wiki: add fail2ban apache 404 scanner jail article

New guide for custom access-log-based fail2ban jail that catches
rapid-fire 404 vulnerability scanners missed by default error-log jails.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

02-selfhosting/security/fail2ban-apache-404-scanner-jail.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+# Fail2ban Custom Jail: Apache 404 Scanner Detection
+
+## The Problem
+
+Automated vulnerability scanners probe web servers by requesting dozens of common config file paths — `.env`, `env.php`, `next.config.js`, `nuxt.config.ts`, etc. — in rapid succession. These all return **404 Not Found**, which is correct behavior from Apache.
+
+However, the built-in Fail2ban jails (`apache-noscript`, `apache-botsearch`) don't catch these because they parse the **error log**, not the **access log**. If Apache doesn't write a corresponding "File does not exist" entry to the error log for every 404, the scanner slips through undetected.
+
+This also triggers false alerts in monitoring tools like **Netdata**, which sees the success ratio drop (e.g., `web_log_1m_successful` goes CRITICAL at 2.83%) because 404s aren't counted as successful responses.
+
+## The Solution
+
+Create a custom Fail2ban filter that reads the **access log** and matches 404 responses directly.
+
+### Step 1 — Create the filter
+
+Create `/etc/fail2ban/filter.d/apache-404scan.conf`:
+
+```ini
+# Fail2Ban filter to catch rapid 404 scanning in Apache access logs
+# Targets vulnerability scanners probing for .env, config files, etc.
+
+[Definition]
+
+# Match 404 responses in combined/common access log format
+failregex = ^<HOST> -.*"(GET|POST|HEAD|PUT|DELETE|OPTIONS|PATCH) .+" 404 \d+
+
+ignoreregex = ^<HOST> -.*(robots\.txt|favicon\.ico|apple-touch-icon)
+
+datepattern = %%d/%%b/%%Y:%%H:%%M:%%S %%z
+```
+
+### Step 2 — Add the jail
+
+Add to `/etc/fail2ban/jail.local`:
+
+```ini
+[apache-404scan]
+enabled = true
+port = http,https
+filter = apache-404scan
+logpath = /var/log/apache2/access.log
+maxretry = 10
+findtime = 1m
+bantime = 24h
+```
+
+**10 hits in 1 minute** is aggressive enough to catch scanners (which fire 30–50+ requests in seconds) while avoiding false positives from a legitimate user hitting a few broken links.
+
+### Step 3 — Test the regex
+
+```bash
+fail2ban-regex /var/log/apache2/access.log /etc/fail2ban/filter.d/apache-404scan.conf
+```
+
+You should see matches. In a real-world test against a server under active scanning, this matched **2831 out of 8901** access log lines.
+
+### Step 4 — Reload Fail2ban
+
+```bash
+systemctl restart fail2ban
+fail2ban-client status apache-404scan
+```
+
+## Why Default Jails Miss This
+
+| Jail | Log Source | What It Matches | Why It Misses |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `apache-noscript` | error log | "script not found or unable to stat" | Only matches script-type files (.php, .asp, .exe, .pl) |
+| `apache-botsearch` | error log | "File does not exist" for specific paths | Requires Apache to write error log entries for 404s |
+| **`apache-404scan`** | **access log** | **Any 404 response** | **Catches everything** |
+
+The key insight: URL-encoded probes like `/%2f%2eenv%2econfig` that return 404 in the access log may not generate error log entries at all, making them invisible to the default filters.
+
+## Pair With Recidive
+
+If you have the `recidive` jail enabled, repeat offenders get permanently banned:
+
+```ini
+[recidive]
+enabled = true
+bantime = -1
+findtime = 86400
+maxretry = 3
+```
+
+Three 24-hour bans within a day = permanent firewall block.
+
+## Quick Diagnostic Commands
+
+```bash
+# Test filter against current access log
+fail2ban-regex /var/log/apache2/access.log /etc/fail2ban/filter.d/apache-404scan.conf
+
+# Check jail status and banned IPs
+fail2ban-client status apache-404scan
+
+# Watch bans in real time
+tail -f /var/log/fail2ban.log | grep apache-404scan
+
+# Count 404s in today's log
+grep '" 404 ' /var/log/apache2/access.log | wc -l
+```
+
+## Key Notes
+
+- The `ignoreregex` excludes `robots.txt`, `favicon.ico`, and `apple-touch-icon` — these are commonly requested and produce harmless 404s.
+- Make sure your Tailscale subnet (`100.64.0.0/10`) is in the `ignoreip` list under `[DEFAULT]` so you don't ban your own monitoring or uptime checks.
+- This filter works with both Apache **combined** and **common** log formats.
+- Complements the existing `apache-dirscan` jail (which catches error-log-based directory enumeration). Use both for full coverage.

SUMMARY.md

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     * [Netdata n8n Enriched Alert Emails](02-selfhosting/monitoring/netdata-n8n-enriched-alerts.md)
     * [Linux Server Hardening Checklist](02-selfhosting/security/linux-server-hardening-checklist.md)
     * [Standardizing unattended-upgrades with Ansible](02-selfhosting/security/ansible-unattended-upgrades-fleet.md)
+    * [Fail2ban Custom Jail: Apache 404 Scanner Detection](02-selfhosting/security/fail2ban-apache-404-scanner-jail.md)
 * [Open Source & Alternatives](03-opensource/index.md)
     * [SearXNG: Private Self-Hosted Search](03-opensource/alternatives/searxng.md)
     * [FreshRSS: Self-Hosted RSS Reader](03-opensource/alternatives/freshrss.md)