FiveM servers are prime DDoS attack targets: they’re popular, community-driven, and often run on under-protected hosting. One solid attack can mean hours of downtime, frustrated players, and a damaged reputation.
This guide shows you how to:
- Harden your Linux and Windows FiveM servers.
- Reduce abuse with better firewalling and configuration.
- Optimize your FiveM hosting setup to reduce attack impact as much as possible before you pay for specialized protection.
- Understand when it’s time to use remote FiveM DDoS protection or a DDoS-protected VDS from Evolution Host.
1. What Kind of DDoS Attacks Hit FiveM Servers?
Most attacks fall into one (or more) of these categories:
- Volumetric – Fill your network pipe with huge Gbps/Tbps floods.
- Protocol-level – Abuse UDP/TCP/ICMP (e.g., malformed packets, reflection attacks) to exhaust firewalls and OS resources.
- Application-level – Abuse the FiveM handshake, connection process, resource downloads, or HTTP APIs.
Local firewalls and OS tweaks can help with smaller attacks and general abuse.
Big DDoS attacks must be stopped upstream, either by your hosting provider or a dedicated DDoS filtering network.
2. General Best Practices (Applies to Both OSes)
Regardless of whether you’re on Linux or Windows, these are non-negotiable basics.
Update regularly
- Apply OS and security patches often.
- Keep FiveM artifacts and txAdmin up to date.
Run only what you need
- No extra games, panels, or test services listening on public ports.
- Remove “just in case” services such as old FTP servers, unused web servers, legacy software, etc.
Backups live elsewhere
- Backup configs, resources, databases, and txAdmin settings to another location/provider.
- Test restoring from those backups at least once so you know the process actually works.
Now let’s split into Linux and Windows hardening in more detail.
3. Linux FiveM Server Hardening
3.1 Secure SSH
- Disable password logins and use SSH keys only:
In/etc/ssh/sshd_config:PasswordAuthentication no
PermitRootLogin no
- Create a non-root user and use
sudofor admin tasks. - Change the default SSH port from
22to a non-standard port (still use keys – this just cuts bot noise). - Install Fail2Ban (or similar) to ban IPs with repeated failed logins.
3.2 Firewall with UFW or iptables/nftables
For a typical FiveM Linux server (Ubuntu example using ufw):
ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing
# Allow FiveM (adjust ports as needed)
ufw allow 30120/tcp
ufw allow 30120/udp
# Allow SSH
ufw allow <your-ssh-port>/tcp
# Optional: web ports if you use them
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp
ufw enable
You can also:
- Rate-limit SSH:
ufw limit <your-ssh-port>/tcp - Drop or limit ICMP/ping if you’re heavily scanned (via additional iptables/nftables rules).
3.3 Kernel tuning for abuse resistance
In /etc/sysctl.conf (or a file under /etc/sysctl.d/), common hardening tweaks include:
- Enabling SYN cookies.
- Ignoring bogus ICMP responses.
- Adjusting connection queue sizes to avoid lockups.
The exact values depend on your environment and should be tested, but the principle is: harden against trivial floods without hurting normal players.
3.4 Process & file permissions
- Run your FiveM server under a non-root user.
- Restrict write permissions on your server files; only trusted admins should be able to modify resources.
- Use
screenortmuxfor controlled sessions instead of leaving processes tied to open SSH sessions.
4. Windows FiveM Server Hardening
A lot of FiveM servers run on Windows, so it’s important to lock it down properly too.
4.1 Secure RDP
- Change the default RDP port (
3389) to a non-standard one (via registry + firewall). - Use strong passwords and, ideally, Network Level Authentication (NLA).
- Restrict RDP access:
- Only allow from your IP or management VPN in Windows Firewall.
- Consider using a jump host or VPN instead of exposing RDP directly to the internet.
4.2 Windows Defender Firewall configuration
In Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security:
- Inbound rules:
- Allow only the FiveM ports (e.g.,
30120 TCP/UDP, and any others you use). - Allow RDP (on your chosen port) only from specific IP ranges.
- Allow HTTP/HTTPS ports only if needed (for web panels, APIs, etc.).
- Allow only the FiveM ports (e.g.,
- Block all other inbound ports by default.
You can also create per-program rules, allowing only the FiveM server executable and blocking unknown processes that don’t need network access.
4.3 User accounts & privileges
- Don’t run the FiveM server as the built-in Administrator.
- Create a dedicated service account with just enough permissions to run the server and write logs/configs.
- Disable or rename the default Administrator account if it isn’t needed for day-to-day operations.
4.4 Basic Windows security hygiene
- Enable Windows Update and patch regularly.
- Keep Windows Defender/AV enabled (with exclusions only where truly needed for performance).
- Disable unnecessary roles and features:
- No IIS / old SMB shares / legacy services unless you truly use them.
- Use Event Viewer or third-party tools to keep an eye on failed logins and unusual behaviour.
5. FiveM-Specific Security and Stability
Linux or Windows, some security steps are specifically about FiveM.
5.1 Secure txAdmin and web panels
- Never expose txAdmin without proper authentication.
- Use strong, unique per-admin accounts and enable 2FA if available.
- If possible:
- Bind txAdmin to
127.0.0.1and access it via an SSH tunnel or - Put it behind a reverse proxy with an extra layer of authentication (e.g., HTTP auth / SSO).
