7G AND 8G FIREWALL
The 8G Firewall, Switched On Per Site
xCloud's built-in firewall blocks common attack requests on your server, like SQL injection, script injection and bad bots, before they reach your site. It uses the 8G and 7G rule sets from Perishable Press. Turn either on per site with one switch, free on every plan.
- Nginx and OpenLiteSpeed
- Free on every plan
- Allow a blocked request without turning it off
WHY IT MATTERS
Why Use a Web Server Firewall?
Stops attacks early
Bad requests are refused by the web server before WordPress or PHP starts.
Saves server power
Junk traffic no longer costs you PHP workers and database queries.
No plugin needed
Nothing to install in WordPress, and nothing for attackers to switch off from there.
WHAT YOU GET
What Does the 8G Firewall Block?
8G covers everything 7G does, and adds rules for bad cookies, bad hosts and remote code execution.
SQL and code injection
Query strings that try to run database or PHP code.
Cross-site scripting
Requests carrying script tags and other XSS patterns.
Bad bots
Known bad user agents and scrapers.
File and path tricks
Directory traversal, file inclusion and null byte attacks.
HOW IT WORKS
How Do You Turn On the 8G Firewall in xCloud?
Open Security
Open the site and go to Security, then Overview & Firewall.
Switch on 8G
In Security Settings, under Firewall rules, turn on 8G Firewall.
Save
Click Save Settings. The Web firewall tile then shows 8G on.
Allow false positives
On Nginx, find the blocked rule in the 8G error log and allow it in Nginx Customization.
LIMITS AND PLANS
What Are the Limits?
One at a time
Run 7G or 8G on a site, not both. xCloud recommends 8G.
Logs and rule tuning on Nginx
OpenLiteSpeed has no separate firewall log, and per-rule allowing is Nginx only for now.
Strict rules can block plugins
Page builders and SEO tools sometimes trip a rule. Allow that rule rather than turning the firewall off.
Free on every plan
Not available for Node.js sites, or when you manage the site's web server config yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What people ask about 7G and 8G Firewall on xCloud.
What is the 8G firewall?
The 8G firewall is a set of web server rules by Jeff Starr of Perishable Press, open source and free for everyone as of October 2026. It blocks requests that match known attack patterns. It builds on the older 7G firewall.
What is the difference between 7G and 8G?
8G includes the 7G protections and adds rules for bad cookies, bad hosts, advanced bots and remote code execution. It is stricter, so it can catch more legitimate requests too.
Does the 8G firewall work on Nginx and OpenLiteSpeed?
Yes. xCloud adds the rules to the site's Nginx config, or to a managed block in the site's .htaccess file on OpenLiteSpeed.
The 8G firewall blocks something I need. What do I do?
On Nginx, open the 8G error log under Site Monitoring, then Logs, note the rule name, and add a small config in Tools, then Nginx Customization that allows that rule. The rest of the firewall stays on.
Can I run 7G and 8G together?
No. If both are on when you save, xCloud shows an error. Turn one off, then save.
Turn On a Firewall in One Click
Block common attacks at the web server, on every site, on every plan.