Does CloudPanel Support ModSecurity? How to Enable It?

[Nemesis]

Does CloudPanel come with ModSecurity support out of the box? If not, how can I install and enable ModSecurity on a server running CloudPanel?

 

[Rootali]

CloudPanel does not include ModSecurity by default, as it’s designed to be lightweight and performance-focused. However, if you need Web Application Firewall (WAF) capabilities like ModSecurity, you can install and configure it manually.

What is ModSecurity?​

ModSecurity is an open-source WAF (Web Application Firewall) that protects your applications from common threats like:

• SQL injection
• Cross-site scripting (XSS)
• Path traversal
• And many more

Can You Use ModSecurity with CloudPanel?​

Yes — but it requires manual setup. CloudPanel uses Nginx (not Apache), so you’ll need to install ModSecurity as an Nginx module or use ModSecurity v3 (libmodsecurity).

How to Install ModSecurity with Nginx (CloudPanel)​

Important: This process requires advanced knowledge of Linux and may require compiling Nginx from source. Not officially supported by CloudPanel.

Step-by-Step:​

1. Install Dependencies:

2. sudo apt update
   sudo apt install git build-essential libpcre3 libpcre3-dev libssl-dev zlib1g-dev

3. 
   
   
4. Install ModSecurity v3:

5. cd /usr/src
   git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SpiderLabs/ModSecurity
   cd ModSecurity
   git submodule init
   git submodule update
   ./build.sh
   ./configure
   make
   sudo make install

6. 
   
   
7. Compile Nginx with ModSecurity module (optional if needed)
   You may need to recompile Nginx with the

   --add-module=/path/to/ModSecurity-nginx.

8. Download OWASP CRS (Rule Set):

9. cd /etc/nginx
   git clone https://github.com/coreruleset/coreruleset.git

   
   
10. Configure ModSecurity in Nginx:Add this inside your server block:

11. modsecurity on;
    modsecurity_rules_file /etc/nginx/modsec/main.conf;

    
    
12. Restart Nginx:
    

    sudo systemctl restart nginx

Alternative: Use Cloudflare WAF​

If manual installation feels too complex, a simpler and CloudPanel-friendly alternative is to use Cloudflare’s WAF, which:

• Integrates easily with CloudPanel
• Offers DDoS protection and WAF rules
• Requires no server-side configuration

Summary:​

• ModSecurity is not built into CloudPanel
• You can install it manually (advanced users)
• Easier option: Use Cloudflare or Sucuri as external WAF solutions