Change IP address of Server via PHP

[Codesse]

I am running apache with php5 on mac OS X. My application requires the ability to enable a user to change the IP address of the server through a web interface. Is there a slick method that can use PHP to shell_exec to the OS X system to modifiy the IP address?

I tried using IFCONFIG, but it gave a permission denied reponse.

<?php
//get new ip address
$newip = $_GET['newip'];
//Build a command to change the IP address
$command = "ifconfig en0 $newip";
//shell to some function in OS X
$response = shell_exec($command);
?>

 

[jpadie]

have you tried correcting the $command to use "ipconfig" rather than "ifconfig"?

but anway i don't think ipconfig on a win box anyway can change the ip address of an adapter. better surely to run a netsh session from php and pipe in a dynamic script.

 

[Chacalinc]

jpadie: Codesse's box is a Mac, not windows, and the correct command in mac (as in unix/linux) is "ifconfig".

Codese: unfortunatelly, the "ifconfig" command can be run only for root since this is an administrative command. The only way I can think is to write a shell script in order to use the ifconfig command through "sudo" (to get the privilegies) and call that script from php.

Cheers.

 

[Codesse]

I tried to modify the sudoers file to allow the "www" to access the ifconfig, but I still am getting a "permission denied". Do I have to use chmod on the directory or ifconfig file? I am new at OS X so I don't know how to properly set the permissions or the ramifications of setting those permissions. Can anyone help me? Again I am not a OS X(Unix) expert.

Thanks

 

[sleipnir214]

I'm not that familiar with OSX intrinsics, but on Linux ifconfig is an application that can only be run as root. Unless your web server is running as root (which I do not recommend), you're probably going to have to run ifconfig through the sudo system. I assume this is available on your OSX system.

On Linux, I'd invoke [tt]man sudoers[/tt] for more information.


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[Chacalinc]

your command should be something like:

$command = "sudo ifconfig en0 $newip";

you need to put "sudo" in order to grant access to that command.

 

[sleipnir214]

As I understand it, the "sudoers" file must be set up first to allow the user as which the web server is running to execute ifconfig.


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[Codesse]

I have tried the:

$command = "sudo ifconfig en0 $newip";

however it fails. When I attempt that command directly on the command line it requires you to enter a password. However, in my sudoers file I placed:

www ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /sbin/ifconfig

Shouldn't this allow Apache to run ifconfig without a password?

Thanks

 

[sleipnir214]

How did you edit the file? I know on Linux, you must use the visudo editor to change the sudoers file.


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[Chacalinc]

actually this is a sudo configuration, not apache nor php... take a look to the man pages for sudo (man sudo). Unfortunately I have my linux broken to take a look for myself and test it.

your problem will be solved when you (via command line) can issue "sudo ifconfig" command with no password.

Cheers.

 

[Codesse]

I used pico. That might be my problem. Do I have to chmod the file after I pico it?

 

[sleipnir214]

I don't know. On my system, /etc/sudoers is owned by root.root and has permissions 440.


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[Codesse]

I did

chmod 440 /etc/sudoers

Now the ifconfig will work by the command line, but it still doesn't work through php. I think I am on the right track now.

Thanks for your help!

 

[sleipnir214]

If it works through the command-line but not through PHP, I would guess that the problem is that your sudoers configuration is not set up for the right user.

Unless you're running ifconfig from the command-line as the user as which your web server runs.


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[Codesse]

AHHH!

ifconfig only makes temporary change to IP address. When the box is rebooted it reverts back to the old ip address.

I give up....

Any OS X or Unix experts have any advice.

Thanks.

 

[sleipnir214]

That is true. ifconfig only makes a change that takes effect during the current run.

However, the configuration is stored in a text file on the filesystem somewhere. In Linux, there is a file named "ifcfg-eth0", which configures the IP address, etc., for the interface eth0.

From your invocation of ifconfig, I'd recommend you examine your filesystem for a file named "ifcfg-en0" then write a PHP script which rewrites the file and also invokes ifconfig to make the change immediately.


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