# ModSecurity

Open-source web application firewall engine, with a C++ library that web server connectors call for each request.


Source: https://findsoftware.frbit.cloud/modsecurity/
Last reviewed: 2026-10-30
Listed since: 2026-10-30

## Record

### Links

- home: https://modsecurity.org/
- repository: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity
- docs: https://modsecurity.org/docs/
- x: https://x.com/ModSecurity

### Identity

- status: active
- maintainer: OWASP Foundation
- maintainerType: foundation
- parent: unknown
- firstRelease: 2002
- hqCountry: unknown

### Kind

- category: web-server
- hosting: binary
- language: cpp
- runtime: binary
- runtimeMin: unknown
- basedOn: unknown

### Content

- contentStore: not applicable
- databases: not applicable
- adminUi: not applicable
- headlessApi: not applicable
- templating: not applicable
- i18n: not applicable

### Rendering and deploy

- runsAs: unknown
- renderingModes: not applicable
- installMethod: autotools source build of libmodsecurity

### License

- licenseModel: open-source
- license: Apache-2.0

### Releases

- currentMajor: 3
- latestReleaseDate: 2026-09-29

### Adoption

- githubStargazers: 9844
- packagistDownloads: not applicable
- npmWeeklyDownloads: not applicable
- contributors: 98
- pluginCount: unknown
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- ecosystemsMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- httpArchiveSites: unknown
- wordpressActiveInstalls: unknown
- dependentRepos: unknown
- dependentPackages: unknown

### Sources

- urls: https://modsecurity.org/ (read 2026-10-30)
- urls: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity (read 2026-10-30)
- urls: https://modsecurity.org/docs/ (read 2026-10-30)
- maintainer: https://modsecurity.org/ (read 2026-10-30)
- category: https://modsecurity.org/docs/ (read 2026-10-30)
- language: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity (read 2026-10-30)
- runtime: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/blob/v3/master/README.md (read 2026-10-30)
- installMethod: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/blob/v3/master/README.md (read 2026-10-30)
- installMethod: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/blob/v3/master/README.md (read 2026-10-30)
- license: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/blob/v3/master/LICENSE (read 2026-10-30)
- licenseModel: https://modsecurity.org/ (read 2026-10-30)
- currentMajor: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.17 (read 2026-10-30)
- latestReleaseDate: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.17 (read 2026-10-30)
- firstRelease: https://modsecurity.org/history/ (read 2026-10-30)
- githubStargazers: https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity (read 2026-10-30)
- contributors: https://api.github.com/repos/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/contributors?per_page=1 (read 2026-10-30)

## Notes

ModSecurity is an open-source web application firewall engine, written in C++, that inspects HTTP traffic against rules written in its SecRules language. Version 3 is a standalone library that web server connectors call for each request, and the project maintains its NGINX and Apache connectors in separate repositories. Version 2 is the classic Apache module, which is also packaged for IIS. The library builds from source with autotools, and the README also describes a Windows build.

## Worth knowing

Two engine generations are maintained side by side. The project is maintained by OWASP after a commercial sponsor ended its support.

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Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attributes are recorded, never scored; absent means unknown.
Credit, in full: FindSoftware, CC BY 4.0