Magento error message: 'Your web server is configured incorrectly'

When accessing the Magento administration console, you may encounter the error:

Your web server is configured incorrectly. As a result, configuration files with sensitive information are accessible from the outside. Please contact your hosting provider.

This error indicates a security misconfiguration in your Magento installation.

Cause

• File permissions are set too permissively, allowing external access to sensitive configuration files.
• The .htaccess file in the app subdirectory is missing or misconfigured.

Resolution Steps

Step 1: Verify .htaccess File

1. Log in to your hosting account via SSH or File Manager.

2. Navigate to the app subdirectory of your Magento installation.

3. Confirm that a .htaccess file exists.

4. If missing, create a new .htaccess file with the following directives:

   apache

   Order deny,allow
   Deny from all

Step 2: Correct File Permissions

• Directories should be set to 755 (owner read/write/execute, group/world read/execute).
• Files should be set to 644 (owner read/write, group/world read).

You can reset permissions using SSH:

# Set file permissions
find . -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

# Set directory permissions
find . -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

Step 3: Clear Magento Cache

After fixing permissions and .htaccess, clear Magento’s cache:

php bin/magento cache:flush

Important Notes

• Always back up your site before making configuration changes.
• Incorrect permissions may break functionality if set too restrictively.
• If you are on ruachost.com shared hosting, contact support to confirm server‑level security settings.