How to disable functions in PHP

Specific PHP functions can be disabled security reasons.

This avoids the use functions such as exec() which could be dangerous if your PHP application is exploited or when running in a shared environment such as a shared server hosting.

PHP functions can be disabled by configuring the disable_functions directive from the PHP's configuration file.

Steps to enable and disable PHP functions:

1. Open PHP configuration file using your preferred text editor. 

   $ sudo vi /etc/php/7.2/apache2/php.ini

   PHP configuration files

2. Search for disable_functions directive.

   ; This directive allows you to disable certain functions for security reasons.
   ; It receives a comma-delimited list of function names.
   ; http://php.net/disable-functions
   disable_functions = pcntl_alarm,pcntl_fork,pcntl_waitpid,pcntl_wait,pcntl_wifexited,pcntl_wifstopped,pcntl_wifsignaled,pcntl_wifcontinued,pcntl_wexitstatus,pcntl_wtermsig,pcntl_wstopsig,pcntl_signal,pcntl_signal_get_handler,pcntl_signal_dispatch,pcntl_get_last_error,pcntl_strerror,pcntl_sigprocmask,pcntl_sigwaitinfo,pcntl_sigtimedwait,pcntl_exec,pcntl_getpriority,pcntl_setpriority,pcntl_async_signals,pcntl_unshare,

3. Add functions to disable, separated by comma(,) or remove existing functions to enable.

   ; This directive allows you to disable certain functions for security reasons.
   ; It receives a comma-delimited list of function names.
   ; http://php.net/disable-functions
   disable_functions = date,pcntl_alarm,pcntl_fork,pcntl_waitpid,pcntl_wait,pcntl_wifexited,pcntl_wifstopped,pcntl_wifsignaled,pcntl_wifcontinued,pcntl_wexitstatus,pcntl_wtermsig,pcntl_wstopsig,pcntl_signal,pcntl_signal_get_handler,pcntl_signal_dispatch,pcntl_get_last_error,pcntl_strerror,pcntl_sigprocmask,pcntl_sigwaitinfo,pcntl_sigtimedwait,pcntl_exec,pcntl_getpriority,pcntl_setpriority,pcntl_async_signals,pcntl_unshare,

4. Restart web server for the change to take effect.

   $ sudo systemctl restart apache2

   How to start, restart and stop Apache service

5. Check if function successfully disabled.

   How to show disabled functions in PHP