Smarts NCM: How to disable Non-Essential Apache Modules in Device Servers for Security purposes.

Products

• VMware Smart Assurance

Environment

VMware Smart Assurance - NCM

Resolution

This only applies to Apache 2.2

Windows  

1. Stop Apache Server 
2. Goto the Httpd file location.Default location is   

C:\Program Files (x86)\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf\httpd.conf 

1. Take the backup of the original httpd.conf file.
2. Disable the modules in both AS and DS servers. Below modules can be disabled

LoadModule actions_module modules/mod_actions.so
LoadModule asis_module modules/mod_asis.so
LoadModule auth_basic_module modules/mod_auth_basic.so
LoadModule authn_default_module modules/mod_authn_default.so
LoadModule authn_file_module modules/mod_authn_file.so
LoadModule authz_default_module modules/mod_authz_default.so
LoadModule authz_groupfile_module modules/mod_authz_groupfile.so
LoadModule authz_user_module modules/mod_authz_user.so
LoadModule include_module modules/mod_include.so
LoadModule isapi_module modules/mod_isapi.so (applicable for windows only)
 

1. Start the Apache Service  - service should start without any errors. 
2. Launch NCM UI 

 
Linux
 

1. Stop the apache httpd service.

 service httpd restart
 

1. Goto the httpd.conf default location,

CENTOS 7.0 -- /etc/httpd/conf.module.d/00-*.conf (usually 00-base.conf has the modules that can be disabled)
RHEL 6 -- /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf 

1. Take the backup of the original file to be modified
2. Disable the following modules in AS and DS servers

LoadModule actions_module modules/mod_actions.so
LoadModule asis_module modules/mod_asis.so
LoadModule auth_basic_module modules/mod_auth_basic.so
LoadModule authn_default_module modules/mod_authn_default.so
LoadModule authn_file_module modules/mod_authn_file.so
LoadModule authz_default_module modules/mod_authz_default.so
LoadModule authz_groupfile_module modules/mod_authz_groupfile.so
LoadModule authz_user_module modules/mod_authz_user.so
LoadModule include_module modules/mod_include.so
LoadModule isapi_module modules/mod_isapi.so (applicable for windows only)
 

1. Start the apache httpd service

Service httpd restart   service should start without any errors 

1. Launch NCM UI