ModSecurity Breach

ModSecurity v2.5 is now available. Some of the new features include: parallel text matching, Geo IP resolution, credit card number detection, support for content injection, automated rule updates, scripting, as well as many others.
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News and Updates

ModSecurity v2.5.12
(Feb 4, 2010)
ModSecurity v2.5.12 (change log) has been released. This release fixes several important issues to help prevent a detection bypass and denial of service attacks against ModSecurity. Many thanks to the Sogeti/ESEC R&D team for sending us the results of their code review. In addition, this release fixes quite a few small but notable bugs and includes the latest Core Ruleset (v2.0.5).

ModSecurity v2.5.11
(Nov 6, 2009)
ModSecurity v2.5.11 (change log) has been released. This release fixes a multipart parsing issue that has the potential to allow bypassing the rules engine. This bypass can be avoided via some simple rules, however. Other changes include a rules update (CRS 2.0.3) and some minor cleanup in build, mlogc, persistence and the output filter ordering.

ModSecurity v2.5.10
(Sep 24, 2009)
ModSecurity v2.5.10 (change log) has been released. This release fixes a number of small issues. Notable issues that have been fixed are a cleaner build process, fixes to mlogc to build on Windows and allow more reliable SSL neg. to the console, less verbose logging when using anomaly scoring with CRS v2.x and a feature to allow easier use with Apache mpm-itk.

ModSecurity Core Rules v2.0
(July 31, 2009)
ModSecurity Core Rules v2.0 is now available. The ModSecurity Core Rules project is now its own OWASP project and discussions have moved from the mod-security-users mailing list to the new owasp-modsecurity-core-rule-set mailing list.


What Is ModSecurity?

ModSecurity is a web application firewall that can work either embedded or as a reverse proxy. It provides protection from a range of attacks against web applications and allows for HTTP traffic monitoring, logging and real-time analysis.

It is also an open source project that aims to make the web application firewall technology available to everyone.

Books

ModSecurity Handbook cover

ModSecurity Handbook is "The definitive guide to the popular open source web application firewall", written by Ivan Ristic. The book is available now for pre-order from Feisty Duck with immediate early access to the digital version which is continually updated.

Apache Security cover

Apache Security is a comprehensive Apache Security resource, written by Ivan Ristic for O'Reilly. Two chapters (Apache Installation and Configuration and PHP) are available as free download, as are the Apache security tools created for the book.

Preventing Web Attacks with Apache cover

Preventing Web Attacks with Apache. Building on his groundbreaking SANS presentations on Apache security, Ryan C. Barnett reveals why your Web servers represent such a compelling target, how significant exploits are performed, and how they can be defended against.

Breach

Support/Mailing lists

Community support is available on the mod-security-users/lists.sourceforge.net mailing list. You must subscribe first (by clicking here) in order to post. The list archives are available as News (NNTP), Threaded HTTP, Bloggy HTTP, and RSS.

Commercial support and appliances based on ModSecurity can be obtained from Breach Security.

Getting Started

 ModSecurity FAQ
Web Intrusion Detection with ModSecurity (ApacheCon Europe 2008)
Introducing ModSecurity
Introducing Core Rules
ModSecurity 2 Deployment
ModSecurity 2 Rule Language
Securing Web Services with ModSecurity 2
Ajax Fingerprinting and Filtering with ModSecurity 2

External Links

ModSecurity 2.0 with Ivan Ristic
ModSecurity is an open source web application firewall that runs as an Apache module, and version 2.0 offers many new features and improvements. Federico Biancuzzi interviewed Ivan Ristic to discuss the new logging system, events tracking and correlation, filtering AJAX or AFLAX applications, and just-in-time patching for closed source applications.

Web Application Firewalls Primer
Introduction to Web Application Firewalls, published in INSECURE Magazine 1.5.

Talks

Our talks are available for download following the links below:

Web Application Firewalls:
When Are They Useful?
(May 31, 2006)
ModSecurity Elevator Pitch
(February 20, 2006)
Threat Modelling for Web Applications
(January 27, 2006)
Apache Security Training
(October 27, 2005)
Web Intrusion Detection with ModSecurity
(October 27, 2005)
ModSecurity Status
Stable: 2.5.12 (4 Feb 2010)
Development: -

ModSecurity Blog

Nov 13, 2009
OWASP AppSec DC Update
I presented on the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set (CRS) Project yesterday here at the AppSec DC conf. The reception was good and there were a lot of great questions. For those interested, the PPT has been posted to the...

Jul 19, 2009
ModSecurity User Group Meeting at Blackhat USA 2009
Good news, Blackhat has introduced the concept of Breakout Briefings and I just got confirmation for a ModSecurity User Group meeting! So, if you are attending Blackhat, come to the Genoa room, Third Floor, at 10am on July 30th (the...

May 1, 2009
ModSecurity Training at Blackhat USA 2009
Just a quick note to let everyone know that a 2-day ModSecurity training class was added to the upcoming Blackhat USA 2009 conference in Las Vegase - http://www.blackhat.com/html/bh-usa-09/train-bh-usa-09-categories-appsec.html. This class will be focused on the ModSecurity Rules Language and using...

Mar 12, 2009
ModSecurity Vulnerabilities Fixed
ModSecurity versions 2.5.8 and 2.5.9 have been released to fix two vulnerabilities which could be used to cause a denial of service (DoS). The first vulnerability is fixed in version 2.5.8 and the second (as it was disclosed after version...

Jan 15, 2009
Why Did Our Web Application Crash? Leveraging WAF Logging Data
More Than A Blocking Device Unfortunately, most people have pigeon-holed WAFs as only "Attack Blocking Devices" and that is but one use-case option. This Blog post will highlight another interesting use-case/benefit of a web application firewall - capturing full HTTP...