[PHP-DB] database password
Howdy all, Just wondering what -- if anything -- people are doing to protect plaintext database passwords in their PHP scripts. Ultimately, PHP needs a plaintext password to create the database connection, so it seems that obfuscation is the best we can achieve on this front. While not really secure by itself, obfuscation along with other measures (firewall, privilege separation, file system privileges, etc) can help slow someone down. So I've been looking into this approach at the moment. Any other ideas out there? Thanks, Roberto -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
RE: [PHP-DB] database password
store your password/access credentials outside the web root and use php to read the data in. Another alternative is to wrap those items in a function and check the calling source to make sure its only your application hth Bastien From: Roberto Mansfield [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: php-db@lists.php.net Subject: [PHP-DB] database password Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:39:32 -0400 Howdy all, Just wondering what -- if anything -- people are doing to protect plaintext database passwords in their PHP scripts. Ultimately, PHP needs a plaintext password to create the database connection, so it seems that obfuscation is the best we can achieve on this front. While not really secure by itself, obfuscation along with other measures (firewall, privilege separation, file system privileges, etc) can help slow someone down. So I've been looking into this approach at the moment. Any other ideas out there? Thanks, Roberto -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php _ http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F!420 -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP-DB] database password
Bastien Koert wrote: store your password/access credentials outside the web root and use php to read the data in. This is good for web attacks, but I'm thinking of an account break in where someone is accessing files directly on the server. Another alternative is to wrap those items in a function and check the calling source to make sure its only your application How would you do this? Thanks, Roberto From: Roberto Mansfield [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: php-db@lists.php.net Subject: [PHP-DB] database password Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:39:32 -0400 Howdy all, Just wondering what -- if anything -- people are doing to protect plaintext database passwords in their PHP scripts. Ultimately, PHP needs a plaintext password to create the database connection, so it seems that obfuscation is the best we can achieve on this front. While not really secure by itself, obfuscation along with other measures (firewall, privilege separation, file system privileges, etc) can help slow someone down. So I've been looking into this approach at the moment. Any other ideas out there? Thanks, Roberto -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php _ http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F!420 -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP-DB] database password
Roberto Mansfield wrote: Bastien Koert wrote: store your password/access credentials outside the web root and use php to read the data in. This is good for web attacks, but I'm thinking of an account break in where someone is accessing files directly on the server. I suggest you think about this for a second before you start designing with a really pointless obfuscation system. Say someone is accessing files directly on the server... if they can get at the file that contains the password then they can also get at the PHP code that will de-obfuscate it. Spend your time locking the doors rather than putting 5-minute obstacles in the path. -Stut -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP-DB] database password
Stut wrote: Roberto Mansfield wrote: Bastien Koert wrote: store your password/access credentials outside the web root and use php to read the data in. This is good for web attacks, but I'm thinking of an account break in where someone is accessing files directly on the server. I suggest you think about this for a second before you start designing with a really pointless obfuscation system. Say someone is accessing files directly on the server... if they can get at the file that contains the password then they can also get at the PHP code that will de-obfuscate it. Spend your time locking the doors rather than putting 5-minute obstacles in the path. Yes, I have thought about this. We've spent time locking the doors. There are many layers in place. As I said, this is not the only type of security being considered. But if a new exploit comes out and someone does gain unauthorized access to the file system, I'd rather not hand them a plaintext password. So is anyone doing anything to protect plain text passwords in the filesystem? Thanks, Roberto -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
