What is CageFS?

CageFS is a "virtualized file system" technology developed by CloudLinux, designed for shared hosting servers. CageFS provides each user with an isolated environment, preventing users from seeing each other's files or harming other users on the system. It is a feature that dramatically increases server security, especially for web hosting companies.

Key Advantages of CageFS

Users cannot see or affect each other.
Presents changes made to the real file system to users in an isolated manner.
Provides protection against symlink (symbolic link) exploits.
Reduces the exploit surface by providing access to the minimum required information in the file system.
Runs script-based applications such as PHP and CGI more securely.

CageFS Requirements

Server with CloudLinux installed.
SSH connection with root access.
Approximately 5GB of free disk space.
100% compatible with hosting control panels such as cPanel/WHM.

How to Install CageFS?

Update CloudLinux Packages

yum update -y

Install CageFS Package

yum install cagefs -y

Activate CageFS

After CageFS is installed, use the following command to activate it:

/usr/sbin/cagefsctl --init

This command creates the CageFS environment for all users on the system.

Include Users in CageFS

To include all users in the CageFS environment:

cagefsctl --enable-all

To include a specific user:

cagefsctl --enable username

Remove Users from CageFS

cagefsctl --disable username

Update CageFS Configuration

Rebuild the CageFS structure whenever you make any customizations:

cagefsctl --force-update

CageFS WHM Integration

CageFS works fully integrated on servers using cPanel/WHM.

Log in to WHM.
Go to the "Plugins" or "CloudLinux LVE Manager" section in the left menu.
You can easily manage CageFS settings from here.

CageFS User Verification

To test if the user is inside CageFS, start a user session via SSH and run the following command:

cat /proc/self/mounts | grep cagefs

If you get an output, CageFS is running successfully.

CageFS FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: Does CageFS only work on CloudLinux servers? A: Yes, CageFS only works on CloudLinux-based servers.

Q: Does CageFS slow down the server? A: No, on the contrary, it improves server performance because it protects system resources by preventing malicious actions.

Q: Can users access the shell with CageFS? A: Yes, CageFS provides an isolated shell environment, but access to root or other users is blocked.

Q: How often should the CageFS file system be updated? A: It should be updated after every change you make on CageFS using the cagefsctl --force-update command.

Conclusion: Make Your Servers More Secure with CageFS

If you are managing a shared hosting server, CageFS installation and usage is definitely a step that should not be skipped. For security, performance, and user experience, CageFS is an indispensable part of the CloudLinux infrastructure.

For more information about CloudLinux, CageFS, and server optimization, you can visit Eka Sunucu | Professional Server Solutions.