Resolving Apache 2.4.64 421 Misdirected Request Error on cPanel/CloudLinux Servers

Overview: After the release of ea-apache24-2.4.64, many administrators on cPanel servers experienced a widespread issue causing websites behind reverse proxies (such as EA-Nginx or Cloudflare) to return the error:

421 Misdirected Request

This article provides a complete technical guide to understanding, reproducing, and resolving this issue by downgrading Apache and version-locking it to prevent recurrence, particularly in CloudLinux 8 environments.

Issue Summary:

• Error: 421 Misdirected Request

• Cause: Apache 2.4.64 introduced stricter SSL/TLS handling to mitigate CVEs.

• Impact: Servers using reverse proxies that omit SNI (Server Name Indication) in upstream connections fail to map virtual hosts correctly.

Affected Environments:

• cPanel with EA-Nginx

• Servers behind Cloudflare

• CloudLinux (especially version 8/9)

• Apache 2.4.64 (ea-apache24-2.4.64)

Step-by-Step Solution

1. Check Current Apache Version

httpd -v
# or
rpm -q ea-apache24

Expected safe output:

ea-apache24-2.4.63-2.el8.cloudlinux.x86_64

2. If Website is Down and Version is 2.4.64

Downgrade Apache to 2.4.63:

dnf downgrade ea-apache24*

Then apply version lock:

dnf install python3-dnf-plugin-versionlock -y
rpm -q ea-apache24 # get exact version after downgrade

dnf versionlock add ea-apache24-2.4.63-2.el8.cloudlinux.x86_64

3. If Website is Working and Version is Already 2.4.63

Simply lock the version to prevent future upgrades:

dnf install python3-dnf-plugin-versionlock -y

dnf versionlock add ea-apache24-2.4.63-2.el8.cloudlinux.x86_64

4. Verify the Lock

dnf versionlock list | grep ea-apache24

Expected output:

ea-apache24-1:2.4.63-2.el8.cloudlinux.*

---

Optional: Schedule Automatic Unlock After 30 Days

Using at (One-time task):

dnf install at -y
systemctl enable --now atd
echo "dnf versionlock delete ea-apache24" | at now + 30 days

Using cron (fixed date):

0 3 25 8 * dnf versionlock delete ea-apache24

Verification & Monitoring

To ensure your server remains unaffected:

• Periodically verify Apache version

• Track EA4 updates: https://docs.cpanel.net/changelogs/easyapache/

• Wait for the fix under cPanel task ID EA4D-684

Reference Links:

• cPanel KB: 421 Misdirected Request Error

• Plesk Article: Apache 421 Fix

Conclusion: To maintain stability across web hosting environments using reverse proxies, system administrators should temporarily downgrade and lock Apache at version 2.4.63 until a cPanel patch resolves the 421 issue. This proactive step prevents outages and ensures client websites remain accessible and secure.