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If Nginx returns 403 Forbidden, “permission denied,” or serves the default site instead of your new virtual host, first identify the server block and exact filesystem path handling the request. Then verify the Nginx worker account, give that account directory traversal and file-read access, check SELinux or another mandatory access-control policy, and retest the loaded configuration.
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Do not begin with chmod -R 777. It can expose files, does not solve a wrong root or server_name, and may not overcome SELinux. The workflow below isolates the failure before changing permissions.
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How Nginx maps a virtual-host request to a file
Nginx chooses a server block using the listener, request Host header, and server_name rules. Inside that block, root supplies a base directory. For a normal location, Nginx appends the request URI to that root.
For example, with root /var/www/example.com/public;, a request for /images/logo.svg normally maps to /var/www/example.com/public/images/logo.svg. A root declared inside a more specific location can replace the server-level root for that request. An alias constructs the path differently, so it must be checked separately rather than treated as another spelling of root.
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That mapping explains why changing permissions on a guessed directory often has no effect: the request may be reaching another virtual host, another location, or an alias path.
Example server block
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example.com/public;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
}Here, try_files checks the requested path and returns 404 when neither the file nor directory candidate exists. It does not grant permission; the worker still needs to traverse the directories and read the file.
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Before editing ownership or mode bits, prove that the request is reaching the block you intend to repair. A DNS record can point to a different machine, and a request made by IP address may carry a Host header that selects another block.
Check the Host header directly
From a client that can reach the server, send the hostname explicitly:
curl -i -H 'Host: example.com' http://SERVER_IP/For HTTPS, use the real hostname so certificate and SNI selection are also representative:
curl -ik --resolve example.com:443:SERVER_IP https://example.com/Replace the placeholders with your address and hostname. Compare the response headers and body with a known marker in the intended document. If the response is the default site, stop and correct the virtual-host selection before touching filesystem permissions.
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Inspect server and location blocks
Search the configuration files actually included by Nginx. Look for:
- The
listenaddress and port. - Every relevant
server_name, including wildcard and default-server declarations. - A
rootat server scope. - More specific locations that declare another
root. alias,try_files, rewrites, or internal redirects that change the final path.
Package layouts differ, but common files are under /etc/nginx. Follow the include directives instead of assuming a distribution-specific filename.
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2. Verify the configuration Nginx actually loaded
Editing a file does not change the running service until the configuration is tested and reloaded. First find the compiled configuration path:
nginx -V 2>&1In the output, note the --conf-path value. Inspect that file and its included snippets to find the matching server and location blocks. If the command is not in your normal path, use the full binary path used by the service manager.
Validate syntax and referenced files before any reload:
sudo nginx -tA successful test reports that the syntax is valid and the test is successful. If it fails, fix the reported line first; a permission change cannot repair a configuration that Nginx cannot parse or load.
After a successful test, reload rather than stopping the service:
sudo systemctl reload nginxOn systems without systemd, use the service manager supplied by the distribution. Always run nginx -t immediately before a reload so a typo does not replace a known-good configuration.
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Nginx logs the path it attempted and the operating-system error. Common Linux locations include:
/var/log/nginx/error.log
/var/log/nginx/access.logWatch the error log while making one test request:
sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.logLook for entries containing permission denied, open(), stat(), or the requested URI. The logged filesystem path is more reliable than a path you inferred from memory. If the path is under a different root than expected, return to the server and location rules.
