ModSecurity is an awesome multi-purpose, open source, cross-platform web application firewall (WAF). The firewall lets web application defenders gain visibility into HTTP(S) traffic and provides a power rules language and API to implement advanced protections.
ModSecurity provides powerful, customizable protection for web applications and websites. There are more than 10,000 deployments of ModSecurity. With good reason, i’s our gold award winner for web application firewalls.
With excellent real-time web application monitoring, logging, and access control, the software gives the system administrator the visibility they need to help sleep peacefully at night.
Features include:
- Powerful and flexible with a solid rule language.
- Real-time application security monitoring and access control. It uses full request and response buffering.
- Full HTTP traffic logging – log raw transaction data with the flexibility of deciding which transactions are logged.
- Continuous passive security assessment – a variation of real-time monitoring.
- Web application hardening – attack surface reduction letting you narrow down the HTTP features you accept.
- Virtual patching – fix issues without having to modify the web applications.
- Two deployment options: embedded and reverse proxy deployment. ModSecurity is an Apache module, so it can be added to any compatible version of Apache. In this mode, ModSecurity runs inside the webserver process.
- Passive – it doesn’t interact with a transaction unless it’s instructed to.
- Support for Lua.
- Logs include:
- Debug log;
- Serial and concurrent audit logs;
- Remote logging with mlogc (ModSecurity Log Collector);
- File upload interception;
- Guardian log.
- libModSecurity is fully compatible with OWASP CRS and Trustwave Commercial rules.
- Data persistence
- Support for anomaly scoring and basic event correlation.
- Support for web applications and session IDs.
- XML support (parsing, validation, XPath).
- Version 3 doesn’t depend on Apache nor Apache Runtime.
Website: www.modsecurity.org
Support: GitHub Code Repository, FAQ, ModSecurity Handbook: Getting Started 2ed Online
Developer: Trustwave’s SpiderLabs Team
License: Apache License 2.0
ModSecurity is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Return to Best Free Web Application Firewalls
Popular series | |
---|---|
The largest compilation of the best free and open source software in the universe. Each article is supplied with a legendary ratings chart helping you to make informed decisions. | |
Hundreds of in-depth reviews offering our unbiased and expert opinion on software. We offer helpful and impartial information. | |
The Big List of Active Linux Distros is a large compilation of actively developed Linux distributions. | |
Replace proprietary software with open source alternatives: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Autodesk, Oracle, Atlassian, Corel, Cisco, Intuit, and SAS. | |
Awesome Free Linux Games Tools showcases a series of tools that making gaming on Linux a more pleasurable experience. This is a new series. | |
Machine Learning explores practical applications of machine learning and deep learning from a Linux perspective. We've written reviews of more than 40 self-hosted apps. All are free and open source. | |
New to Linux? Read our Linux for Starters series. We start right at the basics and teach you everything you need to know to get started with Linux. | |
Alternatives to popular CLI tools showcases essential tools that are modern replacements for core Linux utilities. | |
Essential Linux system tools focuses on small, indispensable utilities, useful for system administrators as well as regular users. | |
Linux utilities to maximise your productivity. Small, indispensable tools, useful for anyone running a Linux machine. | |
Surveys popular streaming services from a Linux perspective: Amazon Music Unlimited, Myuzi, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal. | |
Saving Money with Linux looks at how you can reduce your energy bills running Linux. | |
Home computers became commonplace in the 1980s. Emulate home computers including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX81, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. | |
Now and Then examines how promising open source software fared over the years. It can be a bumpy ride. | |
Linux at Home looks at a range of home activities where Linux can play its part, making the most of our time at home, keeping active and engaged. | |
Linux Candy reveals the lighter side of Linux. Have some fun and escape from the daily drudgery. | |
Getting Started with Docker helps you master Docker, a set of platform as a service products that delivers software in packages called containers. | |
Best Free Android Apps. We showcase free Android apps that are definitely worth downloading. There's a strict eligibility criteria for inclusion in this series. | |
These best free books accelerate your learning of every programming language. Learn a new language today! | |
These free tutorials offer the perfect tonic to our free programming books series. | |
Linux Around The World showcases usergroups that are relevant to Linux enthusiasts. Great ways to meet up with fellow enthusiasts. | |
Stars and Stripes is an occasional series looking at the impact of Linux in the USA. |