Installing Apache2, PHP, phpMyAdmin and ModSecurity on Debian 13

[Admin]

Installing Apache2, PHP, phpMyAdmin and ModSecurity on Debian 13

This guide shows how to install a complete web server stack on Debian 13, including:

• Apache2 (Web Server)
• PHP (Backend language)
• phpMyAdmin (Database management)
• ModSecurity (Web Application Firewall)

1. Update the System

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apt update && apt upgrade -y

2. Install Apache2

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apt install apache2 -y

Start and enable Apache:

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systemctl enable apache2
systemctl start apache2

Check status:

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systemctl status apache2

Test in browser:
http://your-server-ip


3. Install PHP

Debian 13 typically ships with PHP 8.4+

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apt install php php-cli php-fpm php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-xml php-mbstring php-zip php-intl -y

Enable PHP in Apache:

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a2enmod proxy_fcgi setenvif
a2enconf php*-fpm
systemctl reload apache2

Test PHP:

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echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" > /var/www/html/info.php

Open:
http://your-server-ip/info.php


4. Install MariaDB (Database)

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apt install mariadb-server -y

Secure installation:

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mysql_secure_installation

5. Install phpMyAdmin

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apt install phpmyadmin -y

During installation:

• Select Apache2
• Choose "Yes" for dbconfig-common

Enable phpMyAdmin manually if needed:

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ln -s /usr/share/phpmyadmin /var/www/html/phpmyadmin

Access in browser:
http://your-server-ip/phpmyadmin

6. Install ModSecurity (WAF)

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apt install libapache2-mod-security2 -y

Enable module:

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a2enmod security2
systemctl restart apache2

Check status:

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apache2ctl -M | grep security

7. Enable OWASP Core Rule Set

Install rules:

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apt install modsecurity-crs -y

Copy config:

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cp /usr/share/modsecurity-crs/crs-setup.conf.example /etc/modsecurity/crs/crs-setup.conf

Edit main config:

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nano /etc/modsecurity/modsecurity.conf

Change:

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SecRuleEngine DetectionOnly

to:

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SecRuleEngine On

Restart Apache:

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systemctl restart apache2

8. Recommended Security Settings

Edit Apache config:

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nano /etc/apache2/conf-available/security.conf

Set:

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ServerTokens Prod
ServerSignature Off

Enable headers module:

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a2enmod headers

Add security headers:

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Header always set X-Frame-Options "DENY"
Header always set X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"
Header always set X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"

Reload Apache:

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systemctl reload apache2

9. Firewall (Optional but Recommended)

If using UFW:

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ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp
ufw enable

10. Final Check

• Apache running
• PHP working (info.php test)
• MariaDB secured
• phpMyAdmin accessible
• ModSecurity active

Conclusion

You now have a fully functional and secured LAMP stack on Debian 13 with:

• Apache2 as web server
• PHP for dynamic content
• MariaDB database
• phpMyAdmin for easy management
• ModSecurity as Web Application Firewall

This setup is suitable for production environments, especially when combined with HTTPS (Let's Encrypt) and proper firewall rules.