* docs: update SSL config with ECDSA keys, TLS 1.2+, Let's Encrypt Refs #220 Signed-off-by: Thomas Vincent <thomasvincent@gmail.com> * docs(ssl): fix RHEL certbot install and note Debian cert paths certbot ships only in EPEL on RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux, so the dnf install fails on a stock host without epel-release first. The self-signed commands use the RHEL /etc/pki paths while the Apache block references Debian /etc/ssl paths; add a note so Debian/Ubuntu users write the cert where Apache expects it. Signed-off-by: Thomas Vincent <thomasvincent@gmail.com> --------- Signed-off-by: Thomas Vincent <thomasvincent@gmail.com>
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Configuring SSL for Cacti
Enabling HTTPS for Cacti is done at the web server level. This page covers self-signed certificates for internal use and Let's Encrypt for public-facing servers.
Note
: If using multiple Data Collectors, all must have HTTPS enabled for the remote polling feature to work correctly.
Self-Signed Certificate (Internal Use)
Self-signed certificates are suitable for internal networks where you control the clients. Use ECDSA (secp384r1) for best performance, or RSA 4096 if your environment requires RSA.
ECDSA (recommended)
# RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
dnf install -y mod_ssl
# Generate a 384-bit EC private key and self-signed certificate (valid 3 years)
openssl req -x509 -nodes -newkey ec -pkeyopt ec_paramgen_curve:P-384 \
-keyout /etc/pki/tls/private/cacti.key \
-out /etc/pki/tls/certs/cacti.crt \
-days 1095 \
-subj "/CN=cacti.example.com" \
-addext "subjectAltName=DNS:cacti.example.com"
chmod 600 /etc/pki/tls/private/cacti.key
RSA (alternative)
# 4096-bit RSA — use when EC is not supported by your TLS client pool
openssl req -x509 -nodes -newkey rsa:4096 \
-keyout /etc/pki/tls/private/cacti.key \
-out /etc/pki/tls/certs/cacti.crt \
-days 1095 \
-subj "/CN=cacti.example.com" \
-addext "subjectAltName=DNS:cacti.example.com"
chmod 600 /etc/pki/tls/private/cacti.key
Debian/Ubuntu paths: the commands above use the RHEL layout (
/etc/pki/tls/...). On Debian/Ubuntu, write the key and certificate to/etc/ssl/private/cacti.keyand/etc/ssl/certs/cacti.crtinstead, to match the ApacheSSLCertificateKeyFile/SSLCertificateFilepaths shown below.
Key size: RSA 2048-bit is below NIST SP 800-131A Rev 2 guidance for long-term use. Use 4096-bit RSA or an ECDSA key.
Apache Configuration
Update /etc/httpd/conf.d/ssl.conf (RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux) or
/etc/apache2/sites-available/cacti-ssl.conf (Debian/Ubuntu):
<VirtualHost *:443>
ServerName cacti.example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/cacti
SSLEngine on
# RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux cert paths:
# SSLCertificateFile /etc/pki/tls/certs/cacti.crt
# SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/pki/tls/private/cacti.key
# Debian/Ubuntu cert paths:
SSLCertificateFile /etc/ssl/certs/cacti.crt
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/ssl/private/cacti.key
# Require TLS 1.2 or 1.3; TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are prohibited (RFC 8996)
SSLProtocol -all +TLSv1.2 +TLSv1.3
# TLS 1.2 cipher suites -- no RC4, 3DES, or export ciphers
SSLCipherSuite ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:\
ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:\
ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305
SSLHonorCipherOrder on
# TLS 1.3 cipher suites (SSLCipherSuite does not apply to TLS 1.3)
SSLOpenSSLConfCmd Ciphersuites TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256:TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
</VirtualHost>
# Optional: redirect HTTP to HTTPS (uncomment to enable)
#<VirtualHost *:80>
# ServerName cacti.example.com
# Redirect permanent / https://cacti.example.com/
#</VirtualHost>
Restart Apache after editing:
apachectl configtest
systemctl restart httpd # RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
systemctl restart apache2 # Debian/Ubuntu
Let's Encrypt (Public-Facing Servers)
For servers reachable from the internet, use Let's Encrypt for a browser-trusted certificate at no cost.
RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
# certbot ships in EPEL on RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux, not in BaseOS/AppStream
dnf install -y epel-release
dnf install -y certbot python3-certbot-apache
certbot --apache -d cacti.example.com
Debian/Ubuntu
apt-get install -y certbot python3-certbot-apache
certbot --apache -d cacti.example.com
Certbot configures Apache and sets up automatic renewal. Verify auto-renewal works:
certbot renew --dry-run
Verifying the Configuration
After restarting Apache, confirm TLS is working and that weak protocols are disabled:
# Check the certificate and protocol support
openssl s_client -connect cacti.example.com:443 -tls1_2 < /dev/null
openssl s_client -connect cacti.example.com:443 -tls1 < /dev/null # should fail
For a comprehensive scan, use SSL Labs on
public servers or testssl.sh on internal hosts:
# testssl.sh (download from https://testssl.sh/)
./testssl.sh cacti.example.com
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