What it does
NAXSI is an NGINX web application firewall module using simple request-pattern rules and application-specific allowlisting.
NAXSI's README is direct about the tradeoff: its simple patterns can also match legitimate requests. The administrator therefore needs application-specific allow rules, ideally informed by a learning phase. Use representative normal traffic before enforcing a restrictive policy, and keep a route to review blocked requests. Use the maintained continuation repository; the original project was archived.
Strengths
- Readable request-pattern rules with an allowlist workflow
Watch out for
- Legitimate requests require application-specific allow rules
Best for
- NGINX administrators able to maintain application-specific filtering
Sources
- Sponsors (Oct 26, 2026)