Databases
StackOverflow2013
Postsdbo
POHow to get shell_exec to run on IIS 6.0
 

Note that there are some explanatory texts on larger screens.

plurals
  1. POHow to get shell_exec to run on IIS 6.0
    primarykey
    data
    text
    <p><strong>The Problem</strong></p> <p>I have a PHP script that uses <code>shell_exec</code> to run a pdf-to-text converter. To simplify the problem I've created a short script that uses <code>shell_exec</code> to just echo the output of the <code>dir</code> command.</p> <pre><code>&lt;?php $cmd = 'C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\cmd.exe /c '; echo shell_exec($cmd.' dir'); ?&gt; </code></pre> <p>When I run this on my Apache server, everything works as expected. When I switch to IIS, it's as though the line is skipped entirely: no errors, no output, no logs, no nothing.</p> <p>Unfortunately, I need to use IIS because I'm going to authenticate my users against active directory.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Here's what I've tried so far:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Issue the command through <code>cmd.exe /c</code> rather than issuing it directly</li> <li>Give <code>Read &amp; Execute</code> permission to <code>SERVICE</code> on "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe"</li> <li>Give <code>Read &amp; Execute</code> permission to <code>NETWORK SERVICE</code> on "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe"</li> <li>Give <code>Read &amp; Execute</code> permission to <code>IUSR_MACHINENAME</code> on "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe"</li> <li>Give <code>Read &amp; Execute</code> permission to <code>Everyone</code> on "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe" (don't worry, it didn't stay like that for long, haha)</li> <li>Run PHP as an ASAPI module <ul> <li>This is my standard configuration</li> </ul></li> <li>Run PHP as a CGI extention <ul> <li>This does not work, I get an error: <code>CGI Error The specified CGI application misbehaved by not returning a complete set of HTTP headers.</code></li> </ul></li> <li>In IIS Manager, set <code>Execute Permissions</code> to <code>Scripts and Executables</code> on your website</li> <li>Added html markup and other php functions to script to see if that gets processed; it does. It's as if the <code>shell_exec</code> bit just gets skipped.</li> </ul> <hr> <p>Thank you so much for looking at this question, I am now pulling my hair out with the problem</p> <p>Cheers, Iain</p> <hr> <p><strong>Update 1</strong></p> <p>I really didn't want to do this, but as a stop gap until I find a proper solution I'm running Apache on the web server (which runs shell_exec fine) and I call my apache script via cURL. It's ugly, but it works :).</p> <hr> <p><strong>Update 2</strong></p> <p>I'm beginning to think this isn't so much an issue with IIS or permissions as such, but perhaps a result of some policy we have on our network - although I can't imagine what. Any ideas from left of field?</p>
    singulars
    1. This table or related slice is empty.
    1. This table or related slice is empty.
    1. PTQuestion
    1. USIain Fraser
    1. USIain Fraser
    plurals
    1. This table or related slice is empty.
    1. PL
      singulars
      1. LTLinked
    1. This table or related slice is empty.
    1. PO
      singulars
      1. PTAnswer
    2. PO
      singulars
      1. PTAnswer
    3. PO
      singulars
      1. PTAnswer
    1. VO
      singulars
      1. POHow to get shell_exec to run on IIS 6.0
      1. USIain Fraser
      1. VTBountyStart
    2. VO
      singulars
      1. POHow to get shell_exec to run on IIS 6.0
      1. This table or related slice is empty.
      1. VTBountyClose
    3. VO
      singulars
      1. POHow to get shell_exec to run on IIS 6.0
      1. This table or related slice is empty.
      1. VTUpMod
    1. COThis may be the silliest suggestion ever, but if this is your entire script, and you view the source when requested from IIS, do you actually see the PHP source code? Try adding <h1>HERE!</h1> before the opening tag of your PHP file, and an echo '<h2>and here!</h2>'; after the opening PHP tag. Just to make sure PHP is parsed correctly. :-)
      singulars
      1. POHow to get shell_exec to run on IIS 6.0
      1. USjanmoesen
    2. COThanks for the suggestion janmoesen, not a silly suggestion, good trouble shooting! As a matter of fact I have tried this and I do get output from everything else. It's as if the whole script runs and just conveniently skips the `shell_exec()` part.
      singulars
      1. POHow to get shell_exec to run on IIS 6.0
      1. USIain Fraser
 

Querying!

 
Guidance
A row detail

Detail views are divided into sections. All the information in the data section comes from columns in the selected row. The other sections display data from other, related rows.

Related data can be related in a to-one or a to-many fashion. Captions of data related in a to-many fashion link to a list view showing a filtered view of the table.

Try moving around until you find a non-empty to-many entry and click on the label to get to one. You can move back to the root by clicking on the database name in the header.

SQuiL has stopped working due to an internal error.

If you are curious you may find further information in the browser console, which is accessible through the devtools (F12).

Reload