# owasp-modsecurity/modsecurity

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9,513 stars · 1,721 forks · C++ · apache-2.0

## Links

- GitHub: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity
- Homepage: https://www.modsecurity.org
- awesome-repositories: https://awesome-repositories.com/repository/owasp-modsecurity-modsecurity.md

## Topics

`apache` `apache2` `modsecurity` `nginx` `waf`

## Description

ModSecurity is an open-source web application firewall and security engine. It functions as an HTTP traffic inspector and intrusion detection system that filters incoming web requests and responses against a set of security rules to block threats and prevent attacks on web servers.

The project provides a modular framework for implementing restrictive security policies and custom filtering logic. It identifies and blocks common injection attacks, such as cross-site scripting and SQL injection, while hardening web applications to reduce their overall attack surface.

Its broader capabilities include web traffic auditing, the ability to process XML content, and the identification of user location through database lookups. It also supports the execution of custom scripts to implement dynamic security behavior during request processing.

## Tags

### Security & Cryptography

- [HTTP Request Filtering](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/http-request-filtering.md) — Inspects and filters incoming HTTP requests against predefined security patterns to block malicious traffic.
- [Web Application Firewalls](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/web-application-firewalls.md) — A modular framework for implementing restrictive security policies and custom filtering logic on web servers.
- [Injection Prevention](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/injection-prevention.md) — Detects and blocks common Cross-Site Scripting and SQL injection patterns within web requests.
- [Intrusion Detection Systems](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/intrusion-detection-systems.md) — Monitors and logs malicious HTTP patterns to prevent unauthorized access to web applications.
- [Web Server Hardening](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/security/infrastructure-and-hardware/infrastructure-system-hardening/web-server-hardening.md) — Implements restrictive security policies and rules to reduce the overall attack surface of the web server. ([source](https://www.modsecurity.org/))
- [Web Application Security](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/web-application-security.md) — Defends web applications by filtering incoming HTTP traffic against security rules to block threats. ([source](https://www.modsecurity.org/developers/))
- [Session State Tracking](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/permission-systems/permission-request-workflows/observable-request-flows/request-state-tracking/session-state-tracking.md) — Maintains session and request metadata across multiple packets to identify complex, time-based attack patterns.
- [Security Auditing](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/security-cryptography/security-auditing.md) — Analyzes traffic patterns passively to identify vulnerabilities and assess security risks without blocking requests. ([source](https://www.modsecurity.org/))

### Part of an Awesome List

- [Injection Attacks](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/awesome-lists/security/injection-attacks.md) — Identifies and blocks common Cross-Site Scripting and SQL injection patterns within HTTP traffic. ([source](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/owasp-modsecurity/modsecurity@v3/master/README.md))
- [Security Auditing](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/awesome-lists/data/http-traffic-analysis/security-auditing.md) — Captures detailed HTTP transaction records for forensic analysis and vulnerability identification without blocking requests.

### Networking & Communication

- [Network Traffic Inspectors](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/network-traffic-inspectors.md) — Analyzes incoming web requests and responses to detect vulnerabilities and audit security postures.
- [HTTP Traffic Logging](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/networking-communication/http-clients/http-servers/http-traffic-logging.md) — Captures detailed records of all incoming and outgoing HTTP requests and responses for forensic analysis. ([source](https://www.modsecurity.org/))

### Software Engineering & Architecture

- [Request Interception Middleware](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/software-engineering-architecture/request-interception-middleware.md) — Implements an architectural pattern that intercepts web server requests to analyze and modify traffic before it reaches the application.
- [Custom Scripting Engines](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/software-engineering-architecture/custom-scripting-engines.md) — Provides an embedded environment for executing custom scripting logic and transformations during request processing. ([source](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/owasp-modsecurity/modsecurity@v3/master/README.md))

### Development Tools & Productivity

- [Request Lifecycle Scripts](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/lifecycle-script-execution/request-lifecycle-scripts.md) — Supports the execution of external custom scripts during the request lifecycle for complex security validation.

### System Administration & Monitoring

- [Audit Logging Systems](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/system-administration-monitoring/audit-logging-systems.md) — Provides an asynchronous framework for capturing and storing historical records of HTTP transactions for security auditing.