ConfigServer Security & Firewall (CSF) is a popular firewall solution for servers running cPanel/WHM, DirectAdmin, Webmin, and other control panels. If your IP has been blacklisted by CSF, you may experience issues connecting to your server, such as being unable to access your website, emails, or the control panel. Here's how you can identify if CSF has blacklisted your IP and how to fix it:
- Check if your IP is blacklisted:
If you suspect that CSF has blacklisted your IP, try accessing your website or control panel from a different network, such as a mobile device on cellular data or a different Wi-Fi network. If you can access your website or control panel from the other network, it's likely that your IP has been blacklisted.
- Identify your public IP address:
To find your public IP address, visit a website like https://www.whatismyip.com/ or https://www.ipchicken.com/. This will display your public IP address, which you'll need to unblock in CSF.
- Access the server via SSH or an alternate IP:
To unblock your IP, you need to access your server either via SSH or an alternate IP address that hasn't been blacklisted. If you can't access the server using your current IP, try using a VPN or a proxy server to access your server with a different IP address.
- Unblock your IP in CSF:
Once you've accessed your server, follow these steps to unblock your IP:
a. For cPanel/WHM users, log in to WHM and navigate to "Plugins" > "ConfigServer Security & Firewall". In the "Quick Unblock" section, enter your IP address and click the "Quick Unblock" button.
b. For users accessing the server via SSH, run the following command, replacing "your_ip_address" with your actual IP address:
```
csf -dr your_ip_address
```
c. Additionally, you can remove the IP from the "deny" list in the CSF configuration. Open the CSF configuration file (typically located at /etc/csf/csf.deny) and remove the line containing your IP address. Save the file and restart CSF by running the following command:
csf -r
5. Whitelist your IP (optional):
To prevent your IP from being blocked in the future, consider whitelisting it in CSF. To do this, open the CSF configuration file (typically located at /etc/csf/csf.allow) and add your IP address on a new line. Save the file and restart CSF with the csf -r command.
- Review CSF settings:
If your IP was blocked due to a specific reason, such as failed login attempts or port scanning, review the CSF settings to ensure they're appropriate for your use case. You can adjust these settings in the CSF configuration file (typically located at /etc/csf/csf.conf). After making any changes, save the file and restart CSF with the csf -r command.
If you continue to experience issues or need further assistance, consider reaching out to your web host's support team or a server administrator familiar with CSF.
