Setting up a Web Application Firewall (WAF) on Windows 7 using Apache version 2.4.46 (XAMPP) can be accomplished using the following steps:
- Download and install ModSecurity for Apache
- Download the ModSecurity module for Apache from its website
Extract the ZIP file and copy the "mod_security2.so" file to the Apache modules directory (e.g. "C:\xampp\apache\modules")
Edit Apache configuration file
- Open the "httpd.conf" file located in the "conf" folder of your Apache installation (e.g. "C:\xampp\apache\conf")
- Add the following lines at the end of the file:
LoadModule security2module modules/modsecurity2.so
Include conf/modsecurity.conf
- Create and configure a ModSecurity rules file
- Create a new file named "modsecurity.conf" in the "conf" folder of your Apache installation
- Add the following lines to the file to enable ModSecurity:
SecRuleEngine On
SecRequestBodyAccess On
- Add further rules as needed to protect your web application against known vulnerabilities
- Test the Web Application Firewall
- Restart Apache and test your web application to verify that the Web Application Firewall is active and protecting it against known vulnerabilities
Note: Additional customization may be necessary to properly configure the Web Application Firewall for your specific web application. Consult the ModSecurity documentation for more information.