EST. 2026 — Notes from real server work SYSADMIN · SECURITY · AI · DIRECTADMIN Issue 01
THE SYSADMIN ALMANAC
Home / Tags / CVE
CVE

#CVE

7 articles
Security
Build APM on Windows: Apache + PHP 8.4 + MariaDB Series Index
Web

Build APM on Windows: Apache + PHP 8.4 + MariaDB Series Index

A 7-part series on compiling Apache 2.4.69, PHP 8.4.27 and MariaDB 11.8.9 from source on Windows 11, so when PHP releases a security patch, I can change the version number in one file and rebuild within a day. This page covers the contents, overview, time, disk space and three-command shortcut.

#devops#php#apache#mariadb
9 min read·22 Oct
Build APM on Windows, Part 7: Deploy, Run, and Apply Security Patches
Web

Build APM on Windows, Part 7: Deploy, Run, and Apply Security Patches

The final part of the series on building Apache + PHP + MariaDB on Windows. Install into C:\APM, start and test it for the first time, open it to the LAN safely, walk through six real bugs (PidFile, MariaDB plugins, the DB port, the ASLR 500, paths with spaces and brackets), and cover the procedure for the next security release.

#devops#windows#apache#php
20 min read·22 Oct
Build APM on Windows, Part 1: Prepare Tools and Unpack the Build Kit
Web

Build APM on Windows, Part 1: Prepare Tools and Unpack the Build Kit

The first part of a series on building Apache + PHP 8.4 + MariaDB yourself on Windows. Install Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools with the required components, Git, CMake, Ninja and PowerShell 7, configure Defender, unpack the build kit into C:\apm-build, then examine the folders, versions.json and the lib.ps1 and build-all.ps1 scripts line by line.

#windows#devops#powershell#cpp
14 min read·22 Oct
Two Critical PHP RCE Flaws (php2shell): Patch Today
Security

Two Critical PHP RCE Flaws (php2shell): Patch Today

CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619 are PHP RCE vulnerabilities with a CVSS score of 9.2 and public exploits already available. They affect every machine using PHP to handle web requests. The patched versions are 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, and 8.2.35. This note covers version checks, updates on Debian, RHEL, DirectAdmin, Docker, and Windows, and temporary settings while waiting for patches.

#cve#php#security#rce
10 min read·22 Oct
nginx heap overflow spans 15 years—version checks aren't enough
Security

nginx heap overflow spans 15 years—version checks aren't enough

CVE-2026-42533 affects nginx versions 0.9.6 through 1.31.2, spanning 15 years, but actual exposure depends on the config, not the version. The problem is that news reports describe narrower conditions than the real ones. Checking against those reports can return "safe" even when the config still meets the conditions.

#security#nginx#cve#vulnerability
9 min read·16 Jul
Read-only Debian shared-host security audit — avoid banning yourself
Security

Read-only Debian shared-host security audit — avoid banning yourself

Audit the security of a Debian server running DirectAdmin in read-only mode first — but the first trap is that scan traffic itself triggers CSF's brute-force rules and gets your own IP banned. This article lays out a safe audit sequence + areas to check in 2024-2026

#security#hardening#csf#cve
9 min read·16 Jul
DA Migration Finale — Security Fixes and Hardening After Stabilizing
Security

DA Migration Finale — Security Fixes and Hardening After Stabilizing

Wrapping up the cross-distro DirectAdmin migration series with security work after the server stabilized — sudoers wildcard CVE, OpenSSL SECLEVEL, ModSec exclusions before CRS, a csfpost drop-in, and 5 layers that survive DA updates

#security#hardening#directadmin#modsecurity
12 min read·20 May