Securing cPanel After Install

This guide is intended to give some basic steps on securing cPanel after the initial installation. Please see our Initial Setup Guide if you have not already completed it.

Under Main » Server Configuration » Tweak Settings, enable (E) or disable (D) the following options:

• Prevent users from parking/adding on common internet domains. (E)
• Attempt to prevent pop3 connection floods (E)
• Default catch-all/default address behavior for new accounts (Blackhole)
• Use jailshell as the default shell for all new accounts and modified accounts (E)
• Always redirect users to the ssl/tls ports when visiting /cpanel, /webmail, etc. (E)
  You must first generate server SSL certificates for your hostname at Main » Service Configuration » Manage Service SSL Certificates.
• BoxTrapper Spam Trap (D)
• Allow cPanel users to reset their password via email (D)
• Send passwords in plaintext over email when creating a new account (D)
• Only permit cpanel/whm/webmail to execute functions when the browser provides a referrer (E)

Under Main » Service Configuration » Apache Configuration » Global Configuration, perform the following:

• SSLCipherSuite: ALL:!ADH:RC4+RSA:+HIGH:+MEDIUM:-LOW:-SSLv2:-EXP
• TraceEnable: Off
• ServerSignature: Off
• ServerTokens: Product Only
• FileETag: None
• MaxRequestsPerChild: 1000

Also under Apache Configuration, use Modify Apache Memory Usage to manage child process memory handling.

First and foremost, we recommend enabling SuPHP for security reasons. Please see the following article: Enabling SuPHP.

Also recommended are the following PHP settings. Please be aware of the implications of each and their effect on your scripts (i.e. may break some poorly-coded/older scripts). The php configuration file, php.ini, can be edited inside the WHM under Main » Service Configuration » PHP Configuration Editor and switching to Advanced Mode.

• enable_dl = Off
• disable_functions = show_source, system, shell_exec, passthru, exec, phpinfo, popen, proc_open, allow_url_fopen
• register_globals = Off

Also consider enabling the Main » Security Center » PHP open_basedir Tweak.

Found under Main » Service Configuration » FTP Server Configuration:

• Allow Anonymous Logins: No
• Allow Anonymous Uploads: No
• Allow Logins with Root Password: No

• Main » Security Center » Shell Fork Bomb Protection (E)
• Main » System Health » Background Process Killer (E)
• Main » Security Center » Compiler Access (D)

We also recommend installing a firewall and bruteforce detection mechanism such as the free firewall CSF. Other options include APF+BFD, or custom iptables rulesets.