Bugtraq mailing list archives
Re: PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware]
From: "Thomas M. Payerle" <payerle () physics umd edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 15:38:09 -0500 (EST)
1. PHP is the "serious" or at least open-source/Linux/security freak's choice for web development. Mine as well (although as many still say, Perl does a better job).
While PHP is extremely popular, especially in open-source and Linux communities,I am not sure it qualifies as the defacto choice of "serious" web developers.And I did not think it was as popular in the security community (when I occasionally scan one of the reports on the frequent PHP based applications that grace this list, I thought exploit code is as often as not given in Perl:)
2. Developing secure applications in PHP is difficult, as one of PHP's creators said recently - even to him after years of trying.
The number of PHP applications getting reported on bugtraq would seem to support this, although likely also contributed to the fact that it is popular,and perhaps that it is (or at least has the reputation of being) of being easy to program, leading to programs written by people without understanding
of security implications. My personal knowledge of PHP is somewhat meager, but having had to install it recently for a developer I find the philosophy of the PHP security options to be somewhat odd. It almost seemed like the emphasis was on distrusting the programmer rather than the person running the program. I think it would strongly benefit from the Perlish concept of data tainting.
3. Staying on top of new PHP vulnerabilities has become impossible, popping around everywhere.
While I concede I am less than happy about the frequency with which patched versions of php come out, and most versions include some security related patches, I do not think it is impossible. Furthermore, most of the "security" patches have been rather localized, and affect only a small number of functions and often only in rather specific circumstances, and with some knowledge of the PHP applications running on your system you can often leap frog over some of the versions.Most bugtraq messages with PHP in the subject appear to be holes in specific applications, usually due to programming errors on the part of the application
author. This does not mean the language is inherently insecure; although it may indicate that it is difficult to write secure PHP code. It could also mean that PHP is easy enough to program that a lot of people without knowledge of how to program securely are writing PHP code.Tom Payerle Dept of Physics payerle () physics umd edu
University of Maryland (301) 405-6973 College Park, MD 20742-4111 Fax: (301) 314-9525
Current thread:
- new linux malware Gadi Evron (Feb 20)
- Re: new linux malware Christine Kronberg (Feb 21)
- PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware] Gadi Evron (Feb 22)
- Re: PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware] Christine Kronberg (Feb 21)
- Re: PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware] Thomas M. Payerle (Feb 26)
- Re: PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware] Kevin Waterson (Feb 24)
- Re: PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware] Jamie Riden (Feb 26)
- Re: PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware] Matthew Schiros (Feb 26)
- PHP as a secure language? PHP worms? [was: Re: new linux malware] Gadi Evron (Feb 22)
- Re: new linux malware Christine Kronberg (Feb 21)
- Re: new linux malware Gadi Evron (Feb 22)
- Re: new linux malware Jamie Riden (Feb 23)