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The status code helps distinguish causes, but the log is decisive:
| Observed result | Likely interpretation | What to check |
|---|---|---|
403 Forbidden with a permission error in error.log |
The worker cannot traverse a directory or read the target, or a security policy denied access. | Every parent directory, file mode/ACL, worker identity, and SELinux context. |
404 Not Found |
The mapped file is absent, the root is wrong, or a try_files rule deliberately returned 404. |
Logged path, URI spelling, root or alias, deployment output, and location rules. |
| Directory request followed by an index-related message | Nginx looked for an index file and did not find or could not read it. | index directive, filename, directory traversal, and file readability. |
| The default page appears | A different server block answered. | Host header, DNS, listener, default-server behavior, and loaded configuration. |
4. Check Unix traversal and read permissions
Unix access is evaluated component by component. The worker needs the execute (x) bit on every directory in the path, including the web-root directory and all parents. On a directory, x means “traverse” or access names when the name is otherwise known; it is distinct from listing the directory. The target file needs read (r) permission for the worker’s effective user or one of its groups.
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Inspect every path component with namei
namei -l /var/www/example.com/public/index.htmlThe output shows ownership and mode bits for each component. If namei is unavailable, inspect the directories individually with ls -ld and the file with ls -l:
ls -ld /var /var/www /var/www/example.com /var/www/example.com/public
ls -l /var/www/example.com/public/index.htmlAlso inspect POSIX access-control lists when they may override the simple owner/group/mode picture:
getfacl -p /var/www/example.com/public/index.html
getfacl -p /var/www/example.com/publicDistribution defaults differ, so do not assume that the worker is called www-data or nginx.
5. Identify the actual Nginx worker account
Check the user directive in the loaded configuration. Then confirm the account used by running workers, because a service override, container, or custom build can change the effective identity:
ps -eo user,group,pid,comm,args | grep '[n]ginx'The master process may run with elevated privileges while workers run as an unprivileged account. Files must be accessible to the worker, not merely to the master. Record the worker’s user and supplementary groups before changing ownership.
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When you need to test a path as that account, use an equivalent account-switching method approved on your host. Do not grant broad access just to avoid identifying the real identity.
6. Grant the minimum access needed
For static content, the usual requirement is directory traversal on parents and read access to published files. Keep ownership with the deployment or site owner when possible. If a separate deployment account must write releases, use a shared group or a narrowly scoped ACL rather than making the entire tree writable by everyone.
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Separate directory and file modes
Directories and files need different mode conventions: directories require x for traversal, while ordinary static files generally need r. Apply deliberate modes to the intended web root, not blindly to every file below it.
# Example only: review the existing owner and group first
sudo find /var/www/example.com/public -type d -exec chmod 755 {} +
sudo find /var/www/example.com/public -type f -exec chmod 644 {} +Those values are examples, not a universal prescription. Private configuration, upload, cache, and application-runtime directories may require stricter or different permissions. Review the tree before running a recursive command.
Use group access when deployment and serving are separate
One common arrangement keeps the site owner as owner and places the Nginx worker in a read-only group. The exact group-management commands vary by distribution. After adding the worker to a group, restart or otherwise refresh the service’s group membership, then verify with id and getfacl.
Use an ACL for a narrow exception
Where changing the primary group is undesirable, an ACL can grant the worker read access to a specific tree:
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sudo setfacl -m u:WORKER_USER:--x /var/www/example.com/public
sudo setfacl -R -m u:WORKER_USER:rX /var/www/example.com/publicReplace WORKER_USER only after verifying the real account. Review the resulting ACLs with getfacl. An ACL does not bypass SELinux, AppArmor, filesystem mounts, or other mandatory controls.
Do not use a blanket 0777 repair
chmod -R 777 grants read, write, and execute access to every local user and often creates a security problem. It also fails when the request reaches the wrong path or SELinux denies the operation. Remove excessive permissions after any emergency troubleshooting and choose ownership, group, or ACL rules that match the deployment workflow.
7. Check SELinux and other mandatory controls
On SELinux-enabled systems, Unix mode bits can look correct while the policy still blocks Nginx from a custom web root. Check the security context:
ls -Z /var/www/example.com/public
ls -Z /var/www/example.com/public/index.htmlIf the error log shows a denial, inspect the operating system’s audit records using the tools provided by that distribution. Standard web roots normally carry labels accepted by the web-server policy; a directory moved under a home directory, mounted from another location, or created at a custom path may not.