- Bind txAdmin to
5.2 Resource & script hygiene
- Only use scripts from trusted sources.
- Remove old plugins/resources you no longer use.
- Avoid scripts that:
- Expose additional HTTP ports, or
- Provide powerful admin commands without proper restrictions.
- Audit what commands regular players can trigger; avoid anything that can mass-spawn objects, trigger huge explosions, or otherwise force heavy load.
5.3 Reasonable server limits
- Set
sv_maxClientsaccording to your actual hardware and network capacity. - Monitor CPU, RAM and disk I/O during peak times and:
- Lower slot count, or
- Move to more powerful hardware,
instead of relying on a single overloaded machine.
6. How Far Can You Go Without Paid Protection?
The steps above absolutely help:
- You’ll shrug off basic nuisance floods and script-kiddie nonsense more easily.
- You’ll be less vulnerable to random scanning and brute-force attacks.
- Your server will be less likely to crash under sudden bursts of legitimate player traffic.
You can also:
- Choose a host with at least basic DDoS mitigation included in their network.
- Split web panels / databases onto separate machines or services to keep the game server lighter.
- Use rate limiting at the firewall and application level wherever possible.
However, there is a hard limit: once an attack is big enough, no amount of local tuning will save a connection that’s simply flooded.
7. Why Local Hardening Isn’t Enough
All the above hardening is necessary, but not sufficient against real DDoS attacks.
If someone throws a multi-Gbps attack at your IP:
- Your uplink saturates before the packets even hit your firewall.
- Latency skyrockets and packet loss makes the server unplayable.
- Your provider may null-route your IP to protect their network, taking you completely offline.
To handle serious attacks, you need upstream DDoS protection—a network in front of your server that can absorb, scrub, and forward only clean traffic.
8. Remote FiveM DDoS Protection From Evolution Host
If you’re happy with your current hardware/provider (Linux or Windows), but their DDoS protection is weak or non-existent, remote protection is ideal.
How remote protection works (simplified)
- Your existing FiveM server stays exactly where it is.
- Evolution Host gives you a protected IP and sets up a tunnel (e.g., GRE) between their DDoS filtering network and your server.
- Players connect to the protected IP instead of your real one.
- Evolution Host:
- Filters out DDoS traffic and malicious packets.
- Forwards only clean traffic to your original server through the tunnel.
Benefits for Linux & Windows deployments
- No OS change required – works with both Linux and Windows FiveM servers.
- Your real server IP can be locked down:
- Configure your firewall to only accept traffic from the Evolution Host tunnel endpoint.
- FiveM-oriented filtering profiles that understand typical player traffic vs obvious floods and malformed packets.
This is ideal if:
- You’ve invested time in your current server build and don’t want to migrate, but
- You need robust, game-focused DDoS mitigation in front of it.
Get remote FiveM DDoS protection from Evolution Host to keep your existing host while adding serious upstream protection.
9. DDoS-Protected VDS Hosting From Evolution Host
If you’re ready to change hosting or starting from scratch, running directly on DDoS-protected infrastructure is often simpler.
What is a VDS?
A VDS (Virtual Dedicated Server) provides:
- Dedicated (or strongly guaranteed) CPU cores.
- Predictable RAM and disk I/O.
- Full root/admin access (Linux or Windows, depending on the plan).
Why choose a DDoS-protected VDS for FiveM?
With an Evolution Host VDS:
- Your server runs inside a network built to handle DDoS.
- The public IP of your FiveM server is already protected – no custom tunneling required.
- The same provider handles both:
- The machine’s performance (CPU/RAM/disk), and
- The DDoS mitigation tailored for game servers like FiveM.
Great if:
- Your current VPS/dedicated host null-routes you at the first sign of trouble.
- You want a worry-free foundation, without building a complex routing/tunneling setup yourself.
Advanced FiveM DDoS protection is available with the Evolution Host Gold VDS plan, combining strong hardware with high-grade mitigation.
10. Monitoring, Alerts & Response
Even with DDoS protection, you should still:
Monitor
- CPU, RAM, disk I/O and network usage, especially around peak times or reported lag.
Set alerts
- Get notified if:
- The server goes down.
- Ping or packet loss spikes.
- Resource usage hits critical levels.
Have a simple incident plan
- Confirm if it’s a DDoS (via monitoring tools or your provider’s panel).
- Check your firewall rules and ensure the FiveM process is still healthy.
- If you’re using Evolution Host remote protection or VDS, contact their support with timestamps and symptoms.
- Inform players in Discord/your website that you’re under attack but protected and working on it.
Preparedness turns a panic event into just another (annoying) task instead of a disaster.
11. Choosing the Right Protection Strategy
Quick decision guide:
You want to stay on your current Linux/Windows host
➜ Use remote FiveM DDoS protection from Evolution Host
- Keep your existing environment.
- Gain a protected IP and upstream filtering tailored for FiveM.
You’re OK with moving or starting fresh
➜ Use a DDoS-protected VDS from Evolution Host
- Clean, simple architecture.
- Protection baked in at the infrastructure level.
In both scenarios, combine that with:
- Solid Linux or Windows hardening,
- A secure FiveM configuration, and
- Regular backups and monitoring,
…and your FiveM server will be in a strong position to flourish, no matter what kind of DDoS attacks you’re dealing with.
Using these advanced FiveM anti-DDoS tips can make the difference between constant downtime and a smooth, stable experience that keeps players coming back.
