Execute root commands through a PHP script

In case you have been digging the web for a solution on how to execute root commands through a PHP script, here's a quick note on it. First, you have to know that executing root commands through a PHP script is very risky. But, for the purpose of giving quick solution to this problem, I will share one way to do it.

Here are the steps:

1. Determine what user your php script is running in your web server. Commonly, this will be 'apache'. But if you want to make it sure, create a test script and add the following code:

<?php
echo shell_exec('whoami');
?>

The output must the actual username that your script is using while it runs.

2. To execute root commands through your php script you have to make it sure that the username you get in the preceeding step is a sudo user. To do this you have to add this user in the sudoers file. Here's how to do it:

# sudoers file.
#
# This file MUST be edited with the 'visudo' command as root.
#
# See the sudoers man page for the details on how to write a sudoers file.
#

# Host alias specification

# User alias specification

# Cmnd alias specification

# Defaults specification

# User privilege specification
root ALL=(ALL) ALL
theuser ALL=(ALL) allowable_root_commands NOPASSWD: ALL

# Uncomment to allow people in group wheel to run all commands
# %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

# Same thing without a password
# %wheel ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

# Samples
# %users ALL=/sbin/mount /cdrom,/sbin/umount /cdrom
# %users localhost=/sbin/shutdown -h now

3. Run any command you have specified in the allowable_root_commands through the shell_exec() function. Example:

<?php

echo shell_exec('whoami');
echo shell_exec('sudo service xinetd restart');

?>

That's it! Remember that this is just quick solution. There are many other ways that are more secure such as creating a server where you can pass the commands you want to execute using sockets.

Again, this is not a recommended solution.