Apache mod_userdir Tweak

For cPanel & WHM version 66

(Home >> Security Center >> Apache mod_userdir Tweak)

Overview

This interface allows you to disable the Apache mod_userdir module's functionality for your users.  

The Apache mod_userdir module

The Apache mod_userdir module allows for visitors to access a user's website via a URL that contains that user's username. For example:

https://host.example.com/~username
https://example.net/~username   
https://192.168.0.20/~username

Most servers use the Apache mod_userdir module as a temporary URL system that allows users to view their websites. This temporary URL system functions even if the system does not possess configured DNS or the domain does not yet point to the server.

Enable mod_userdir access

To enable mod_userdir access, perform the following steps:

1. Select the Enable mod_userdir Protection checkbox.

2. To enable mod_userdir functionality for specific hosts, select the appropriate Exclude Protection checkboxes.

   Important:

   This action allows all users to access content on the host via the Apache mod_userdir module. We recommend that you only enable mod_userdir functionality on the DefaultHost.

3. To only allow mod_userdir functionality for specific additional users to access these hosts, enter their usernames in the Additional Users text box.
   • Resellers can use this feature to allow their customers to access their own websites before DNS information propagates.
   • To enter multiple users, separate each account name with a space.
4. Click Save.

Example

You own the following three cPanel accounts: 

• Arthur's cPanel account (arthur) owns arthurexample.com
• Betty's cPanel account (betty) owns bettyexample.com
• Charles' cPanel account (charles) owns charlesexample.com

Arthur’s domain resolves, but Betty’s and Charles’ domains do not yet resolve.

To enable mod_userdir protection for the server to deny one user the ability to use another user's bandwidth, select the Enable mod_userdir Protection checkbox.

However, if you still want to allow Betty and Charles to use Arthur’s domain to see their sites, perform the following steps:

1. Do not select the checkbox next to arthurexample.com (Arthur)
2. Enter betty charles in the Additional Users text box.
3. Click Save.

Betty and Charles can browse their sites with the following URLs:

• https://arthurexample.com/~betty
• https://arthurexample.com/~charles

Shared SSL Certificates

If a shared SSL certificate exists for a virtual host on a shared IP address, you can share that SSL certificate with users on the same IP address. This allows users to access their sites securely without a browser warning.

For example, if an SSL certificate exists on host.example.com, select the Exclude Protection checkbox for the DefaultHost (nobody) host. This allows the username cPanel user to access the  https://host.example.com/~username URL.

Security Implications

We strongly recommend that you restrict mod_userdir functionality for most of your users. mod_userdir can expose potential security issues.

• Any user can access web content on domains that share an SSL certificate, which potentially allows one cPanel account to leech bandwidth from another cPanel account.
• The system accounts for bandwidth per-host rather than per-user. If a user access another user's content via mod_userdir, then the server will not record their bandwidth usage correctly. This can also potentially allow for one user to use the bandwidth of another. 

When you disable mod_userdir protection for a host, we recommend that you do not exclude the entire host, but rather exclude only specific users via the Additional Users text box.

Warnings

Enabled mod_userdir protection

Before you enable the Apache mod_userdir module, be aware of the following information:

• Java servlets do not work with mod_userdir-based URLs. This is because Tomcat requires you to add additional directives to the virtual host.

  Important:

  EasyApache 3 does not support Tomcat for new installations. EasyApache 4 does not support Tomcat and we do not plan to provide support in the future. 

• The CGI, FastCGI, and PHP-FPM PHP handlers do not allow you to use the Apache mod_userdir module.  Select the tabs below for directions on how to use this module:

  • EasyApache 3
  • EasyApache 4

  To use Apache's mod_userdir module, perform the following actions in WHM's  Apache mod_userdir Tweak  interface (Home >> Security Center >> Configure PHP and suEXEC):

  • Set the PHP Handler 5  option to  suphp.
  • Set the Apache suEXEC option to off.

  To use Apache's mod_userdir module, perform the following actions:

  • Make certain that the mod_suphp module is installed in the Apache Modules section of WHM's Apache mod_userdir Tweak (Home >> Software >> EasyApache 4).
  • Select suphp for each version of PHP installed on your system in the PHP Handlers section of WHM's MultiPHP INI Editor interface (Home >> Software >> MultiPHP Manager).

• open_basedir protection restricts PHP's access to the home directory of the user who owns the base domain, not the home directory of the user account that a visitor accesses. If you enable open_basedir protection in WHM's Apache mod_userdir Tweak interface (Home >> Security Center >> PHP open_basedir Tweak), visitors cannot access some sites via the mod_userdir module.

• Websites that use the mod_rewrite or other directives in their .htaccess files will not function correctly when visitors view them through mod_userdir URLs.

• If you enable Apache's mod_ruid2 module, then the mod_userdir module will not function correctly. For more information, read our Apache mod_userdir Tweak documentation.

  Warning:

  Under certain conditions, a user can attack another user's account if they access a malicious script through a mod_userdir URL.

The Symlink Race Condition Protection option

The following table describes when the Symlink Race Condition Protection option blocks mod_userdir access:

example.com/~username/file

192.168.0.20/~username/file

example.com/~username/dir

host.example.com/~username

Disabled mod_userdir protection

Before you disable mod_userdir protection, be aware of the following information:

• While this WHM feature allows you to restrict mod_userdir functionality, it does not remove the module itself. Some PCI compliance scans may still detect it.
• This feature does not list IP addresses because the mod_userdir module uses virtual hosts. 
  • You cannot use IP addresses to configure this feature. 
  • If you do not protect the default host, you can access the server's main IP address through the mod_userdir module in most cases.

  • If you attempt to provide protection on a dedicated IP address, the site's contents will still display when protection is enabled. To disable this behavior, open the  /etc/apache2/conf.d/includes/post_virtualhost_global.conf file with a text editor and add the following line:

    UserDir disabled

Additional documentation