Normal.url always redirecting to multisite host

doori · June 28, 2022, 6:40pm

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General:

i try to figure out whats wrong with my cert config. i ran everything exactly like always. the issue is - if i type in https://cavort.de (f.e.) everything is fine. if i leave the https:// it redirects to the multisite host url (thx4.dev)

My domain is: thx4.dev

I ran this command: url cavort.de

It produced this output: thx4.dev - just another wordpress site (multisite host)

My web server is (include version): Apache/2.4.41 (Ubuntu)

The operating system my web server runs on is (include version): Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS

My hosting provider, if applicable, is: hetzner.de

I can login to a root shell on my machine (yes or no, or I don't know): yes

I'm using a control panel to manage my site (no, or provide the name and version of the control panel):

The version of my client is (e.g. output of certbot --version or certbot-auto --version if you're using Certbot): certbot 0.40.0

Osiris · June 28, 2022, 7:01pm

I'm sorry, I'm confused. Are both domains yours? Or just cavort.de?

Also, how did you get the certificate? How did you install it into the webserver? Also please show the output of the command: sudo apachectl -t -D DUMP_VHOSTS

doori · June 29, 2022, 7:33am

both domains are mine. there are a couple more pointing onto the multisite.

the multisite host is thx4.dev. cavort.de is pointing to one of the subs.

output sudo apachectl -t -D DUMP_VHOSTS

AH00558: apache2: Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified domain name, using 127.0.1.1. Set the 'ServerName' directive globally to suppress this message
VirtualHost configuration:
*:443                  thx4.dev (/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default-le-ssl.conf:2)
*:80                   thx4.dev (/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default.conf:4)

config 000-default-le-ssl.conf

<IfModule mod_ssl.c>
<VirtualHost *:443>
        ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost

        ServerName thx4.dev
        ServerAlias a.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias b.org
        ServerAlias c.org
        ServerAlias d.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias e.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias f.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias cavort.de
        DocumentRoot /var/www/html

        <Directory /var/www/html/>
            Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
            AllowOverride All
            Require all granted
        </Directory>

        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

SSLCertificateFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/thx4.dev/fullchain.pem
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/thx4.dev/privkey.pem
Include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-apache.conf
</VirtualHost>
</IfModule>

output /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default.conf

# Added to mitigate CVE-2017-8295 vulnerability
UseCanonicalName On

<VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost

        ServerName thx4.dev

        DocumentRoot /var/www/html

        <Directory /var/www/html/>
            Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
            AllowOverride All
            Require all granted
        </Directory>

        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =a.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =b.org [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =c.org [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =d.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =e.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =cavort.de [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =f.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =thx4.dev
RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
</VirtualHost>

appriciate the help

thanks

rg305 · June 29, 2022, 7:46am

There is only one vhost for HTTP.
Do you understand Apache?
OR
Are you just "publishing" the sites via WordPress?
[if WP, then it has failed to add the secondary site(s)]

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 8:15am

@doori Your HTTP VirtualHost is missing all the ServerAlias directives. This will cause the SERVER_NAME variable to always point to ServerName thx4.dev. Add the ServerAlias directives and the redirect should work for all.

doori · June 29, 2022, 8:53am

i try to learn apache. it is a personal .dev and i do a lot of work for ngo's so i try to keep costs at a min.

can you tell me what to do and how to spot this error in the future so i do not have to bother the community.

am i sunderstanding it correct that if i add the following to the http config it will work?

   ServerAlias a.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias b.org
        ServerAlias c.org
        ServerAlias d.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias e.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias f.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias cavort.de

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 9:27am

If that's the same list as for the HTTPS VirtualHost: yes, probably. Haven't tested it, but I think I'm 99 % right.

doori · June 29, 2022, 9:49am

i added it and restarted apache. still the same:

# Added to mitigate CVE-2017-8295 vulnerability
UseCanonicalName On

<VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost

        ServerName thx4.dev
        ServerAlias a.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias b.org
        ServerAlias c.org
        ServerAlias d.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias e.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias f.thx4.dev
        ServerAlias cavort.de
        DocumentRoot /var/www/html

        <Directory /var/www/html/>
            Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
            AllowOverride All
            Require all granted
        </Directory>

        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =a.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =b.org [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =c.org [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =d.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =e.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =cavort.de [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =f.thx4.dev [OR]
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =thx4.dev
RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
</VirtualHost>

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 9:53am

And what if you switch out ServerName thx4.dev and ServerAlias cavort.de to become ServerName cavort.de and ServerAlias thx4.dev? E.g., reverse those two? Just as a test for the hypothesis regarding the SERVER_NAME variable.

