Restarting Apache from PHP

[Dustman]

Yes, I know its not safe but does anybody know of a way to restart apache from a php script on a linux box? This is for internal use only so I don't need all the warnings of security.. I know what i'm doing and the risk is poses.

I've been trying `service httpd restart` but apache doesn't have permission to do that. I can't pass a password to sudo to change to root (or at least i haven't seen a way to do it).. anybody got any ideas?

-Dustin
Rom 8:28

 

[jpadie]

just issue a shell command.

 

[sleipnir214]

Set up your sudoers file so that the user as which Apache runs has permission to restart the service. If you give Apache's user access to the [tt]apachectl[/tt] command, you can probably set it up as a passwordless sudo session.

I have no idea whether a script within the server can actually restart the server. After all, the restart requires first a shutdown, which will end the session which ran the restart command. So, the server might not restart. If it doesn't, you might want to use your server's [tt]at[/tt] command to schedule the restart.



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[thedaver]

While still unsafe, you could also run a standalone cron job with the necessary privileges to restart apache. Program that job to look for the presence of a file or a record in a MySQL table (which you can safely place without compromising the privileges used by PHP).

Then, when your flag/trigger (placed by PHP) is found, the standalone script (run every minute?) would take the necessary steps.

It's a separation of duty, but you are subject to cron'd cycles/schedule/uptime. Normally this is not a problem.

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Another, approach might be to rig up logwatch to or some system monitor to respond with the restart based upon information passed to the monitor by PHP... this is getting a little more esoteric though.

I really don't prefer to compromise the security model for the web server if it can at all be helped.



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