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How to Restrict Network Access to Self-Hosted Jira and Confluence

A practical guide to layering firewall, VPN, proxy, IP allowlist, database, and Jira cluster controls for self-hosted Jira and Confluence.

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Restrict access in layers: put self-hosted Jira and Confluence behind a firewall, private network, VPN, or reverse proxy; limit administration routes separately; and protect databases, storage, and cluster traffic at their own network boundaries. Product-level allowlists serve narrower purposes and do not replace controls on who can connect to the applications.

Choose the right boundary for each kind of traffic

For self-managed deployments, the infrastructure owner is responsible for securing the hardware, network, firewalls, and VPNs. Atlassian recommends allowing only the connections needed to operate and manage the deployment, and notes that it does not take responsibility for self-managed hardware infrastructure. See Atlassian’s Data Center security checklist and shared responsibilities.

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First decide whether Jira and Confluence should be reachable only over private access, or whether users need public application access while administration remains restricted. Then map users, administrators, integrations, load balancers, cluster nodes, databases, and outbound features to the routes and connections they actually need. Avoid exposing backend application, database, or cluster ports to broad networks.

Control What it restricts Where to enforce it
Firewall, private network, or VPN Who can reach the application and supporting network services Network perimeter or private access layer
Administration-path IP rules Access to administration routes while preserving intended user routes Reverse proxy or gateway
Confluence websudo allowlist Who can use websudo-protected administrative operations Confluence, using the client IP it receives
Jira URL allowlist Which URLs Jira may accept or request for content and URL-based operations Jira application configuration
Database, file, and cluster rules Connections to supporting systems and between cluster nodes Network and host-level controls

How do I put Jira and Confluence behind a network boundary?

Allow inbound access only through intended entry points, such as a VPN or a reverse proxy, and limit backend connections to the components that need them. If a reverse proxy handles HTTPS, configure the proxy and the application’s matching Tomcat/proxy settings; Atlassian documents proxy and TLS patterns for Confluence in its Proxy and HTTPS setup for Confluence. Atlassian’s Confluence security best practices also cover administration, database, and connection controls.

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A web application firewall can add protection at the application edge, but it is an additional control—not a substitute for network access policy. Apply firewall and proxy rules in a way that preserves required user and integration traffic.

How do I restrict Jira and Confluence administration by IP?

Restrict administration routes at the proxy or gateway

At the reverse proxy or gateway, allow administration paths only from trusted networks or administrator IP addresses. Keep rules specific to the product, installed release, and proxy configuration, and preserve the routes required for normal use. Atlassian provides an Apache example for limiting Jira administration access in its Jira administration-interface guidance; its security guidance also discusses restricting administration routes. Confluence’s security practices provide an Apache restriction as a template for other reverse proxies.

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Do not copy a proxy rule without checking the route list and behavior for your installed version and integrations. A rule that is too broad can block normal application features; one that is too narrow can leave an administrative route exposed.

Use Confluence websudo allowlisting as an additional control

The documented Confluence Data Center 8.9 websudo allowlist is disabled by default. It restricts access to websudo-protected operations by IP address or CIDR, but it is not a perimeter for all Confluence traffic. Before enabling it, configure the trusted proxy or gateway to forward the real client IP; the guide documents X-Forwarded-For as the default header. Ensure the gateway controls the forwarded value rather than trusting a header supplied directly by an untrusted client. Configure and verify the permitted addresses, retain a recovery path, then enable the allowlist and restart Confluence. Follow the version-matched websudo allowlist instructions.

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What Jira’s URL allowlist does—and does not do

Jira’s URL allowlist controls URL-based content and requests, including incoming and outgoing URL behavior. It is not an ingress firewall: it does not determine which networks can connect to Jira’s web application. In the Jira Data Center 11.2 documentation, the allowlist is enabled by default; administrators choose its anonymous and outbound-request behavior, and Application Links are added automatically. Check the matching release’s Jira allowlist configuration before changing its policy.

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How should I restrict Jira cluster and supporting-system access?

Permit Jira cluster traffic only between nodes

For Jira Data Center clusters, firewall or network-segmentation rules should permit required node-to-node traffic only between approved cluster nodes. Atlassian documents default Ehcache RMI listener and object ports 40001 and 40011; verify the ports configured in your deployment rather than assuming the defaults. Blocking required cache traffic can disrupt replication. See Atlassian’s Jira Data Center installation guidance.

Limit database and file access

Restrict database connections to the application hosts that need them, and limit access to Jira data directories and Confluence’s database. Atlassian’s guidance on security in the external environment addresses Jira database and filesystem restrictions; Confluence’s security best practices cover its database and connections.

Implementation and verification sequence

  1. Map required connections. Record the sources and destinations for users, administrators, integrations, load balancers, cluster nodes, databases, and outbound features. Decide which application access is public and which must be private.
  2. Apply the network boundary. Put the applications behind the chosen firewall, private network, VPN, or proxy. Permit only intended entry points and required backend connections. If using a proxy, configure the product’s corresponding proxy and HTTPS settings.
  3. Restrict administration paths. Add source-IP rules at the proxy or gateway for the correct routes, and check that ordinary user and integration routes remain available.
  4. Configure product-level controls deliberately. If enabling Confluence websudo allowlisting, first validate trusted client-IP forwarding, the permitted addresses, and a recovery path. Keep Jira’s URL allowlist policy aligned with the URL-based operations the instance needs.
  5. Scope supporting traffic. Permit Jira cluster cache traffic only between cluster nodes, using actual configured ports; restrict databases and files to the application components that require access.
  6. Test each access path. Check from an allowed user workstation, an unapproved network, an administrator source, and required integration and cluster sources. Confirm expected user features work, administrative routes are blocked from untrusted sources, and integrations and cluster health remain functional.
  7. Recheck after changes. Review and retest rules after upgrades, migrations, topology changes, or proxy changes.

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