For a custom static tree, administrators commonly create a persistent file-context rule and then restore labels. The exact type and policy package must match the content and distribution; confirm them against local SELinux documentation before applying a rule. A typical pattern is:
sudo semanage fcontext -a -t httpd_sys_content_t '/var/www/example.com/public(/.*)?'
sudo restorecon -Rv /var/www/example.com/publicUse a writable-content type only for directories that truly need web-server writes, and limit that area. Do not disable SELinux as a shortcut.
Other systems may enforce AppArmor, mount options, chroots, containers, or network filesystems. If Unix permissions and SELinux labels are correct, inspect those controls and the service’s namespace or mount view.
8. Handle index files and directory requests
A request ending in a slash, such as /docs/, triggers index-file lookup. The default index is commonly index.html, unless the configuration sets another index directive.
location / {
index index.html;
}If the directory is traversable but the configured index file is missing, the result is generally a 404 or another directory-index response determined by configuration. If the index exists but cannot be read, the error log records a permission failure. Check the exact filename, capitalization, parent traversal, and file readability.
Directory listing is not an automatic fallback. If listing is disabled and no index is available, do not “fix” the response by opening the directory broadly; add the intended index or make the application’s routing explicit.
9. Retest with a controlled request
- Run
sudo nginx -tand correct every reported error. - Reload Nginx only after the test succeeds.
- Request the URL with the intended Host header, using
curl -ior an equivalent client. - Watch
error.logduring that request and record the status, errno, and resolved path. - Verify both a known existing file and a deliberately nonexistent file to distinguish permissions from path handling.
A successful existing-file request should return the expected content and a normal success status. A nonexistent-file request should follow your configured 404 or fallback behavior. If both fail, inspect the server selection and path mapping again rather than widening permissions.
Common failure patterns and targeted fixes
| Symptom | Cause to investigate first | Targeted action |
|---|---|---|
| Nginx works for the default site but not the new host | The Host header or server_name selects another block. |
Test with curl -H 'Host: ...', inspect listeners and loaded server blocks, and confirm DNS. |
| File is world-readable but still denied | A parent directory lacks x, or an ACL/mandatory policy blocks traversal. |
Run namei -l, inspect ACLs and contexts, and fix the blocking component only. |
| Changing the expected directory has no effect | A location-level root, alias, rewrite, or different server block supplies the real path. |
Use the error-log path and configuration inspection to identify the effective mapping. |
| Configuration changes appear ignored | The edited file is not included, or Nginx was not reloaded. | Find --conf-path, follow includes, run nginx -t, then reload. |
| 403 appears only for a directory URL | Index lookup failed or directory access rules apply. | Check the index directive, index filename, traversal, and location restrictions. |
| Permissions look right on Fedora or another SELinux host | The file context is unsuitable for the web-server domain. | Use ls -Z, inspect audit denials, and apply a persistent context rule where appropriate. |
A compact diagnostic checklist
- Send the request with the correct Host header and confirm the intended virtual host answers.
- Find the loaded configuration with
nginx -V 2>&1and inspect all included files. - Resolve server-level and location-level
rootdirectives, plus anyaliasor rewrite. - Read
error.logfor the exact path and operating-system errno. - Identify the running worker user instead of assuming a distribution default.
- Run
namei -lon the exact path and inspect ACLs where relevant. - Grant only traversal and read access required for the content.
- Check SELinux or another mandatory policy when mode bits are insufficient.
- Test with
nginx -t, reload, and repeat a controlled request.
When the problem is not a directory permission
If the error log shows a missing file rather than permission denial, correct the root, alias, deployment path, URI, or index configuration. If a location returns a deliberate 403, inspect location restrictions, authentication, HTTP methods, and application rules. If Nginx can read the static file but an upstream application fails, troubleshoot the upstream socket, service account, and application logs separately.
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