.htaccess file gives 500 internal server error

Question

I receive 500 internal server error on my website. I think this is because of .htaccess file, but I don't know what's wrong with it.

Server: DirectAdmin, Linux-based

Contents of the .htaccess file is as the following:

# BEGIN All In One WP Security
#AIOWPS_BLOCK_WP_FILE_ACCESS_START
<files license.txt>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</files>
<files wp-config-sample.php>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</files>
<files readme.html>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</files>

#AIOWPS_BLOCK_WP_FILE_ACCESS_END
#AIOWPS_BASIC_HTACCESS_RULES_START
<files .htaccess>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</files>
ServerSignature Off
LimitRequestBody 10240000
<files wp-config.php>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</files>
#AIOWPS_BASIC_HTACCESS_RULES_END
#AIOWPS_PINGBACK_HTACCESS_RULES_START
<IfModule mod_alias.c>
RedirectMatch 403 /(.*)/xmlrpc\.php$
</IfModule>
#AIOWPS_PINGBACK_HTACCESS_RULES_END
#AIOWPS_DISABLE_INDEX_VIEWS_START
Options All -Indexes
#AIOWPS_DISABLE_INDEX_VIEWS_END
#AIOWPS_DISABLE_TRACE_TRACK_START
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} ^(TRACE|TRACK)
RewriteRule .* - [F]
#AIOWPS_DISABLE_TRACE_TRACK_END
#AIOWPS_FIVE_G_BLACKLIST_START
# 5G BLACKLIST/FIREWALL (2013)
# @ http://perishablepress.com/5g-blacklist-2013/

# 5G:[QUERY STRINGS]
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\"|%22).*(<|>|%3) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (javascript:).*(\;) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (<|%3C).*script.*(>|%3) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\\|\.\./|`|='$|=%27$) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\;|'|\"|%22).*(union|select|insert|drop|update|md5|benchmark|or|and|if) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (base64_encode|localhost|mosconfig) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (boot\.ini|echo.*kae|etc/passwd) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (GLOBALS|REQUEST)(=|\[|%) [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F]
</IfModule>

# 5G:[USER AGENTS]
<IfModule mod_setenvif.c>
# SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent ^$ keep_out
SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent (binlar|casper|cmsworldmap|comodo|diavol|dotbot|feedfinder|flicky|ia_archiver|jakarta|kmccrew|nutch|planetwork|purebot|pycurl|skygrid|sucker|turnit|vikspider|zmeu) keep_out
<limit GET POST PUT>
Order Allow,Deny
Allow from all
Deny from env=keep_out
</limit>
</IfModule>

# 5G:[REQUEST STRINGS]
<IfModule mod_alias.c>
RedirectMatch 403 (https?|ftp|php)\://
RedirectMatch 403 /(https?|ima|ucp)/
RedirectMatch 403 /(Permanent|Better)$
RedirectMatch 403 (\=\\\'|\=\\%27|/\\\'/?|\)\.css\()$
RedirectMatch 403 (\,|\)\+|/\,/|\{0\}|\(/\(|\.\.\.|\+\+\+|\||\\\"\\\")
RedirectMatch 403 \.(cgi|asp|aspx|cfg|dll|exe|jsp|mdb|sql|ini|rar)$
RedirectMatch 403 /(contac|fpw|install|pingserver|register)\.php$
RedirectMatch 403 (base64|crossdomain|localhost|wwwroot|e107\_)
RedirectMatch 403 (eval\(|\_vti\_|\(null\)|echo.*kae|config\.xml)
RedirectMatch 403 \.well\-known/host\-meta
RedirectMatch 403 /function\.array\-rand
RedirectMatch 403 \)\;\$\(this\)\.html\(
RedirectMatch 403 proc/self/environ
RedirectMatch 403 msnbot\.htm\)\.\_
RedirectMatch 403 /ref\.outcontrol
RedirectMatch 403 com\_cropimage
RedirectMatch 403 indonesia\.htm
RedirectMatch 403 \{\$itemURL\}
RedirectMatch 403 function\(\)
RedirectMatch 403 labels\.rdf
RedirectMatch 403 /playing.php
RedirectMatch 403 muieblackcat
</IfModule>

# 5G:[REQUEST METHOD]
<ifModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} ^(TRACE|TRACK)
RewriteRule .* - [F]
</IfModule>

# 5G:[BAD IPS]
<limit GET POST PUT>
Order Allow,Deny
Allow from all
# uncomment/edit/repeat next line to block IPs
# Deny from 123.456.789
</limit>
#AIOWPS_FIVE_G_BLACKLIST_END
#AIOWPS_BLOCK_SPAMBOTS_START
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} POST
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^(.*)?wp-comments-post\.php(.*)$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://(.*)?\.spna\.co\.ir [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^$
RewriteRule .* http://127.0.0.1 [L]
</IfModule>
#AIOWPS_BLOCK_SPAMBOTS_END
# END All In One WP Security

# BEGIN W3TC Browser Cache
<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary
</IfModule>
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/css text/x-component application/x-javascript application/javascript text/javascript text/x-js text/html text/richtext image/svg+xml text/plain text/xsd text/xsl text/xml image/x-icon application/json
<IfModule mod_mime.c>
# DEFLATE by extension
AddOutputFilter DEFLATE js css htm html xml
</IfModule>
</IfModule>
# END W3TC Browser Cache
# BEGIN W3TC Page Cache core
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP:Accept-Encoding} gzip
RewriteRule .* - [E=W3TC_ENC:_gzip]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} !=POST
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} =""
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} \/$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_COOKIE} !(comment_author|wp\-postpass|w3tc_logged_out|wordpress_logged_in|wptouch_switch_toggle) [NC]
RewriteCond "%{DOCUMENT_ROOT}/wp-content/cache/page_enhanced/%{HTTP_HOST}/%{REQUEST_URI}/_index.html%{ENV:W3TC_ENC}" -f
RewriteRule .* "/wp-content/cache/page_enhanced/%{HTTP_HOST}/%{REQUEST_URI}/_index.html%{ENV:W3TC_ENC}" [L]
</IfModule>
# END W3TC Page Cache core
# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

# END WordPress

And here's what the Apache Error Log says:

[Thu Jan 16 00:19:08 2014] [alert] [client 157.55.35.85] /home/sapna/domains/spna.co.ir/public_html/.htaccess: Option All not allowed here

I would be grateful if you help me find out what causes the 500 internal server error.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Often 500 Internal Server Error happens if you fail to load the mod_rewrite module.

To enable RewriteEngine On you need to run the following command:

sudo a2enmod rewrite

Answer 2

I was facing same problem, here is solution for ubuntu and apache It was because mod_rewrite module was not enabled, First enable module rewrite:

sudo a2enmod rewrite 

And restart apache

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Now edit for directory level

sudo vim /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default.conf

add these lines at end

<Directory /var/www/html>
    AllowOverride All
 </Directory>

and restart apache again.

sudo service apache2 restart