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What is ELS (Easy Linux Security)

ELS stands for Easy Linux Security. ELS was created by the Server Monkeys Founder, Richard Gannon. ELS takes many of the tasks performed by server administrators and puts it into an easy to use program. It is released under the GNU/GPL so it is free to use.

If you want to know more about this project, please go to this website, http://servermonkeys.com/els.php . To install this tool, just execute following command as root:

wget --output-document=installer.sh http://servermonkeys.com/projects/els/installer.sh; chmod +x installer.sh; sh installer.sh

Once installed, you should able to perform following command and output below should appear:

[root@linux ~]# els --help

ELS specific commands:
  --checkall          : Check if everything is okay
  --help              : Print this help screen
  --update            : Update the ELS (this) program to the latest
                      : version
  --version           : Print the current ELS version

ELS usage:
  --all               : Install/update all supported software, improve
                      : security and optimize some programs and
                      : configurations
  --apc               : Install/Update APC (Alternative PHP Cache)
  --apf               : Install/Update APF Firewall
  --bfd               : Install/Update BFD (Brute Force Detection)
  --chkrootkit        : Install/Update CHKROOTKIT
  --chkrootkitcron    : Install a CHKROOTKIT cronjob (to run nightly)
  --chmodfiles        : Chmod dangerous files to root only
  --cpvcheck          : Check your control panel version
  --disablephpfunc    : Disable dangerous PHP functions
  --disabletelnet     : Disable telnet
  --distrocheck       : Check your OS version
  --eaccelerator      : Install/Update eAccelerator
  --forcessh2         : Force SSH protocol 2
  --hardensysctl      : Hardening sysctl.conf
  --imagemagick       : Install/Update ImageMagick
  --libsafe           : Install/Update Libsafe
  --mysqloptimizedb   : Run a simple MySQL table optimization and repair command
  --mysqlrenice       : Renice MySQL to -20 for highest priority
  --mytop             : Install/Update MyTOP
  --optimizemysqlconf : Optimize MySQL configuration file (/etc/my.cnf)
  --rkhunter          : Install/Update RKHunter
  --rkhuntercron      : Install a RKHunter cronjob (to run nightly)
  --rootloginemail    : Add an alert for root login to
                      : /root/.bash_profile (email must be provided
                      : for this option)
  --securepartitions  : Secure /tmp, /var/tmp, and /dev/shm partitions
                      : (whether in /etc/fstab or not)
  --setupcrons        : Setup RKHunter and CHKROOTKIT cronjobs as well
                      : as Root Login Alert
  --sshport           : Change the port the SSH deamon is listening on
                      : (also modifies APF config to use new port)
  --suhosin           : Install/Update suhosin
  --up2dateconfig     : Edit up2date configuration file to exclude some
                      : programs
  --vps               : Similiar to --all, but skips operations not
                      : compatable with Virtual Private Servers
  --wheeluser         : Add a wheel user and force no root login in the
                      : SSH deamon's configuration
  --yumconfig         : Edit yum configuration file to exclude some
                      : programs
  --xcache            : Install/Update XCache
  --zendopt           : Install/Update Zend Optimizer

Remove/Undo functions:
  --enablephpfunc     : Enable dangerous PHP functions
  --enablephprg       : Enable PHP register_globals
  --removeapf         : Remove APF firewall
  --removebfd         : Remove BFD (Brute Force Detection)
  --rmchkrootkitcron  : Remove a CHKROOTKIT cronjob
  --rmrkhuntercron    : Remove a RKHunter cronjob
  --undomysqlrenice   : Undo MySQL renice

DirectAdmin specific commands:
  --updateda          : Update DirectAdmin version

cPanel specific commands:
  --eximdictatk       : Install the Exim Dictionary Attack ACL for
                      : cPanel/WHM servers
  --fantasticoinstall : Install the Fantastico files for cPanel/WHM
                      : servers
  --fixrndc           : Fix RNDC if not already configured on
                      : cPanel/WHM servers
  --tweakcpsettings   : Tweak cPanel's Tweak Settings file

Example usage:

$ els --disablephpfunc

This feature can disable dangerous PHP functions.
Proceed? (y/n): y
Backing up current configuration file...
Successfully backed up as /usr/local/els/bakfiles/php.ini-disable-functions.bak!
Modifying configuration file, disable_functions found...
Edit successful!
Restarting httpd service...
Stopping httpd:                                            [  OK  ]
Starting httpd:                                            [  OK  ]
Done. Now PHP has dangerous functions disabled.

The php.ini disable_functions result will be as below:

$ php -i | grep disable_functions
disable_functions => symlink,shell_exec,exec,proc_close,proc_open,popen,system,dl,passthru,escapeshellarg,escapeshellcmd => symlink,shell_exec,exec,proc_close,proc_open,popen,system,dl,passthru,escapeshellarg,escapeshellcmd