# file_exists() and safe_mode

- Thread: https://externals.io/message/25527
- Original archive: https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/25527
- Started by Matthias Pigulla on 2006-09-05T14:58:33+00:00
- Messages: 3
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## #25527 — Matthias Pigulla — 2006-09-05T14:58:33+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/25527#25527

Hi all,

I'm afraid that recent changes in filestat.c [1] that were meant to fix
a bug [2] with `file_exists()` also altered the behaviour of
 `is_readable()`. According to the docs [3] [4], is_readable should *not*
take safe_mode limitations into account, whereas file_exists should do.

<?php
print `PHP_VERSION` . "\n";
var_dump(ini_get('safe_mode'));
var_dump(file_exists('/etc/hosts'));
var_dump(is_readable('/etc/hosts'));
?>

mp@dev:~$ php bug.php
5.1.6
string(0) ""
bool(true)
bool(true)

mp@dev:~$ php -d safe_mode=1 bug.php    
5.1.6
string(1) "1"
bool(false)
bool(false)

Is this intended behaviour? If not, I'd be glad to file it as a bug.

Kind regards,
mp.

[1] http://cvs.php.net/viewvc.cgi/php-src/ext/standard/filestat.c
[2] http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=37987
[3] http://de2.php.net/manual/en/function.is-readable.php
[4] http://de2.php.net/manual/en/function.file-exists.php

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## #25530 — Lukas Kahwe Smith — 2006-09-05T15:29:32+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/25527#25530 · In reply to: #25527

Matthias Pigulla wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm afraid that recent changes in filestat.c [1] that were meant to fix
> a bug [2] with `file_exists()` also altered the behaviour of
> `is_readable()`. According to the docs [3] [4], is_readable should *not*
> take safe_mode limitations into account, whereas file_exists should do.

i dont think this is a recent change. i think its only an oversite in 
the documentation.

regards,
Lukas

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## #25528 — Ilia Alshanetsky — 2006-09-05T15:31:20+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/25527#25528 · In reply to: #25527

I think the current  behavior solves made old bug reports, where by  
people used `is_readable()` to see if they could read from a file, only  
to have the operation file due to safe_mode/open_basedir  
restrictions. Taking the check away would also mean it would be  
possible to "explore" file file system bypassing PHP's file system  
restrictions.

Ilia Alshanetsky