What are the potential security risks associated with using popen() and ini_restore() functions in PHP, and how can they be mitigated?
The potential security risks associated with using popen() and ini_restore() functions in PHP include command injection vulnerabilities and the ability to modify critical configuration settings. To mitigate these risks, it is important to properly sanitize input when using popen() and restrict access to the ini_restore() function to trusted users only.
// Example of sanitizing input for popen() function
$command = escapeshellcmd($_POST['command']);
$handle = popen($command, 'r');
// Example of restricting access to ini_restore() function
if (user_is_trusted()) {
ini_restore('critical_setting');
}