How to Securely Store MySQL Credentials in PHP Applications: A Best Practices Guide

Securing MySQL Credentials in PHP Applications

Storing MySQL passwords in plaintext within configuration files poses a security risk. This article explores a secure alternative to this common practice.

Issue

PHP programs often require users to store MySQL passwords in plaintext configuration files located in the application's root. This approach has raised concerns about security vulnerabilities.

Minimal Security Enhancements

Efforts to mitigate this issue have included:

• Restricting file visibility through .htaccess rules
• Nullifying the password from memory after database connection

However, these measures do not fully address the underlying security flaw.

Improved Approach

A more secure solution involves storing sensitive information, such as database credentials, in a configuration file located outside the web folder's root. For instance:

<code class="php">$config = parse_ini_file('../config.ini');</code>

This approach offers several advantages:

• Variables are inaccessible if the server mistakenly outputs PHP scripts as plaintext.
• Only PHP scripts have access to these variables.
• The configuration can be retrieved without relying on .htaccess, which could be compromised or lost.

Additional Security Considerations

As of February 2017, it is recommended to store configuration parameters as environment variables rather than in an .ini file. This approach further enhances security by separating configuration from the application code.

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