ISPProtect BanDaemon 2.0 Released

We’re excited to announce the release of ISPProtect BanDaemon 2.0, a DOS protection system developed for ISPConfig servers. This major update that brings modern systemd support, enhanced security, and a completely redesigned installation experience while maintaining full backward compatibility with legacy systems.

What’s New in ISPProtect BanDaemon 2.0

Complete Service Management Overhaul

Modern Systemd Support (Default)

  • Native systemd service with security hardening features
  • Advanced resource limits and sandboxing
  • Proper dependency management for network, database, and filesystem
  • Standardized PID file location (/run/ispprotect_bandaemon.pid)
  • Automatic log rotation with 7-day retention

Legacy System Compatibility

  • Full SysV init support maintained for older systems
  • Debian 7, Ubuntu 14.04, CentOS 6 compatibility preserved
  • Automatic detection of init system during installation

Enhanced Installation Experience

New Installer (install.sh)

  • Automatic detection of fresh installs vs. updates
  • Smart migration from legacy ISPConfig3 BanDaemon installations
  • Configuration preservation during upgrades with timestamped backups
  • Interactive license setup for new installations

Interactive License Management During fresh installations, users now get a user-friendly license setup:

ISPProtect BanDaemon License Setup

Please choose one of the following options:

1. Enter your BanDaemon or ISPProtect 12 month scanner license key
2. Start a 14-day free trial (press Enter)

Enter your license key (or press Enter for trial):

System-Wide Access

  • New /usr/local/bin/ispp_bandaemon symlink for global command access
  • Run daemon commands from anywhere on your system
  • Built-in --update option for automatic updates from ISPProtect servers

Library Modernization

Completely Rewritten Database Library

  • Modern PDO-based implementation with prepared statements
  • Variadic parameters support (PHP 5.6+)
  • Array parameter support for IN clauses
  • Enhanced SQL injection protection
  • UTF-8 charset enforcement

Full-Featured SMTP Mail Library

  • Native SMTP authentication and encryption support
  • TLS/SSL connection security
  • Fallback to PHP mail() when SMTP is unavailable
  • Enhanced abuse reporting capabilities

Security Enhancements

Systemd Security Hardening

  • NoNewPrivileges, ProtectSystem, PrivateDevices enabled
  • Memory limits and file descriptor limits
  • Resource isolation and privilege separation

Advanced Management Tools

New Service Helper (systemd_service_helper.sh)

# Comprehensive service management
/opt/ispprotect_bandaemon/systemd_service_helper.sh {start|stop|restart|status|logs|health|install|uninstall}

Enhanced Command-Line Interface

# Available globally via symlink
ispp_bandaemon --help                     # Show all options
ispp_bandaemon --report --screen          # Generate and display report
ispp_bandaemon --ban=192.168.1.100 --bantime=1H  # Manual ban
ispp_bandaemon --update                   # Auto-update from ISPProtect

Technical Improvements

PHP Compatibility

  • Minimum requirement: PHP 5.6+
  • Fully compatible: PHP 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
  • Modern PHP features while maintaining broad compatibility

Database Schema Enhancements

  • Optimized indexes for better performance
  • Enhanced foreign key relationships
  • Improved data integrity constraints

Installation & Upgrade

Fresh Installation

Modern Systems (Recommended)

# Download and extract
wget https://www.ispprotect.com/download/ispp_bandaemon.tar.gz
tar -xzf ispp_bandaemon.tar.gz
cd ispprotect_bandaemon

# Install with systemd (requires root)
sudo bash install.sh

# Start and enable service
sudo systemctl start ispprotect_bandaemon
sudo systemctl enable ispprotect_bandaemon

Legacy Systems

# For older systems without systemd
sudo bash install_initd.sh
sudo service ispprotect_bandaemon start

Automatic Updates

New Update Feature

# Update to latest version automatically
sudo ispp_bandaemon --update

This feature:

  • Downloads the latest version from ISPProtect servers
  • Preserves existing configuration and licenses
  • Runs installation automatically
  • Provides backup and rollback capabilities

Upgrading from 1.x

Version 2.0 includes intelligent upgrade detection:

  • Configuration preservation: All existing settings maintained
  • License migration: Existing licenses automatically preserved
  • ISPConfig3 migration: Automatic detection and migration
  • Database updates: Schema updates applied automatically
  • Service migration: Automatic systemd migration with fallback

Enhanced Security Features

System-Level Security

  • Privilege separation: Systemd security features enabled
  • Resource limits: Memory and file descriptor constraints
  • Secure backups: Configuration backups with 700 permissions
  • Network protection: Filtered outbound access for whois queries

What’s Preserved

Full Backward Compatibility

  • Existing configurations: All current settings are preserved during upgrade
  • Legacy system support: SysV init systems are fully supported
  • API compatibility: All command-line options and functions are maintained
  • Database compatibility: Existing databases upgraded seamlessly

Attack Detection Capabilities

All existing detection features remain fully functional:

  • SSH, FTP, and mail authentication failures
  • DNS attack detection
  • Web application attacks (WordPress, Joomla, Roundcube, ownCloud)
  • Geographic scoring and subnet analysis
  • Distributed operation across multiple servers
  • DOS protection for websites created in ISPConfig.

Performance & Reliability

Improved Resource Management

  • Enhanced memory usage optimization
  • Better file handle management
  • Improved log processing efficiency
  • Optimized database queries with prepared statements

Service Reliability

  • Graceful shutdown handling
  • Automatic service recovery
  • Enhanced error reporting and logging
  • Better signal handling for clean restarts

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

  • Modern: Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 9+, CentOS 7+, RHEL 7+ (systemd)
  • Legacy: Ubuntu 14.04, Debian 7, CentOS 6 (SysV init)

Dependencies

  • PHP: 5.6+ (fully compatible with 8.x)
  • Database: MariaDB 10.1+ or MySQL 5.7+
  • Privileges: Root access for iptables and service management
  • Extensions: pcntl_signal, php-geoip (optional but recommended)

Migration Guide

From ISPConfig3 BanDaemon

The installer automatically detects and migrates existing ISPConfig3 installations:

  1. Backup creation: The Existing configuration is backed up securely
  2. License preservation: Existing licenses migrated automatically
  3. Service migration: Automatic systemd service setup
  4. Database migration: Schema updates applied seamlessly

From BanDaemon 1.x

Upgrades are completely automatic:

  1. Run installer: sudo bash install.sh
  2. Configuration preserved: All settings maintained
  3. Service updated: Automatic systemd migration
  4. License maintained: Existing licenses preserved

Getting Started

Quick Start

  1. Download: Get the latest version from ISPProtect: https://www.ispprotect.com/download/ispp_bandaemon.tar.gz
    cd /tmp/
    wget https://www.ispprotect.com/download/ispp_bandaemon.tar.gz
    tar xzf ispp_bandaemon.tar.gz
    cd bandaemon_install/
  2. Install: Run sudo bash install.sh for systemd or sudo bash install_initd.sh for legacy
  3. Configure: Edit /opt/ispprotect_bandaemon/config.inc.php if needed
  4. Start: sudo systemctl start ispprotect_bandaemon or sudo service ispprotect_bandaemon start
  5. Monitor: ispp_bandaemon --report --screen to view the current status

License Options

  • 14-Day Free Trial: Full feature evaluation
  • BanDaemon License: Core IP banning functionality
  • ISPProtect 12 Month Scanner: Full vulnerability scanning and protection
  • Purchase: Permanent licenses at https://ispprotect.com/ispprotect-bandaemon/

Documentation

  • Installation Guide: Included in package
  • Troubleshooting: Built-in help system (ispp_bandaemon --help)

Technical Support

Conclusion

ISPProtect BanDaemon 2.0 represents a significant advancement in server security automation. With modern systemd support, enhanced security features, and a completely redesigned user experience, it’s easier than ever to protect your servers from brute force attacks and malicious behavior.

The upgrade preserves all existing functionality while introducing powerful new features that enhance server protection, making it more robust and user-friendly. Whether you’re running the latest Ubuntu server or maintaining legacy systems, BanDaemon 2.0 has you covered.

Download ISPProtect BanDaemon 2.0 today and experience the next generation of automated server protection.

ISPProtect BanDaemon is developed by ISPConfig UG and is available as commercial software with trial licensing. For enterprise deployments and custom configurations, please contact our support team.