I was assuming the Apache documentation stating:

SERVER_NAME The ServerName of the current vhost

Also included ServerAlias, but I could be wrong there..

Edit: I just tested locally and it seems ServerName/ServerAlias/SERVER_NAME should just work perfectly for the RewriteRule no matter what.. Even without the ServerAlias directives So I have no idea why your rewriterule would do such strange things, i.e. redirecting always to the same host..

Long shot: maybe a .htaccess somewhere overruling the VirtualHost redirect?

doori · June 29, 2022, 10:56am

there is indeed.

# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization}]
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]

# add a trailing slash to /wp-admin
RewriteRule ^wp-admin$ wp-admin/ [R=301,L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
RewriteRule ^ - [L]
RewriteRule ^(wp-(content|admin|includes).*) $1 [L]
RewriteRule ^(.*\.php)$ $1 [L]
RewriteRule . index.php [L]
# END WordPress

should i delete the .htaccess? or something else?

MikeMcQ · June 29, 2022, 11:13am

Did you test with UseCanonicalName on ? Because I seem to remember that you may need to use ${HTTP_HOST} for redirect matches when you have that set. I could be remembering wrong and I don't have an Apache to test with at the moment.

In either case, trying ${HTTP_HOST} for the RewriteCond and RewriteRule should work equally well here.

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 11:44am

I did not! Default Gentoo configuration seems to be Off! Good catch!

That's indeed the case! Changing UseCanonicalName to On confirms the behaviour of @doori s Apache!

Well, that destroyed the entire redirect here locally Not sure why tho..

MikeMcQ · June 29, 2022, 11:47am

Hmm. Those variables are usually nearly substitutes in named virtual hosts. I will try to setup an Apache to check here.

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 11:50am

Hm, might be due to the fact curl adds the port to the Host header when explicitely applied on the command line. Weird.. I was using a Pebble test vhost which uses port 5002 Lemme force the Host header.

Ah yes, it was cURL giving me trouble and not Apache/HTTP_HOST! I can confirm your solution to be working @MikeMcQ

Although that does signify the possible issues with using HTTP_HOST, as it's directly coming from what the client put in the Host header apparently...

doori · June 29, 2022, 11:56am

so nice of you to help. really.

do we have a solution? what should i do?

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 11:58am

Please see @MikeMcQ s post above: Normal.url always redirecting to multisite host - #11 by MikeMcQ

MikeMcQ · June 29, 2022, 12:10pm

Yes, that's an interesting quirk - thanks

It's possible removing the UseCanonical would allow server_name to work (less port?) but it was recommended for Apache at one time to avoid some bug or attack. I don't recall the details. So I am hesitant to suggest that.

The other way to resolve this would be to use separate VirtualHosts for each set of related names. Then they would not need to use any RewriteCond and just do a redirect to the one common server_name. That is how we usually see VirtualHosts setup which is why this problem does not often appear.

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 12:11pm

That's due to some exploits for WordPress, see the CVE in the Apache configuration from OP above.

That's also a possibility, yes. A little bit a "dirty hack" IMO, but certainly a possible solution.

Frankly, I don't see why Apache shouldn't just also use ServerAlias for the SERVER_NAME variable with UseCanonicalName set to On, as that wouldn't be, I think, an exploitable thing.

MikeMcQ · June 29, 2022, 12:36pm

What I meant was that's a 5Y old exploit. Wasn't WordPress fixed such that this UseCanonical avoidance technique is no longer required?

I am pretty sure it was but don't know for certain.

Osiris · June 29, 2022, 1:03pm

I dunno It's off on my Gentoo and I host Wordpress sites, so I hope it's fixed

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