I am developing a system which allows registered users (who could be anybody) to upload files. I've block mime-types etc. to attempt to restrict the files to .doc, .docx and .pdf types, but for additional security, they are uploaded to a folder outside the webroot.
Other users can then choose to download the files. How do I allow them to do that? Obviously I can't just put in a link to the file, as it's outside the webroot. I'm not sure how to reach the file though! I presume I can use the php file functions to get to the file, but how do I then 'serve it up' to the user who has requested it?
What security implications might all of this have?
Thanks.
You need a PHP script that does the following:
- Set the content-type header correctly (depending on what the user is downloading)
- Set the content-length header correctly (depending on the file size)
- Open the file for reading (you can use fopen)
- Read the file and output its content to the output stream
- Done
You can also use readfile function to do basically the same. Here's an example from PHP's site:
<?php
$file = 'monkey.gif';
if (file_exists($file)) {
header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='.basename($file));
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
header('Expires: 0');
header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0');
header('Pragma: public');
header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file));
ob_clean();
flush();
readfile($file);
exit;
}
?>
You can put your files directory in root and apply mod rewrite rules to secure and show a virtual path to the users instead of real path.
Try the following:
$fileName = basename($_GET['file']);
$path = 'path/to/data/'.$fileName;
// define $mimeType and $isAuthenticated
if ($isAuthenticated && file_exists($path)) {
// serve file
header('Content-type: '.$mimeType);
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$fileName.'"');
readfile($path);
} else {
// 404
}
This will probably need some more headers to suit your needs, but you should get an idea how this can be used.
See the answers to this similar question: Refer to a file outside the website tree for downloading purposes, which links to the PHP header function manual page.