Hiding Error Messages from Users (PHP Cookbook)

8.15.3. Discussion

When log_errors is set to on, error messages are written to the server's error log. If you want PHP errors to be written to a separate file, set the error_log configuration directive with the name of that file:

error_log   = /var/log/php.error.log

If error_log is set to syslog, PHP error messages are sent to the system logger using syslog(3) on Unix and to the Event Log on Windows NT.

There are lots of error messages you want to show your users, such as telling them they've filled in a form incorrectly, but you should shield your users from internal errors that may reflect a problem with your code. There are two reasons for this. First, these errors appear unprofessional (to expert users) and confusing (to novice users). If something goes wrong when saving form input to a database, check the return code from the database query and display a message to your users apologizing and asking them to come back later. Showing them a cryptic error message straight from PHP doesn't inspire confidence in your web site.

Second, displaying these errors to users is a security risk. Depending on your database and the type of error, the error message may contain information about how to log in to your database or server and how it is structured. Malicious users can use this information to mount an attack on your web site.

For example, if your database server is down, and you attempt to connect to it with mysql_connect( ), PHP generates the following warning:

<br>
<b>Warning</b>:  Can't connect to MySQL server on 'db.example.com' (111) in 
<b>/www/docroot/example.php</b> on line <b>3</b><br>

If this warning message is sent to a user's browser, he learns that your database server is called db.example.com and can mount an attack on it.

8.15. Hiding Error Messages from Users

8.15.1. Problem

8.15.2. Solution

8.15.3. Discussion

8.15.4. See Also