Req #62397 [Com]: disable_functions = eval does not work

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62397&edit=1 ID: 62397 Comment by: nikic@php.net Reported by: spamik at yum dot pl Summary: disable_functions = eval does not work Status: Re-Opened Type: Feature/Change Request Package: *General Issues PHP Version: 5.3.14 Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: Irregardless of the FR, I'd like to point out that eval() is a useful and legitimate language construct. It *definitely* will not be disabled by default. I won't argue with the fact that it is commonly misused by ignorant developers, but this does not mean that eval() itself is in any way fundamentally "evil". Also, I completely do not understand your arguments that people are migrating to other languages, because PHP has an eval() construct. All dynamic languages have an eval() function, including JS, Python and Ruby. Furthermore you should realize that disabling eval() will not likely improve the security of your application. There are just to many other ways to execute code. E.g. the assert() function can be used to evaluate arbitrary code. Or the preg_replace /e modifier. But in any case, I don't really see why eval() is a language construct. In my eyes it could just as well be a function. This would make it disableable and would also provide other advantages, like allowing its use as a callback function. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2012-06-24 10:05:00] laruence@php.net okey, change to FR makes sense to me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2012-06-24 04:08:24] spamik at yum dot pl I think that that not only should be done but also made default php behavior, to stop widespread madness of php code infection. Eval should be by default disabled in php like 5.5 ... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2012-06-24 04:02:31] spamik at yum dot pl feature request then ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2012-06-24 03:59:29] krzf83 at gmail dot com treat it as feature request if it helps you sleep at night. However this issue is critical in face of current mailicous code boom. Eval (by base64_encode etc) does not allow for any scanning and detection. This funcionality of php had begun its downfall really. People are migrating to other languages just because infections there are rare and code cannot be just like that obfucated! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2012-06-24 03:56:32] krzf83 at gmail dot com "eval is not a function but language construct" - that might be the reason why disable_functions don't work on it now but that does not mean it could not or should not. I would not dismiss this isssue so easily. Eval problem caused that php is currently (almost) only one language is so often infected. It allows for attacker to hide code, purpose, use ecodings (like base64) to diminish any hope of detection by searching for common traits (like antivirus software does). Eval is a functionality of php and could be disabled if apropriate modifications to php source code were made. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The remainder of the comments for this report are too long. To view the rest of the comments, please view the bug report online at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62397 -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62397&edit=1