apache modules to help keep your system steady


libapache2-mod-bw – bandwidth limiting module

This module allows you to limit bandwidth usage on every virtual host or directory or to restrict the number of simultaneous connections.

The bandwidth control, for example, can be configured according to the criteria: origin of the connection, file extension, file size or user agent of the client.
Example:

LoadModule bw_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_bw.so
BandWidthModule On
BandWidth all 40000
MinBandWidth all 10000
ForceBandWidthModule On

libapache2-mod-defensible – module for Apache2 which provides DNSBL usage

mod_defensible implements usage of DNSBL servers to block access to a Web site or to specific locations.

Example:

DnsblUse On
DnsblServers httpbl.abuse.ch sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org
DnsblNameserver 145.253.2.75

libapache2-mod-evasive – evasive module to minimize HTTP DoS or brute force attacks

mod_evasive is an evasive maneuvers module for Apache to provide some protection in the event of an HTTP DoS or DDoS attack or brute force attack.

It is also designed to be a detection tool, and can be easily configured to talk to ipchains, firewalls, routers, and etcetera.

Example:

<IfModule mod_evasive20.c>
DOSHashTableSize 3097
DOSPageCount 5
DOSSiteCount 100
DOSPageInterval 1
DOSSiteInterval 1
DOSBlockingPeriod 600
</IfModule>

Comes with a perl script to test it also.

vps:/etc/apache2/mods-available# perl /usr/share/doc/libapache2-mod-evasive/examples/test.pl
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden
HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden
HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden
HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden

libapache2-mod-line-edit – search-and-replace line editor module for apache 2

mod_line_edit is a general-purpose apache 2 filter for text documents. It operates as a simple on-the-fly line editor, applying search-and-replace rules defined in a configuration or .htaccess file. Both simple text and regular expression search and replace are supported.

Example:

SetOutputFilter    line-editor
SetEnv    LineEdit “text/plain;text/css;text/html”
LELineEnd ANY
LERewriteRule https?://(www\.)?example\.com http://example-development.yoursite.co.nz Ri

Throw something like that into your or somewhere and you instantly fixed all those problem URLS on your development system, without touching the source files at all.
This is ideal to stop/prevent people exploiting various holes in web applications and inserting javascript redirects etc.

Please note: the name of all these modules is debian/ubuntu related. Centos or RedHat based distros may have another name for the same modules. If you need any of these installed just drop an email into the support box and let us know.