How to Run Anubis with Nginx on Ubuntu VPS

This article provides a guide demonstrating how to run Anubis with Nginx on Ubuntu VPS.

A complete installation, reverse proxy, systemd, firewall, SSL, and hardening guide

Overview

This guide walks you through deploying Anubis (the open-source file analysis and malware sandbox tool) on an Ubuntu VPS, fronted by Nginx as a secure reverse proxy with HTTPS. You’ll install dependencies, run Anubis as a service, configure Nginx for production, and optionally enable a domain + SSL using Let’s Encrypt.

Tested on: Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 / 24.04
Stack: Anubis (API/Web UI) + Nginx + Systemd + UFW + Certbot

How to Run Anubis with Nginx on Ubuntu VPS

To run Anubis with Nginx on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps below:

1. Update Server

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y sudo apt install -y git curl wget unzip nano htop

2. Install Required Dependencies for Anubis

   (Anubis is Python-based and requires Python 3.8+)

   sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip python3-venv python3-dev build-essential libffi-dev libssl-dev

   Create a working directory:

   mkdir -p /opt/anubis cd /opt/anubis

3. Download Anubis

   If you’re installing the open-source version:

   git clone https://github.com/jonluca/Anubis.git .

4. Create Virtual Environment & Install Python Requirements

   python3 -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate pip install --upgrade pip pip install -r requirements.txt pip install numpy anubis

5. Initialize Anubis

   Anubis includes a Flask-based API and runs on a local port.

   Test launch:

   python3 anubis.py

   If it shows “Running on http://127.0.0.1:5000”, it works.
   Stop it (CTRL+C).

6. Create Systemd Service for Anubis

   This ensures Anubis runs automatically as a background service.

   Create file:

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/anubis.service

   Paste:

   [Unit] Description=Anubis Malware Analysis API After=network.target [Service] User=root WorkingDirectory=/opt/anubis Environment="PATH=/opt/anubis/venv/bin" ExecStart=/opt/anubis/venv/bin/python anubis.py Restart=always [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target

   Enable + start:

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl enable anubis sudo systemctl start anubis

   Check:

   sudo systemctl status anubis

   Anubis now runs on http://127.0.0.1:5000 as a service.

7. Install Nginx

   sudo apt install nginx -y

   Check Nginx:

   systemctl status nginx

8. Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy for Anubis

   Create a server block:

   sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/anubis.conf

   Paste:

   server { listen 80; server_name YOUR_DOMAIN_OR_IP; client_max_body_size 500M; location / { proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5000/; proxy_set_header Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme; proxy_http_version 1.1; } }

   Enable the site:

   sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/anubis.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ sudo nginx -t sudo systemctl restart nginx

   Visit:

   http://YOUR_DOMAIN_OR_IP/

   You should see Anubis.

9. Optional: Enable HTTPS via Let’s Encrypt (Strongly Recommended)

   Install Certbot:

   sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

   Issue the certificate:

   sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

   Certbot automatically injects SSL directives and reloads Nginx.

   Test auto-renew:

   sudo certbot renew --dry-run

10. Harden Nginx for Production

    Edit the SSL config:

    sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/anubis.conf

    Add inside server block when SSL is enabled:

    proxy_read_timeout 300; proxy_connect_timeout 300; proxy_send_timeout 300; add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"; add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"; add_header Referrer-Policy "no-referrer-when-downgrade"; add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block";

    Reload:

    sudo systemctl reload nginx

11. Configure Firewall (UFW)

    Allow SSH + Nginx:

    sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full' sudo ufw --force enable

12. Testing

    • Check systemd:

      sudo systemctl status anubis

    • Check Nginx:

      sudo nginx -t sudo systemctl restart nginx

    • Verify port listening:

      ss -ltnp | grep 5000

    • View logs:

      journalctl -u anubis -f

13. Optional Enhancements

    • Enable Basic Authentication (Nginx)

      sudo apt install apache2-utils -y sudo htpasswd -c /etc/nginx/.htpasswd admin

      Add inside server block:

      auth_basic "Restricted"; auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;

      Reload Nginx.

    • Run Anubis Behind HTTPS Only

      Force HTTPS:

      server { listen 80; server_name yourdomain.com; return 301 https://$host$request_uri; }

Final Result

You now have:

✓ Anubis installed
✓ Running under Python virtual environment
✓ Managed by systemd
✓ Secured by Nginx reverse proxy
✓ Optional domain + SSL
✓ Production-grade hardening

Conclusion

You now know how to run Anubis with Nginx on Ubuntu VPS.