Apache 2 - LDAP access

This explain how to use LDAP to secure some part(s) of a website.

LDAP authentication

Modules and options lips

List of apache 2.2.x modules with roles and recommended values:

• AuthType

Role	This tells Apache which authentication module you want to use
Value	basic
Mandatory	Yes

• AuthName

Role	Authentication window name
Value	“Authentication to my service”
Mandatory	Yes

• AuthBasicProvider

Role	This tells Apache which authentication module you want to use
Value	ldaps
Mandatory	Yes

• AuthzLDAPAuthoritative

Role	Tells Apache whether or not a failed authentication request can be passed to other Apache modules
Value	off
Mandatory	Yes

• AuthLDAPBindDN

Role	The distinguished name (DN) of service account. This user will be used to scan the LDAP and perform real user authentication
Value	UID=myUser,OU=myGroup,DC=myServer uid=svn,ou=applications,dc=dev,dc=daxiongmao,dc=eu
Mandatory	No

• AuthLDAPBindPassword

Role	The password for the user account configured via the AuthLDAPBindDN directive
Value
Mandatory	No

• AuthLDAPURL

Role	URL that tells: Where the directory server is, Where to look for users at, What user attribute is used to identify a user
Value	ldaps://myServer:636/OU=group&,OU=group2,DC=myServer?attribute ldap://myServer:389/OU=group&,OU=group2,DC=myServer?attribute ldap://192.168.1.2:389/cn=users,dc=server2,dc=intranet,dc=myCompany,dc=com ldap://localhost:389/ou=people,dc=vehco,dc=com?uid
Mandatory	Yes

Modules

Installation:

apt-get install libapache2-mod-ldap-userdir

You have to enable to the following modules:

a2enmod ldap authnz_ldap

Restart server to apply changes:

service apache2 restart

Configuration

You can use the following settings inside a “.htaccess” or “VirtualHost” configuration:

Edit V.Host configuration

vim /etc/apache2/sites-available/myServer

Adjust your virtual-host like that:

# LDAP protected directory
<Directory /var/www/ssl/secure>
   Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
   AllowOverride None
   Order allow,deny
   allow from all

   AuthType basic
   AuthName "Secure area"
   Require valid-user

   ###### Choose a LDAP provider
   # If "localhost" then use LDAP. 
   AuthBasicProvider ldap
   AuthLDAPUrl "ldap://localhost:389/ou=people,dc=dev,dc=daxiongmao,dc=eu?uid" 

   # If remote URL then use LDAP over SSL 
   AuthBasicProvider ldaps
   AuthLDAPUrl "ldaps://dev.daxiongmao.eu:636/ou=people,dc=dev,dc=daxiongmao,dc=eu?uid"   
   ######

   # LDAP URL pattern:
   # AuthLDAPUrl "ldaps://myServer:636/{LDAP ou=},{LDAP server DC=}?uid"

</Directory>

This example can be set in:

• <Location> - to protect a specific part or alias of the website
• <Directory> - to protect a specific directory or the whole virtual host if set in root directory "/var/www/myServer"

References

• My co-worker help and website: Julien Rialland

• Official wiki: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenLDAPServer