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Apache/httpd failed to start syntax error "modsec2.cpanel.conf: Could not open configuration file"

Steven Sublett
  • Updated

Symptoms

The webserver Apache/httpd is unable to start because of the below error messages.

 

Syntax error on line 270 of /etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:
Syntax error on line 32 of /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec2.conf:
Syntax error on line 29 of /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec/modsec2.cpanel.conf:
Could not open configuration file /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec_vendor_configs/OWASP/crs-setup.conf

 

Description 

If configuration files for the ModSecurity vendors are removed from the Apache configuration while still being enabled, it will cause configuration errors in the httpd.conf file. This issue can occur for many reasons but usually, the files are removed accidentally or because of an issue encountered on the server.

 

Workaround

To start Apache the Include files need to be disabled temporarily. Edit the below file with a text editor like vi, vim, or nano.

 

/etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec2.conf

 

Disable the Included line by adding a "#" at the beginning of the line:

 

# Include /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec/modsec2.cpanel.conf

 

Now Apache can be restarted successfully.

 

/scripts/restartsrv_httpd

 

The next step is to get the ModSecurity rules reinstalled.

 

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/modsec_vendor add http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/modsecurity-rules/meta_OWASP3.yaml

 

You will receive output similar to the below.

 

~ - p1 -# /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/modsec_vendor add http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/modsecurity-rules/meta_OWASP3.yaml
info [modsec_vendor] You have added the vendor “OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set V3.0”.

[OWASP3] OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set V3.0
           archive_url http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/modsecurity-rules/OWASP3_1501094486.zip
           description SpiderLabs OWASP curated ModSecurity rule set
              dist_md5 2697e62531ab49f3907d10049bfc18a0
           dist_sha512 cee19f6abb78e52f7ea51a4cfbc3783fa8e60d88f5ae8b959026eeafff4d0d49f0538daf9302c61df26209f28a1eebc0b0e2ddd02036411ab8dae3c2d464f5ef
          distribution OWASP3_1501094486
               enabled 1
             inst_dist OWASP3_1501094486
             installed 1
        installed_from http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/modsecurity-rules/meta_OWASP3.yaml
is_rpm
meta_vendor_cache_file /var/cpanel/modsec_vendors/meta_OWASP3.cache
        meta_yaml_file /var/cpanel/modsec_vendors/meta_OWASP3.yaml
                  name OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set V3.0
                  path /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec_vendor_configs/OWASP3
          progress_bar
            report_url https://www.modsecurity.org/rule_issue_report/cPanel/report/new
    supported_versions (12)
             vendor_id OWASP3
            vendor_url https://go.cpanel.net/modsecurityowasp

 

Afterward, the rules can be successfully enabled with the following command.

 

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/modsec_vendor enable-configs OWASP3

 

You will receive output similar to the below.

 

~ - p1 -# /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/modsec_vendor enable-configs OWASP3
(22 / 22)
info [modsec_vendor] You have enabled all of the configuration files for the vendor “OWASP3”.

 

Then finally uncomment the disabled line and restart Apache to return ModSecurity to normal operating mode. Edit file "/etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec2.conf" to remove the "#" on the Include line. Using the same method as earlier with vi, vim or nano.

 

Include /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec/modsec2.cpanel.conf

 

After saving the change, restart Apache one final time.

 

/scripts/restartsrv_httpd

 

Everything should be back to normal at this point and you are all set.

 

Additional

Additionally, if the missing file references a Third-Party vendor, you will need to substitute that vendor in the Vendor Add command.

 

For example, COMODO:

 

The error would look like this:

 

Syntax error on line 270 of /etc/apache2/conf/httpd.conf:
Syntax error on line 32 of /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec2.conf:
Syntax error on line 29 of /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec/modsec2.cpanel.conf:
Could not open configuration file /etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec_vendor_configs/comodo_apache/00_Init_Initialization.conf

 

So, to restore the vendor, run:

 

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/modsec_vendor add https://waf.comodo.com/doc/meta_comodo_apache.yaml

 

Take note of the vendor_id in the output, and use it in the next command:

 

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/modsec_vendor enable-configs comodo_apache

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