open_basedir paths from parent directories seem not to be inherited automatically

Discussion in 'Server Operation' started by cbj4074, Dec 14, 2011.

  1. cbj4074

    cbj4074 Member

    I'm running Apache/2.2.14 (Ubuntu) and PHP 5.3.2-1ubuntu4.10.

    I would like to define open_basedir rules in /etc/apache2/httpd.conf that apply to all vhosts, but also define additional directories on a per-vhost basis (via the ISPConfig interface).

    The problem I'm having is that open_basedir inheritance does not seem to behave as described in the PHP manual. From the manual ( http://php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php ):

    I have not found this to be the case.

    In /etc/apache2/httpd.conf I have:

    Code:
    <Directory /var/www/>
AllowOverride All
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
php_admin_value open_basedir "/dev/urandom:/usr/share/php"
</Directory>
    And in the "Apache Directives" box for the vhost in question, I have:

    Code:
    <Directory /var/www/example.com>
php_admin_value open_basedir "/var/www/example.com/tmp:/var/www/example.com/web"
</Directory>
    Yet, when I view the output from phpinfo() from within a script at /var/www/example.com/web/info.php, the directories listed for open_basdir are:

    Code:
    /var/www/dev.level8ds.com/tmp:/var/www/dev.level8ds.com/web
    So, the open_basedir directories that are defined in /etc/apache2/httpd.conf are not being inherited, but rather, they are being overwritten.

    This is the behavior that I have observed and documented:

    Firstly, directives prepended with "php_admin_*" cannot be modified with subsequent definitions (even if they contain the php_admin_* prefix); they are final. Similarly, directives defined with php_admin_* will OVERWRITE any previous directives (even if they contain the php_admin_* prefix).

    Further, directives defined with php_* have no effect if the equivalent php_admin_* directive has been defined (either before or after).

    Finally, php_admin_* directives will overwrite their php_* equivalents.

    Has anyone else encountered this issue?

    Thanks in advance...
     
    cbj4074, Dec 14, 2011
    #1
  2. cbj4074

    cbj4074 Member

    The PHP documentation is misleading. Apparently, the statement

    means that if the open_basedir directive is defined as such

    Code:
    <Directory /var/www/example.com>
php_value open_basedir "/tmp:/var/www/example.com/web"
</Directory>
    then a script in /var/www/example.com/web will have access to /tmp. It does NOT mean that more specific open_basedir values may be defined for child directories to create a "cascading" or "stacking" effect.

    So, adding to the above directive something like

    Code:
    <Directory /var/www/example.com/web/modules>
php_value open_basedir "/var/www/example.com/protected/includes"
</Directory>
    will NOT make the effective open_basedir for /var/www/example.com/web/modules

    "/tmp:/var/www/example.com/web:/var/www/example.com/protected/includes"

    but rather so doing will OVERWRITE the parent directory's open_basedir definition and make the effective open_basedir

    "/var/www/example.com/protected/includes"

    It seems prudent to open a bug report for the PHP documentation and request that this statement be clarified.
     
    cbj4074, Dec 16, 2011
    #2

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