Putting Apache in Jail (Page 1 of 5 )
In this conclusion to a six-part series on Apache configuration and installation, you will learn how to use chroot to put Apache in jail, how to prepare PHP to work in jail, and more. This article is excerpted from chapter two of
Apache Security, written by Ivan Ristic (O'Reilly; ISBN: 0596007248). Copyright © 2006 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission from the publisher. Available from booksellers or direct from O'Reilly Media.
Using chroot to Put Apache in Jail
Now that you know the basics of using chroot to put a process in jail and you are familiar with tools required to facilitate the process, we can take the steps required to put Apache in jail. Start by creating a new home for Apache and move the version installed (shown in the “Installation Instructions” section) to the new location:
# mkdir -p /chroot/apache/usr/local
# mv /usr/local/apache /chroot/apache/usr/ local
# ln
-s /chroot/apache/usr/local/apache / usr/local/apache
# mkdir -p /chroot/apache/var
# mv /var/www /chroot/apache/var/
# ln
-s /chroot/apache/var/www /var/www
The symbolic link from the old location to the new one allows the web server to be used with or without being jailed as needed and allows for easy web server upgrades.
Like other programs, Apache depends on many shared libraries. The ldd tool gives their names (this ldd output comes from an Apache that has all default modules built-in statically):
# ldd /chroot/apache/usr/local/apache/bin/httpd
libm.so.6 => /lib/tls/libm.so.6 (0x005e7000)
libcrypt.so.1 => /lib/libcrypt.so.1 (0x00623000)
libgdbm.so.2 => /usr/lib/libgdbm.so.2 (0x00902000)
libexpat.so.0 => /usr/lib/libexpat.so.0 (0x00930000)
libdl.so.2 => /lib/libdl.so.2 (0x0060b000)
libc.so.6 => /lib/tls/libc.so.6 (0x004ac000)
/lib/ld-linux.so.2 => /lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0x00494000)
This is a long list; we make copies of these libraries in the jail:
# mkdir /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /lib/tls/libm.so.6 /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /lib/libcrypt.so.1 /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /usr/lib/libgdbm.so.2 /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /usr/lib/libexpat.so.0 /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /lib/libdl.so.2 /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /lib/tls/libc.so.6 /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /lib/ld-linux.so.2 /chroot/apache/lib
Putting user, group, and name resolution files in jail
Though the httpd user exists on the system (you created it as part of the installation earlier); there is nothing about this user in the jail. The jail must contain the basic user authentication facilities:
# mkdir /chroot/apache/etc
# cp /etc/nsswitch.conf /chroot/apache/etc/
# cp /lib/libnss_files.so.2 /chroot/apache/lib
The jail user database needs to contain at least one user and one group. Use the same name as before and use the identical user and group numbers inside and outside the jail. The filesystem stores user and group numbers to keep track of ownership. It is a job of the ls binary to get the usernames from the user list and show them on the screen. If there is one user list on the system and another in the jail with different user numbers, directory listings will not make much sense.
# echo "httpd:x:500:500:Apache:/:/sbin/nologin" > /chroot/apache/etc/passwd
# echo "httpd:x:500:" > /chroot/apache/etc/group
At this point, Apache is almost ready to run and would run and serve pages happily. A few more files are needed to enable domain name resolution:
# cp /lib/libnss_dns.so.2 /chroot/apache/lib
# cp /etc/hosts /chroot/apache/etc
# cp /etc/resolv.conf /chroot/apache/etc
Next: Finishing touches for Apache jail preparation >>
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 This article is excerpted from chapter two of Apache Security, written by Ivan Ristic (O'Reilly; ISBN: 0596007248). Check it out today at your favorite bookstore. Buy this book now.
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