How can PHP developers prevent unauthorized access to protected content by users who know the file path?

To prevent unauthorized access to protected content by users who know the file path, PHP developers can use a combination of server-side checks and authentication mechanisms. One common approach is to store the protected files outside the web root directory and create a PHP script that serves the files only if the user is authenticated and authorized to access them. 

<?php
// Check if the user is authenticated and authorized to access the file
if($authenticated && $authorized) {
    $file = '/path/to/protected/file.pdf';
    
    // Serve the file if the user is authorized
    if(file_exists($file)) {
        header('Content-Type: application/pdf');
        header('Content-Disposition: inline; filename="file.pdf"');
        readfile($file);
    } else {
        echo 'File not found.';
    }
} else {
    echo 'Unauthorized access.';
}
?>

Keywords

PHP file path access control authentication authorization

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