Security - Pterodactyl Panel

Overview

Securing your Wings installation is critical since it manages game servers with potentially sensitive data and provides access to the host system through Docker containers.

SSL/TLS Configuration

Why SSL is Required

Wings communicates with the Panel over HTTPS. SSL/TLS encryption:

Protects authentication tokens in transit
Prevents man-in-the-middle attacks
Encrypts server data and console output
Required for production Panel deployments

SSL Certificate Setup

Install Certbot

# Ubuntu/Debian
apt install -y certbot

# CentOS/RHEL
dnf install -y certbot

Generate certificate

certbot certonly --standalone -d node.example.com

Ensure port 80 is open and not in use during certificate generation.

Configure Wings

Edit /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml:

api:
  ssl:
    enabled: true
    cert: /etc/letsencrypt/live/node.example.com/fullchain.pem
    key: /etc/letsencrypt/live/node.example.com/privkey.pem

Setup auto-renewal

# Test renewal
certbot renew --dry-run

# Certbot automatically configures renewal cron job
systemctl status certbot.timer

Restart Wings after renewal

Create renewal hook:

cat > /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/restart-wings.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
systemctl restart wings
EOF

chmod +x /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/restart-wings.sh

Certificate Verification

# Check certificate validity
openssl x509 -in /etc/letsencrypt/live/node.example.com/cert.pem -text -noout

# Test SSL connection
openssl s_client -connect node.example.com:8080 -servername node.example.com

# Verify certificate chain
curl -vI https://node.example.com:8080

Authentication Security

Token Management

Wings authenticates with the Panel using tokens configured in /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml:

uuid: node-uuid
token_id: token-id
token: secret-token

Never share these credentials:

Do not commit to version control
Do not share in support requests
Rotate immediately if compromised

Token Rotation

Rotate tokens if compromised:

Generate new token

In Panel → Admin → Nodes → Your Node → Configuration tab, click “Regenerate Token”

Update Wings config

Copy the new configuration and update /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml

Restart Wings

systemctl restart wings

SFTP Authentication

SFTP authentication flows through the Panel’s /api/remote/sftp/auth endpoint (app/Http/Controllers/Api/Remote/SftpAuthenticationController.php:34).

Password Authentication

Wings sends credentials to the Panel for validation:

{
  "username": "john.a1b2c3d4",
  "password": "user-password",
  "type": "password"
}

The Panel validates using password_verify() (app/Http/Controllers/Api/Remote/SftpAuthenticationController.php:51).

Public Key Authentication

Wings sends the SSH public key to the Panel:

{
  "username": "john.a1b2c3d4",
  "password": "ssh-rsa AAAA...",
  "type": "public_key"
}

The Panel verifies the key fingerprint against stored SSH keys (app/Http/Controllers/Api/Remote/SftpAuthenticationController.php:64).

Rate Limiting

SFTP authentication is rate-limited to prevent brute force attacks:

if ($this->hasTooManyLoginAttempts($request)) {
    $seconds = $this->limiter()->availableIn($this->throttleKey($request));
    throw new TooManyRequestsHttpException($seconds, ...);
}

Default: 5 attempts per minute per IP/username combination.

Firewall Configuration

Minimal Firewall Rules

Only expose necessary ports:

# UFW example
ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing

# SSH (change default port for security)
ufw allow 2222/tcp

# Wings API (from Panel IP only)
ufw allow from PANEL_IP to any port 8080 proto tcp

# SFTP
ufw allow 2022/tcp

# Game server ports
ufw allow 25565:25665/tcp
ufw allow 25565:25665/udp

ufw enable

IP Whitelisting

Restrict Wings API to Panel IP only:

# UFW
ufw allow from PANEL_IP to any port 8080 proto tcp

# iptables
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -s PANEL_IP -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -j DROP

DDoS Protection

Connection Limits

# Limit new connections
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 25565 -m state --state NEW -m recent --set
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 25565 -m state --state NEW -m recent --update --seconds 60 --hitcount 10 -j DROP

SYN Flood Protection

# Enable SYN cookies
echo "net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies=1" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "net.ipv4.tcp_max_syn_backlog=2048" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "net.ipv4.tcp_synack_retries=2" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p

Container Security

Container Isolation

Wings isolates servers using Docker:

Filesystem isolation: Each container has its own filesystem
Network isolation: Containers can’t directly access each other
Resource limits: CPU/memory limits prevent resource exhaustion
Capability restrictions: Containers run with minimal Linux capabilities

