Learn how to set up CSF on Virtualizor. Our Virtualizor Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

How to Set Up CSF on Virtualizor

CSF is short for ConfigServer Firewall. It is a firewall configuration script that boosts the security of the server.

It offers a user-friendly interface for managing firewall settings. Also, it lets us lock down public access to services and permit only specific connections.

CSF is popular for its ease of use and advanced security features.

To simplify security management, CSF can be integrated into Virtualizor. However, to use CSF with Virtualizor, we need a Professional License.

Once we have the license, we can easily access CSF through the Admin panel by going to Firewall > ConfigServer (CSF).

How to Set up CSF

1. To begin with, run these commands to install CSF:

   cd /usr/src
rm -fv csf.tgz
wget https://download.configserver.com/csf.tgz
tar -xzf csf.tgz
cd csf
sh install.sh

2. Then, configure CSF by editing the configuration files. We have to edit `csf.allow` to add our static IP or VPN IP:

   sudo nano /etc/csf/csf.allow

   Also, edit the main configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/csf/csf.conf

   Some of the key settings to change include:

   • Set `TESTING = “1”` to `TESTING = “0”` to activate the firewall.
   • Change `TCP_IN` to include only the ports we need, like:

     TCP_IN = "4083,4085"
   • Then, save the changes and exit.
3. Now, add the following line to `csfpost.sh` to make sure CSF works with Virtualizor:

   sudo nano /etc/csf/csfpost.sh
/sbin/iptables -A FORWARD -m physdev --physdev-is-bridged -j ACCEPT

   For IPv6, add:

   /sbin/ip6tables -A FORWARD -m physdev --physdev-is-bridged -j ACCEPT
4. Then, reload CSF:

   sudo csf -r

Furthermore, we have to configure the forwarding rule for `iptables` in `csfpost.sh` when setting up CSF on a node.

1. First, create or edit `csfpost.sh`:

   sudo nano /etc/csf/csfpost.sh
2. Then, add these lines to the file:

   #!/bin/bash
/sbin/iptables -A FORWARD -m physdev --physdev-is-bridged -j ACCEPT
service libvirtd restart

3. Next, save the changes and restart CSF:

   sudo csf -r

Troubleshooting VM Network Issues with CSF

If the VM network goes down after enabling CSF, it may be due to CSF blocking the network on some operating systems that use `nftables`. We can fix this, with these steps:

1. To begin with, open the `csfpost.sh` file:

   vi /etc/csf/csfpost.sh
2. Then, add these lines to `csfpost.sh`:

   #!/bin/bash
iptables -P FORWARD ACCEPT
3. Now, save and exit the file. Then, restart CSF from the admin panel.

After these steps, the VM network should function correctly.

Furthermore, we need to replace the built-in firewall on the server in order to use CSF effectively. Here’s how to do it on CentOS:

sudo yum install unzip perl-libwww-perl bind-utils wget nano

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Conclusion

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to set up CSF on Virtualizor.