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apache cgi htaccess

How to Enable Additional CGI Scripts

Last modified: September 28, 2020

Warning:
  • This document describes an unsupported workaround that we do not guarantee will work in the future.
  • This workaround does not work on systems that run EasyApache 4. Use the Global Configuration section of WHM’s Apache Configuration interface (WHM » Home » Service Configuration » Apache Configuration) instead and select the following options in the Directory “/” Options section:
    • ExecCGI
    • FollowSymLinks
    • Includes
    • IncludesNOEXEC
    • Indexes
    • SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
  • For security reasons, we strongly recommend that you do not use CGI scripts in directories other than the cgi-bin directory.
  • Only perform the steps that this document describes if all other available solutions fail.
  • We strongly encourage you to back up your server before you perform this action.

Overview

Apache version 2.2 allows you to use CGI scripts in directories other than the cgi-bin directory. To prevent the use of CGI scripts in directories other than the cgi-bin, you must disable the ability of individual .htaccess files to override the server settings.

Apache version 2.4 prevents the use of CGI scripts in directories other than the cgi-bin directory. To use CGI scripts in other directories, you must enable the ability of individual .htaccess files to override the server settings.

Change the CGI script availability

Read the below sections for directions about how to prevent the use of CGI scripts, or restore the default settings.

Apache version 2.2

Disable CGI though .htaccess

To disable CGI through .htaccess, perform the following steps:

  1. Log in to your server as the root user via SSH.

  2. Change to the /usr/local/apache/conf/ directory.

  3. Create a backup of your httpd.conf file. For example: 

    cp httpd.conf httpd-old.conf
    Note:
    In this example, http-old.conf represents the backup file’s name.

  4. Open your http.conf file with a text editor and locate the section of the file that resembles the following example:

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    <Directory "/">
    Options +ExecCGI +FollowSymLinks +Includes +IncludesNOEXEC +Indexes -MultiViews +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
    AllowOverride All
</Directory>

  5. Change the AllowOverride line’s value from All to None.

  6. Run the distiller to update the settings. To do this, run the following command: 

    /usr/local/cpanel/bin/apache_conf_distiller –update

Your server now only allows CGI scripts to run in the cgi-bin directories.

Apache version 2.4

Remember:
Do not use this method for systems that run EasyApache 4. Use the Global Configuration section of WHM’s Apache Configuration interface (WHM » Home » Service Configuration » Apache Configuration » Global Configuration) instead.

Enable CGI through .htaccess

To enable CGI through .htaccess, perform the following steps:

  1. Log in to your server as the root user via SSH.

  2. Change to the /usr/local/apache/conf/ directory.

  3. Create a backup of your httpd.conf file. For example: 

    cp httpd.conf httpd-old.conf
    Note:
    In this example, http-old.conf represents the backup file’s name.

  4. Open your http.conf file with a text editor and locate the section of the file that resembles the following example: 

    1
2
3
4

    <Directory "/">
    Options +ExecCGI +FollowSymLinks +Includes +IncludesNOEXEC +Indexes -MultiViews +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
    AllowOverride None
</Directory>

  5. Change the AllowOverride line’s value from None to All.

  6. Run the distiller to update the settings. To do this, run the following command: 

    /usr/local/cpanel/bin/apache_conf_distiller –update

Your server now allows CGI scripts to run in all directories.

Restore the .htaccess file original setting

To restore the .htaccess files to their original setting, perform the following steps:

  1. Log in to your server via SSH as the root user.

  2. Change to the /usr/local/apache/conf/ directory.

  3. Restore the original httpd.conf file. To do this, run the following command: 

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    rm httpd.conf
mv httpd-old.conf httpd.conf
    Remember:
    In this example, http-old.conf represents the backup file’s name.

  4. Run the distiller to update the settings. To do this, run the following command. 

    /usr/local/cpanel/bin/apache_conf_distiller –update

You have restored the .htaccess files to their default setting.

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