How to enable and disable the PHP register_globals directive

This article describes how to enable and disable the register_globals directive in a custom php.ini file.

The information in this article only applies to certain types of hosting accounts. To determine whether or not the information below applies to your account, please see this article.

This article assumes that you have already set up a custom php.ini file on your web site. If you have not already set up a custom php.ini file, please read this article first.

This article only applies to PHP 5.3 and earlier versions. The register_globals directive was removed in PHP 5.4.

Using the register_globals directive

The register_globals directive is disabled by default. You should be aware of the security implications of enabling the register_globals directive. For more information, please visit http://php.net/manual/en/security.globals.php.

When the register_globals directive is enabled, PHP creates variables automatically from HTML form parameters and cookie data. To enable this functionality, use a text editor to modify the register_globals directive in the php.ini file as follows:

register_globals = on

To disable this functionality, modify the register_globals directive in the php.ini file as follows :

register_globals = off
To verify the current value of the register_globals directive and other directives, you can use the phpinfo() function. For more information, please see this article.

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Article Details

  • Level: Intermediate

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