Security Options

Wings configures containers with security options:

# Read-only root filesystem (where supported)
--read-only
--tmpfs /tmp

# Drop all capabilities, add only necessary ones
--cap-drop=ALL
--cap-add=NET_BIND_SERVICE

# Prevent privilege escalation
--security-opt=no-new-privileges

AppArmor/SELinux

Enable mandatory access control:

AppArmor (Ubuntu/Debian)

# Check status
aa-status

# Load Docker profile
apparmor_parser -r /etc/apparmor.d/docker

# Verify Docker uses AppArmor
docker info | grep -i security

SELinux (CentOS/RHEL)

# Enable SELinux
setenforce 1
sed -i 's/SELINUX=disabled/SELINUX=enforcing/' /etc/selinux/config

# Verify status
getenforce
sestatus

User Namespaces

Enable user namespace remapping for additional isolation:

# Configure Docker daemon
cat > /etc/docker/daemon.json << EOF
{
  "userns-remap": "default"
}
EOF

systemctl restart docker

User namespaces can break some game servers. Test thoroughly before enabling in production.

File System Security

Directory Permissions

Secure Wings directories:

# Wings configuration
chown -R root:root /etc/pterodactyl
chmod 700 /etc/pterodactyl
chmod 600 /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml

# Wings data directory
chown -R root:root /var/lib/pterodactyl
chmod 755 /var/lib/pterodactyl

# Server volumes (Wings manages these)
chmod 755 /var/lib/pterodactyl/volumes

Sensitive File Protection

# Protect SSL private keys
chmod 600 /etc/letsencrypt/live/*/privkey.pem

# Protect Wings config
chmod 600 /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml

Mount Security

Carefully control allowed mounts in /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml:

allowed_mounts:
  # Only allow specific, read-only directories
  - /opt/shared-configs

Never allow mounts to:

/etc - System configuration
/root - Root home directory
/var/lib/pterodactyl - Wings data
/home - User directories

Network Security

CORS Protection

Restrict WebSocket origins:

/etc/pterodactyl/config.yml

allowed_origins:
  - https://panel.example.com

This prevents unauthorized websites from connecting to server consoles.

API Access Control

The Wings API should only be accessible to:

The Panel (via authentication token)
Monitoring systems (if needed)

# Block public access
ufw deny 8080/tcp

# Allow only Panel
ufw allow from PANEL_IP to any port 8080 proto tcp

System Hardening

SSH Security

# Edit SSH config
nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Recommended settings:

Port 2222                          # Non-standard port
PermitRootLogin no                 # Disable root login
PasswordAuthentication no          # Key-only auth
PubkeyAuthentication yes
X11Forwarding no
MaxAuthTries 3
ClientAliveInterval 300
ClientAliveCountMax 2

Restart SSH:

systemctl restart sshd

Automatic Updates

Keep system packages updated:

Ubuntu/Debian

# Install unattended upgrades
apt install unattended-upgrades

# Configure
dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

# Enable auto-reboot if needed
echo 'Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot "true";' >> /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades

CentOS/RHEL

# Install automatic updates
dnf install dnf-automatic

# Enable
systemctl enable --now dnf-automatic.timer

Kernel Hardening

# Add to /etc/sysctl.conf
cat >> /etc/sysctl.conf << EOF
# IP Spoofing protection
net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter = 1
net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter = 1

# Ignore ICMP redirects
net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_redirects = 0
net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_redirects = 0

# Ignore send redirects
net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects = 0

# Disable source packet routing
net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_source_route = 0
net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_source_route = 0

# Log Martians
net.ipv4.conf.all.log_martians = 1

# Ignore ICMP ping requests
net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_all = 0

# Ignore Broadcast Request
net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts = 1

# Syn flood protection
net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1
net.ipv4.tcp_max_syn_backlog = 2048
net.ipv4.tcp_synack_retries = 2
net.ipv4.tcp_syn_retries = 5
EOF

sysctl -p

Monitoring and Auditing

Audit Wings Access

Monitor Wings logs for suspicious activity:

# Monitor Wings logs
journalctl -u wings -f

# Search for authentication failures
journalctl -u wings | grep -i "auth.*fail"

# Search for SFTP access
journalctl -u wings | grep -i sftp

Activity Logging

Wings reports server activity to the Panel via /api/remote/activity (app/Http/Controllers/Api/Remote/ActivityProcessingController.php:18). Monitor activity logs in the Panel:

