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Webmin

INFRA · APIS
Velocity2.5

Web-based system administration interface for Unix and Linux servers

webmin.com ↗

Webmin absorbs Linux subsystems one module at a time, with access controls tightening underneath.

server-administrationself-hostedlinux-modulesaccess-controlquota-management
◆Current state
Webmin ships every few weeks as a paired release with Usermin, and the visible window runs from 2.641 in May to 2.660 in August. The substantial release is 2.650, which added modules for systemd services and units, the GRUB 2 boot loader and the Kea DHCP server, along with basic Alpine Linux support. Since then the work has narrowed to storage and packaging detail: Btrfs subvolume quota management, vfsv1 quota files above 4 TiB, APT package holds and incremental Fail2Ban ban times.
◆Where it's heading
Two lines run in parallel. One extends the range of Linux subsystems Webmin can administer, adding a module wherever the distributions have moved: systemd, Kea, nftables, Netplan, Alpine. The other tightens what an authenticated user is permitted to do. Release 2.652 added a per-user ACL blocking URL downloads from non-public IP addresses and enforced file access ACLs on local imports across the database and directory modules, while 2.650 fixed a reflected XSS and made RPC-only accounts fail before module ACL checks. For a panel that runs as root on other people's servers, the second line is the more consequential one.
◆Prediction
Expect the module-per-subsystem pattern to keep tracking whatever the distributions adopt next, and further ACL work in the modules that fetch remote URLs or import local files, since that is where the last two releases found problems.

◆Recent moves

  1. 17d ago

    Btrfs subvolume quotas and APT package hold management

    The Disk Quotas module gains Btrfs subvolume quota management in full and simple accounting modes, and vfsv1 quota files now support limits above 4 TiB without disturbing existing formats. Package Updates picks up APT hold management and Fail2Ban gains incremental ban times, continuing the pattern of meeting each subsystem where it now sits.

    View source ↗
  2. 1mo ago

    2.653 restores a missing xmlrpc-lib.pl and fixes Debian package listing

    A packaging repair release: a file omitted from the previous package is restored and partially installed Debian packages list correctly again. The theme update carries groundwork for a Virtualmin Podman plugin that has not shipped here yet.

    View source ↗
  3. 1mo ago

    ACL controls block URL downloads from non-public IP addresses

    The security-facing release of the window: a global per-user ACL prevents File Manager, Mailboxes and Upload/Download from fetching URLs on non-public IPs, and local file imports now honor file access ACLs in Users and Groups, LDAP, MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL modules. Both close paths by which an authenticated low-privilege user could reach further than intended.

    View source ↗
  4. 2mo ago

    2.651 fixes Certbot PEM path parsing and bond interface activation

    A narrow fix release: Certbot-backed certificate requests parse PEM paths correctly after issuance, and Linux bond interfaces activate live again. The rest is File Manager search-result deletion behavior in the Authentic theme.

    View source ↗
  5. 2mo ago

    Three new modules land: systemd units, GRUB 2, and Kea DHCP

    The largest release in the window by a wide margin. Three new modules arrive for systemd services and units, the GRUB 2 boot loader and the Kea DHCP server, alongside basic Alpine Linux support, IP-based Let's Encrypt certificates via Certbot 5.3, WebSocket proxying, and per-user RPC/API-only accounts. A long fix list underneath includes a reflected XSS in status messages and RPC-only accounts being blocked before module ACL checks.

    View source ↗
  6. 3mo ago

    Trusted proxy IP address support

    Webmin can now be told which proxy IP addresses to trust, which matters for anyone running it behind a reverse proxy and relying on client addresses for access control. The remainder is monitor editing fixes and a hwclock guard.

    View source ↗