Dallas Cahker wrote:
I was looking to see if there was a quick checklist of settings
for php to be disabled/enabled in the ini file to make the
application more secure.

Although there are some directives worth disabling (register_globals, magic_quotes_gpc, allow_url_fopen), most vulnerabilities in PHP applications are a result of flaws in the PHP code. There are no magic php.ini configuration directives that can make your applications secure - not that you were suggesting this, but it's woth explicitly stating.

A couple of years ago, I tried to summarize several good practices into a single mantra - filter input, escape output (FIEO). These practices don't eliminate everything, but they're a very good first step and can provide a solid foundation for secure PHP programming.

I made a movie (webcast, screencast, or whatever you call them) about auditing PHP applications, and it also covers filtering input and escaping output:

http://brainbulb.com/php-security-audit-howto.mov

There's also the PHP Security Guide:

http://phpsec.org/projects/guide/

We're in the process of writing a second version of the guide, in order to address the following shortcomings:

1. The guide is several years old, so some techniques have been refined and/or simplified in the meantime. 2. The vocabulary is slightly inconsistent with the rest of the industry in some cases.
3. Not all major areas are covered, so it is incomplete.
4. Some explanations are ambiguous and can yield misinterpretations.

Lastly, I want to point out two of the primary attacks that are not prevented with FIEO:

1. Cross-Site Request Forgeries (CSRF)
2. Session Fixation

Hope that helps get you started.

Chris

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