prevent user from getting scripts outside the web folder

How does a hacker get access to your scripts located outside the web folder? I asked a friend to hack my php script within the web folder... all of my crucial function were called by: require_once("/home/siren/includes/fonovisa.inc"); the 'encrypt' functions are MCRYPT_RIJNDAEL_256 He was able to get access to the 'fonovisa.inc' php script [outside the web folder] and all the stuff inside Based on my current knowledge, my security breaches are probably big enough to drive a truck through :( how can I prevent this ? I am VERY new at the whole 'security' thing so any help is appreciated this is the script within the web folder: <?php require_once("/home/siren/includes/fonovisa.inc"); $thisScriptURL = ThisScriptsAbsoluteHTTPLocation($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME']); qtversiondetect($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']); ////////////////////////////////////////// // This PHP script is performing three tasks // 1) Creates a SMIL playlist of Quicktime movies from a database call // 2) Reads each requested movie file from outside the web folder

//        Movies are downloaded by passing the GET variable, 'path', to the 'freadMovie()' function
//                This function is located in the script, 'fonovisa.inc', located outside the web folder
//                The movie files are fread chunk  by chunk  in binary format and loaded into the the Quicktime Player
//   3) Build the Actual Quicktime Media Link with all the EMBED attributes like KIOSKMODE and QUITWHENDONE

// // //////////////////////// // Flow of the Code: // If the GET variable, 'cmd', equals 'makesmil'

//         Build the  SMIL playlist

// ElseIf the GET variable, 'cmd', equals 'getmovie'

//          Send the requested url [with the encrypted movie file path] to the freadmovie() function
//          which freads the requested movie file data  to the Quicktime Player

// Else

//            Build the Quicktime Media Link that generated the Headers and Embed  tags
//            where the 'src' attribute points to the  SMIL Playlist Movie function in THIS script

// Endif ////////////////////// // any variable there ? if( isset($_REQUEST['cmd']) OR isset($_REQUEST['path'] )) {

    ////////////
    // Ok, there is a 'cmd' and/or 'path' variable, what are they ?
    ////////////

    //make the SMIL playlist of movie
    if(    trim(decrypt( $_REQUEST['cmd'])) =="makesmil")            makesmil($thisScriptURL);

     //fread a movie file in the playlist and send to QuickTime
    elseif(trim(decrypt($_REQUEST['cmd']))=="getmovie")            freadMovie($_REQUEST['path']);

    }else{
    ///////////
    //  No commands were given
    //  So make the Quicktime Media Link with all the EMBED attributes
    //  The 'src' attribute  is going to call the 'makesmil' function to generate the SMIL playlist movie
    //////////
            buildQTMediaLinkForSMILPlaylist( $autoplay="true",
                                                                $cache="false",
                                                                $kioskmode="true",
                                                                $quitwhendone="true",
                                                                $movieid=md5(time()),
                                                                $moviename="Commercial Reel 2005",
                                                                $src="$thisScriptURL?cmd=".encrypt('makesmil')
                                                                );

        ///////////
        // Output the Correct QuickTime Headers and the Embed Tags and send the movie to QuickTime
        ///////////
            OutputHeaders($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']);
            echo $finalQTMovie;

    }

///////////////////////////////////// // Local Functions ///////////////////////////////////// function makesmil($thisScriptURL) {

    buildSMILArray($thisScriptURL,$d='siren',$playlist="Show Reel");

    // format the SMIL playlist
    buildSMILPlaylist(       $timeslider="true",
                                            $chaptermode="all",
                                            $immediateinstantiation="false",
                                            $autoplay="true",
                                            $left="1",
                                            $top="1",
                                            $height="208",
                                            $width = "352",
                                            $fit= "fill",
                                            $title = "Commercial Reel 2005",
                                            $regionid="siren",
                                            $bgcolor="black",
                                            $movieid=md5(time()),
                                            $moviename="Commercial Reel 2005",
                                            $movieArray);

} //------------------------- // Santize the variables to prevent mysql injection and trim them function sanitizeVars() {

    $path = getGetVarProcessed( 'path', 'cleanser', 'unknown' );
    $cmd = getGetVarProcessed( 'cmd', 'cleanser', 'unknown' );

} //------------------------- // Output Player or Browser Content-Type Header function OutputHeaders($userAgent) { global $finalQTMovie; if(strstr($userAgent,"qtver")){

    // Player
    header('Content-Type: application/x-quicktimeplayer');

}else{

    //Browser
    header('Content-Type: video/quicktime');

} //output any of the other headers header ("Content-Length:".strlen($finalQTMovie)); } ?>