What are some best practices for handling file access and folder manipulation in PHP when using mod_rewrite?

When using mod_rewrite in PHP, it is important to handle file access and folder manipulation securely to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive files. One best practice is to always validate user input and sanitize file paths to avoid directory traversal attacks. Additionally, setting proper file permissions and using PHP's built-in file handling functions can help ensure that only authorized users can access and manipulate files.

// Example code snippet for handling file access and folder manipulation in PHP with mod_rewrite

// Validate and sanitize user input for file paths
$file_path = filter_input(INPUT_GET, 'file', FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);

// Check if the file path is within a specific directory
$allowed_directory = '/var/www/html/uploads/';
if (strpos(realpath($file_path), $allowed_directory) !== 0) {
    die('Access denied');
}

// Set proper file permissions
chmod($file_path, 0644);

// Use PHP's file handling functions to read or write files
$file_contents = file_get_contents($file_path);
file_put_contents($file_path, 'New content');