Mask "Server" header on RunCloud servers | Nginx

Introduction

In a Native Nginx + Custom Config web application stack, it is often desirable to customize the response headers sent by the Nginx web server. One common customization is changing the "Server" header to mask the server's identity for security reasons. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to change the Nginx server status in the response header.

Prerequisites: 

Before you proceed, ensure that you have a Native Nginx + Custom stack setup in place. Additionally, make sure that PHP is configured correctly if your web application requires it.

Step 1: 

Configure the "Server" Header Inside your Nginx configuration file, locate the appropriate location block where you want to customize the "Server" header. To remove the server version information and set a custom "Server" header, add the following lines:

location / {
  server_tokens off;
  more_set_headers 'Server: My Very Own Server';
  # Your other location configuration goes here.
  }
  

This code snippet turns off server version information and sets the "Server" header to "My Very Own Server." Adjust the location block to match your specific configuration.

Step 2:

Configure PHP (If Required) If your web application relies on PHP, you need to configure Nginx to handle PHP files. Add the following code block within a location block dedicated to PHP processing (e.g., location ~ .php$ { ... }):

location ~ .php$ {
  include fastcgi_params;
  fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME
  $realpath_root$fastcgi_script_name;
  fastcgi_param DOCUMENT_ROOT $realpath_root;
  fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/Webapp_name.sock;
  # Additional FastCGI and PHP configuration goes here.
  } 
  

Make sure to replace /var/run/Webapp_name.sock with the correct path to your PHP-FPM socket file.

Step 3: 

Save and Restart Nginx After making the necessary changes, save the Nginx configuration file and exit the text editor. Then, test the configuration for syntax errors:

sudo nginx -t

If there are no errors, reload Nginx to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Conclusion: 

In a Native Nginx + Custom Config web application stack, customizing Nginx's response headers is a common task. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can change the "Server" header and configure PHP if needed. This helps enhance your website's security and maintain a tailored server identity.