client denied by server configuration

[Paul Shultz]

I have been trying to resolve an issue for weeks now

Basically every WordPress site produces the error below when mod_security is enabled.

client denied by server configuration: /home/xxxxxx/public_html/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, referer: https://xxxxxx.comu/wp-admin/post.php?post=14&action=edit

- When I disable mod_security at cPanel per site, it has no effect these still come up in the error log
- When I disable mod_security at WHM level both the Connections Engine and Rules Engine it resolves the issue.

I am using OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set V3.0

Attached is my Easy Apache Profile, any help will be greatly appreciated

 

[GOT]

Yes those rules are known to cause a lot of issues and I rarely use them.

I normally use these

Deploy Comodo ModSecurity Rule Set in cPanel, Comodo Web Application Firewall v2.4, Firewall Software

 

[Paul Shultz]

Yes those rules are known to cause a lot of issues and I rarely use them.

I normally use these

Deploy Comodo ModSecurity Rule Set in cPanel, Comodo Web Application Firewall v2.4, Firewall Software

Thanks for that info. I will ditch the OWASP rules and will give the Comodo rules a go.

 

[cPanelLauren]

Hi @Paul Shultz

You might also want to identify the specific rules that are causing the issue and just disable those in WHM>>Security Center>>ModSecurity Tools -> Rules List

Something to keep in mind that while the Comodo ModSecurity Ruleset is great it is a 3rd party vendor and not something that cPanel is able to provide support for.

Thanks!

 

[Paul Shultz]

Just an update on this. The problem does not seem to mod_security at all.

The profile I had, which is built on mod_http2, mod_proxy and mod_mpm_worker ...., simply causes many log entries as per below

[:error] [pid 7795:tid 47939049174784] [client xx.xx.xx.xx:50435] client denied by server configuration: /home/xxxxxx/

Little or no log entries to diagnose further, so have reverted back to non mod_http2. Its a pitty I wanted to make use of http2, but cant find a profile that works.