PhpSecInfo Test Information
open_basedir
Test Description
Checks if the open_basedir setting is enabled.
Security Implications
open_basedir limits the PHP process from accessing files outside of specifically designated directories.
Remember this setting will only affect PHP scripts. Applications written in other languages (Perl, Python, Ruby, etc.) will not be affected.
Recommendations
Set open_basedir to only allow access to required portions of the filesystem, like your web site's documents and any shared libraries.
You can set open_basedir in the php.ini file:
; Set open_basedir to the open_basedir = "/var/www/foo.bar/:/usr/local/php/"
The setting can also be applied in apache's httpd.conf file, or an .htaccess file:
# Set open_basedir to a safe location php_value open_basedir /var/www/foo.bar/:/usr/local/php/
