Re: PHP on i and security

As Jon said PHP itself is not inherently insecure it is the applications built on top that MAY contain security issues. Have someone review your code and learn (http://shiflett.org/ for example) what to do and what not to do. If you download and install a packaged application from somewhere be sure to watch for known security issues (http://isc.sans.org/ and http://secunia.com/advisories/ for example) and download and install patches when they are issued.
Scott

Jon Paris wrote:

Mike Cunningham wrote:

We are considering using PHP on i for some new development, but a
colleague has raised a concern about the security of PHP
applications. He remembers past stories about lots of security holes
on PHP applications, and scripted attacks against php web
applications. He does not know if these flaws were due to just bad
design/coding on the part of the developer or something inherent in
the way PHP works. Does anyone on this list have any experience in
this area?

As Scott notes, most of the web security issues that currently afflict PHP applications are a function of poor programming and could occur in any language. The security related PHP specific issues are long-since gone - but Java fanatics love to point them out still.

If you want to pursue the topic in more depth, this month's PHP Architect magazine features security and includes an article with the challenging title "Who says PHP Security Sucks?" which has the extended title ("deck" I think) of "Who would say such a thing? Obviously, we can't let that stand. It's time to bust some myths while raising our own game to the next level." You can find the details here: http://www.phparch.com/c/magazine/issue/95 - You can buy this single issue as a download for only $4.99 - a good deal if you are concerned over PHP security issues.


Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com