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Why PHPSUEXEC and the security hole of PHP

Allowing other users to read your HTML files is not a problem, since they can be displayed in Internet Explorer. However, PHP files are not readable, they are parsed. Many scripts use a PHP file to store a database username and password. This means that on another server every client could read your PHP files, retrieve your password and access your databases.

Alden Hosting LLC has close this hole by installing an Apache module called PHPsuexec, which executes PHP scripts under your username. Instead of using everyone's permissions it uses the owner's permissions. Thus you can change the permissions of your PHP scripts to 0700 or 0500 and still read and execute them. However, these scripts will no longer be accessible to any other users - PHPsuexec will refuse to execute a script if it is world-writable to protect you from someone abusing one of your scripts. All Alden Hosting servers are running phpsuexec.

What is the difference?

This simply means that rules that apply to .cgi + .pl files on your current server, apply to php files also. The maximum permissions permitted on directories and PHP files is 755. Failing to have permissions set to a maximum of 755 on PHP files and their installation paths, will result in a 500 internal server error, when attempting to execute them.

#!/usr/local/bin/php

File Extension for PHP V5 programs

File & Folder Permissions

PHPsuexec also validates the directories in which PHP files are located. A PHP file cannot be executed in a directory that is group-writable or world-writable. However, in order to access a directory, it must be world-executable, which is safe to do. So folders/directories containing PHP files should have permissions 0755. Read/Write/Execute for the Owner and Read/Execute for Group and Everyone.

Folder Permissions for your DocRoot "/html"

777 - Do I need directories set to this? My install script says that I do.

You cannot manipulate the php.ini settings with .htaccess when running PHP as cgi/phpsuexec.

htaccess

Quick trouble shooter. . . . . HELP my php script doesn't work or I have an error message

2. Check that the chmod permissions for the folder that the script resides in are set to a maximum of 755. This also includes folders that the script would need to have access to also.

3. Check that the files are owned by you i.e. not owned by user 'apache'. Certain applications having been run under PHP as an Apache module, may have files owned by the Apache user - In that case, submit a helpdesk ticket for the file ownerships to be changed.

4. Check that you do not have an .htaccess file with php_values within it. They will cause a 500 Internal server error, when attempting to execute the script.