Easiest way for PHP email verification link

问题:

I already have an advanced user login/register system on my website (colemansystems.psm2.co.uk). However, I would like to have a email sent to new users for verification of their email address. If they have not clicked the link they will not be able to access their account. I am semi-experienced with PHP and MySQL, so please explain in depth.

Edit: The code I'm using for the verify.php file (the link the user click on with a GET (for example, verify.php?d=51773199320))

$secret = $_GET['d'];
$result = mysql_query("SELECT valid FROM users WHERE secret=$secret");
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
    $valid = $row['valid'];
}
if ($valid == "") {
    echo"There seems to be a problem with the verification code.<br><br><br><br><br>";
}
elseif ($valid == "1")
{
    echo"Your account is already verified.<br><br><br><br><br>";
}
else
{
    mysql_query("UPDATE users SET valid = '1' WHERE secret=$secret");  
    echo "Thank you, your account is now verified and you are free to use the exclusive features!<br><br><br><br><br><br>";
}

Is this secure?

回答1:

The easiest way is not to register unverified users at all.

Ask them for an email address and send email with a link that contains this address sealed with a hash. Upon receiving this link you can start the registration process.

Something like this

$secret = "35onoi2=-7#%g03kl";
$email = urlencode($_POST['email']);
$hash = MD5($_POST['email'].$secret);
$link = "http://example.com/register.php?email=$email&hash=$hash";

And in your register.php add 2 hidden fields to the registration form - email and hash, storing their received values from GET.

Finally, process registration and check,

if (md5($_POST['email'].$secret) == $_POST['hash']) {
    //Continue registration.
}

回答2:

Easiest for whom - user, coder, computer? What are you optimizing - the quantity of keypresses, the size of the code, the user experience?

The easiest to code is probably unsafe. You should check the email address for correctness before sending a letter to it.

回答3:

after registration create a hashed string and save it to the temporary user table send that hashed string to the user email address using this code

if(isset($_POST['register']))
{
$email_id=$_POST['email'];
$pass=$_POST['password'];
$code=substr(md5(mt_rand()),0,15);
mysql_connect('localhost','root','');
mysql_select_db('sample');

$insert=mysql_query("insert into verify values('','$email','$pass','$code')");
$db_id=mysql_insert_id();

$message = "Your Activation Code is ".$code."";
$to=$email;
$subject="Activation Code For Talkerscode.com";
$from = 'your email';
$body='Your Activation Code is '.$code.' Please Click On This link <a href="verification.php">Verify.php?id='.$db_id.'&code='.$code.'</a>to activate your account.';
$headers = "From:".$from;
mail($to,$subject,$body,$headers);

echo "An Activation Code Is Sent To You Check You Emails";
} 

and after that create a verify page and then

if(isset($_GET['id']) && isset($_GET['code']))
{
$id=$_GET['id'];
$code=$_GET['id'];
mysql_connect('localhost','root','');
mysql_select_db('sample');
$select=mysql_query("select email,password from verify where id='$id' and code='$code'");
if(mysql_num_rows($select)==1)
{
    while($row=mysql_fetch_array($select))
    {
        $email=$row['email'];
        $password=$row['password'];
    }
    $insert_user=mysql_query("insert into verified_user values('','$email','$password')");
    $delete=mysql_query("delete from verify where id='$id' and code='$code'");
 }
}

if you have any problem here is a complete tutorial http://talkerscode.com/webtricks/account-verification-system-through-email-using-php.php