Server response field is sent back to clients includes a description of Generic OS Type of the Server.

Server: Apache/2.2.14 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.14 OpenSSL/0.9.8e-fips-rhel5

This allows attackers to identify web servers details greatly and increases the efficiency of any attack,as security vulnerabilities are dependent upon specific software versions.

How to test

In order to test for ServerToken configuration, one should check the Apache configuration file.

Misconfiguration

ServerTokens Full

Remediation

Configure the ServerTokens directive in the Apache configuration to value of Prod or ProductOnly. This tells Apache to only return "Apache" in the Server header, returned on every page request.

ServerTokens Prod
or
ServerTokens ProductOnly

Server Signature

Description

This Apache directive allows the configuration of a trailing footer line under server-generated documents.

How to test

In order to test for ServerSignature configuration, one should check the Apache configuration file.

Misconfiguration

ServerSignature Off

Remediation

Configure the ServerSingature directive in the Apache configuration to value of "Off". This tell Apache not to display the server version on error pages, or other pages it generates.

 ServerSignature On

References

https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/misc/security_tips.html

https://wiki.debian.org/Apache/Hardening

https://wiki.apache.org/httpd/CommonMisconfigurations

http://projects.webappsec.org/w/page/13246959/Server%20Misconfiguration