TUX.RE Forum

Posted: **Sat Apr 25, 2026 10:59 am**

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.