Nginx SSL/TLS configuration for "A+" Qualys SSL Labs rating

nginx-tls.conf

#
# Name: nginx-tls.conf
# Auth: Gavin Lloyd <gavinhungry@gmail.com>
# Desc: Nginx SSL/TLS configuration for "A+" Qualys SSL Labs rating
#
# Enables HTTP/2, PFS, HSTS and OCSP stapling. Configuration options not related
# to SSL/TLS are not included here.
#
# Additional tips:
#
#   * Enable CAA DNS record: https://sslmate.com/caa
#
# Example: https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d=gavinhungry.com
#

server {
  listen [::]:80;
  listen      80;
  server_name domain.tld www.domain.tld;

  # Redirect all non-https requests
  rewrite ^ https://$host$request_uri? permanent;
}

server {
  listen [::]:443 ssl http2 default_server;
  listen      443 ssl http2 default_server;

  server_name domain.tld www.domain.tld;

  # Certificate(s) and private key
  ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/domain.crt;
  ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/domain.key;

  # RFC-7919 recommended: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Server_Side_TLS#ffdhe4096
  ssl_dhparam /etc/ssl/ffdhe4096.pem;

  # Or, generate random dhparam
  # openssl dhparam 4096 -out /etc/ssl/dhparam.pem
  # ssl_dhparam /etc/ssl/dhparam.pem;

  ssl_protocols TLSv1.3 TLSv1.2;
  ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
  ssl_ecdh_curve secp521r1:secp384r1;
  ssl_ciphers EECDH+AESGCM:EECDH+AES256;

  ssl_session_cache shared:TLS:2m;
  ssl_buffer_size 4k;

  # OCSP stapling
  ssl_stapling on;
  ssl_stapling_verify on;
  resolver 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 [2606:4700:4700::1111] [2606:4700:4700::1001]; # Cloudflare

  # Set HSTS to 365 days
  add_header Strict-Transport-Security 'max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload' always;
}

Sweet example! Thanks a bunch :D!

add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" always; ... if you want A+ on a subdomain ... also, if using Let's encrypt and you want a score of 100 on key exchange then you must generate them with the flag --rsa-key-size 4096 and the usual openssl dhparam -out dhparam.pem 4096

Based on this config, 5 others and some extensive testing, I have put together a config that describes exactly how each NGINX directive will effect your SSL Labs score - see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/41930060/how-do-you-score-a-with-100-on-all-categories-on-ssl-labs-test-with-lets-encry - thanks for helping me put it together

You can use dnsmasq for even faster and more secure lookups for the resolver entry, and then use my include= example
for TLS/SSL with nginx: https://gist.github.com/jult/395ad9fd3e9773a54a67aaf689beab27

I'd rather go for the 2048 long ssl_dhparam on my RaspberryPi like recommended here: https://gist.github.com/plentz/6737338#file-nginx-conf-L57 It just takes too damn long. 😂

worked for me without OSCP stalping,
Thanks a lot.

Based on https://security.stackexchange.com/a/95184/172143 it might make sense to use the -dsaparam option for the openssl dhparam command. Instead of hours it takes just a while to generate and I still get an A+.

Here is my code for their resolver to support both IPv4 and IPv6 (Can disable IPv6 and will still work universal setup)

#Cloudflare resolver 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com
resolver 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 [2606:4700:4700::1111] [2606:4700:4700::1001];

https://1.1.1.1/#explanation
https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-1.1.1.1/
https://blog.cloudflare.com/announcing-1111/

Fastest DNS resolvers in the world (1.1.1.1 is the fastest most secured and private unlike google)
https://www.dnsperf.com/#!dns-resolvers

ssl_protocols TLSv1.3 TLSv1.2 TLSv1.1 TLSv1

needs to be changed to

ssl_protocols TLSv1.3 TLSv1.2;

per https://blog.qualys.com/product-tech/2018/11/19/grade-change-for-tls-1-0-and-tls-1-1-protocols

Doesn't seem to work. I still get warnings on all CBC ciphers so I only get an A, not A+:

`

TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384 (0xc028)   ECDH x25519 (eq. 3072 bits RSA)   FS   WEAK	256
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA (0xc014)   ECDH x25519 (eq. 3072 bits RSA)   FS   WEAK	256
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA256 (0xc027)   ECDH x25519 (eq. 3072 bits RSA)   FS   WEAK	128
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA (0xc013)   ECDH x25519 (eq. 3072 bits RSA)   FS   WEAK	128
TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA (0x2f)   WEAK	128
`

Doesn't seem to work. I still get warnings on all CBC ciphers so I only get an A, not A+:

Note the last update to this gist was on Nov 2, 2018

@ItsIrv @dbrossard @dlangille,

Thanks for the reminders that I've been letting this stagnate. I've just now applied what I think are sensible updates - feedback/tips/corrections welcome.

@ItsIrv @dbrossard @dlangille,

Thanks for the reminders that I've been letting this stagnate. I've just now applied what I think are sensible updates - feedback/tips/corrections welcome.

Take anything you like from what I just put up: https://github.com/FreshPorts/nginx-config/blob/main/virtualhost-common-ssl.conf

@gavinhungry

Thanks for posting this. Have you found any issues with nginx performance when terminating HTTPS traffic? I've found it to be 10x-15x slower than HTTP. I understand there is extra processing involved but benchmarks I'm getting don't look great at all. I'm wondering if there is something I'm missing here.

ssl_ciphers EECDH+AESGCM:EECDH+AES256;

You can probably remove the dhparam bits, afaik dhparam isn't used for EECDH.

Hi Gavin, Hi all,

This works for me with nginx 1.21.3 and openssl 1.1.1l - it is in the server block.

server {
...
# Some cybersecurity tools use TLSv1.2 otherwise I would have used only TLSv1.3
ssl_protocols TLSv1.3 TLSv1.2;

    # The TLS 1.2 ciphers below will not work with very old browsers and Android phones.
    # Please do not ignore the +AES256 as otherwise you will get AES128.
    ssl_ciphers ECDH+CHACHA20:ECDH+AESGCM+AES256;

    # The TLS 1.3 ciphers below are fewer than those in the RFC. But they work.
    ssl_conf_command Ciphersuites TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256:TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384;

    # The commands below directly affect how Openssl will behave.
    ssl_conf_command Options ServerPreference,PrioritizeChaCha,NoRenegotiation,NoResumptionOnRenegotiation;

    # My server is not heavy loaded so I am okay to use secp384r1. Saw no effect on website speed.
    ssl_ecdh_curve secp521r1:secp384r1;

    # Do not use 2048 (see SSLTEST rating guide)
    ssl_dhparam /etc/ssl/dsa4096.pem;

...
}

Beautiful, it worked

Do you need to add the header "Content-Security-Policy" for extra security measures?

Here is one from the NSA/defense.gov, ref https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jan/05/2002560140/-1/-1/0/ELIMINATING_OBSOLETE_TLS_UOO197443-20.PDF & https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-52r2.pdf

ssl_protocols TLSv1.3 TLSv1.2;
ssl_ciphers ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:AES256-GCM-SHA384;
ssl_ecdh_curve secp384r1;	
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
  
ssl_session_tickets off;

https://github.com/nsacyber/Mitigating-Obsolete-TLS/blob/master/webserver/nginx-tls.txt