Admin → Activity Logs
Filter by server, user, or event type

Fail2Ban Integration

Protect against brute force attacks:

# Install fail2ban
apt install fail2ban

# Create Wings filter
cat > /etc/fail2ban/filter.d/wings.conf << EOF
[Definition]
failregex = failed to authenticate user.*from <HOST>
ignoreregex =
EOF

# Create jail
cat > /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/wings.conf << EOF
[wings-sftp]
enabled = true
port = 2022
filter = wings
logpath = /var/log/syslog
maxretry = 5
bantime = 3600
EOF

systemctl restart fail2ban

Backup Security

Secure Backup Storage

Wings can store backups locally or remotely:

# Use encrypted remote storage
# Configure in Panel → Locations → Backup Storage

Recommendations:

Use S3-compatible storage with encryption
Enable versioning for backup recovery
Use separate credentials for backup storage
Regularly test backup restoration

Backup Encryption

Backups should be encrypted at rest:

Use encrypted storage backends (S3 with SSE)
Enable filesystem encryption on backup volumes
Use encrypted network transfer (HTTPS/SFTP)

Incident Response

Compromised Node

If you suspect a node is compromised:

Isolate the node

# Block all incoming traffic except SSH
ufw default deny incoming
ufw allow from YOUR_IP to any port 2222

Stop all servers

# Stop Wings (stops all containers)
systemctl stop wings

# Verify all containers stopped
docker ps -a

Rotate credentials

Regenerate node token in Panel
Change SSH keys
Rotate SSL certificates

Audit system

# Check for rootkits
apt install rkhunter
rkhunter --check

# Check system integrity
aide --check

# Review logs
journalctl --since "1 day ago" | grep -i "error\|fail\|attack"

Consider reimaging

If compromise is confirmed, reinstall the system from scratch.

Compromised Server Container

If a game server is compromised:

Suspend the server in the Panel
Backup evidence: docker export ptdl-{uuid} > compromised.tar
Delete the server to remove the container
Notify the server owner
Review logs for how the compromise occurred

Security Checklist

Use this checklist to verify your Wings installation:

Next Steps

Monitoring

Set up monitoring and alerting

Configuration

Review configuration options

Networking

Secure network configuration

Docker Management

Container security settings

Getting Started

Operations

​Overview

​SSL/TLS Configuration

​Why SSL is Required

​SSL Certificate Setup

​Certificate Verification

​Authentication Security

​Token Management

​Token Rotation

​SFTP Authentication

​Password Authentication

​Public Key Authentication

​Rate Limiting

​Firewall Configuration

​Minimal Firewall Rules

​IP Whitelisting

​DDoS Protection

​Connection Limits

​SYN Flood Protection

​Container Security

​Container Isolation

​Security Options

​AppArmor/SELinux

​AppArmor (Ubuntu/Debian)

​SELinux (CentOS/RHEL)

​User Namespaces

​File System Security

​Directory Permissions

​Sensitive File Protection

​Mount Security

​Network Security

​CORS Protection

​API Access Control

​System Hardening

​SSH Security

​Automatic Updates

​Ubuntu/Debian

​CentOS/RHEL

​Kernel Hardening

​Monitoring and Auditing

​Audit Wings Access

​Activity Logging

​Fail2Ban Integration

​Backup Security

​Secure Backup Storage

​Backup Encryption

​Incident Response

​Compromised Node

​Compromised Server Container

​Security Checklist

​Next Steps

Monitoring

Configuration

Networking

Docker Management

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

SSL/TLS Configuration

Why SSL is Required

SSL Certificate Setup

Certificate Verification

Authentication Security

Token Management

Token Rotation

SFTP Authentication

Password Authentication

Public Key Authentication

Rate Limiting

Firewall Configuration

Minimal Firewall Rules

IP Whitelisting

DDoS Protection

Connection Limits

SYN Flood Protection

Container Security

Container Isolation

Security Options

AppArmor/SELinux

AppArmor (Ubuntu/Debian)

SELinux (CentOS/RHEL)

User Namespaces

File System Security

Directory Permissions

Sensitive File Protection

Mount Security

Network Security

CORS Protection

API Access Control

System Hardening

SSH Security

Automatic Updates

Ubuntu/Debian

CentOS/RHEL

Kernel Hardening

Monitoring and Auditing

Audit Wings Access

Activity Logging

Fail2Ban Integration

Backup Security

Secure Backup Storage

Backup Encryption

Incident Response

Compromised Node

Compromised Server Container

Security Checklist

Next Steps