PHP extension via CLI works but not through apache

Question

Here is the scenario I have... I have library from a vendor that does encryption/decryption as part of a product we use (no idea how it works under the hood). I built a PHP extension and everything works brilliantly via the CLI. Here is the raptor.c file I wrote for the PHP extension:

#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
#include "config.h"
#endif

#include "php.h"

//#if HAVE_LIBRAPTOR
#include "php_raptor.h"
#include "raptor.h"

#include "ext/standard/info.h"

/* If you declare any globals in php_raptor.h uncomment this:
ZEND_DECLARE_MODULE_GLOBALS(raptor)
*/

/* True global resources - no need for thread safety here */
static int le_raptor;

/* {{{ raptor_functions[]
 *
 * Every user visible function must have an entry in raptor_functions[].
 */
const zend_function_entry raptor_functions[] = {
        PHP_FE(raptor_decNK,                 NULL)
        PHP_FE(raptor_encNK,                 NULL)
        {NULL, NULL, NULL}      /* Must be the last line in raptor_functions[] */
};
/* }}} */

/* {{{ raptor_module_entry
 */
zend_module_entry raptor_module_entry = {
#if ZEND_MODULE_API_NO >= 20010901
        STANDARD_MODULE_HEADER,
#endif
        "raptor",
        raptor_functions,
        NULL,
        NULL,
        NULL,
        NULL,
        PHP_MINFO(raptor),
#if ZEND_MODULE_API_NO >= 20010901
        "0.1", /* Replace with version number for your extension */
#endif
        STANDARD_MODULE_PROPERTIES
};
/* }}} */

#ifdef COMPILE_DL_RAPTOR
ZEND_GET_MODULE(raptor)
#endif

/* {{{ PHP_MINFO_FUNCTION
 */
PHP_MINFO_FUNCTION(raptor)
{
        php_info_print_table_start();
        php_info_print_table_header(2, "raptor API support", "enabled");
        php_info_print_table_end();

}
/* }}} */


PHP_FUNCTION(raptor_decNK) {
  char * enctext;
  unsigned char * dectext;
  int enctextsize;
  size_t dectextsize;

  if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS() TSRMLS_CC, "s", &enctext, &enctextsize) == FAILURE) {
    RETURN_NULL();
  }

  dectext = decNK((unsigned char *) enctext, (size_t) enctextsize, &dectextsize);

  if (dectext == NULL) {
    RETURN_FALSE;
  } else {
    RETURN_STRINGL((char *) dectext, dectextsize, 1);
  }
}

PHP_FUNCTION(raptor_encNK) {
  char * dectext;
  unsigned char * enctext;
  int dectextsize;
  size_t enctextsize;

  if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS() TSRMLS_CC, "s", &dectext, &dectextsize) == FAILURE) {
    RETURN_NULL();
  }

  enctext = encNK((unsigned char *) dectext, (size_t) dectextsize, &enctextsize);

  if (enctext == NULL) {
    RETURN_FALSE;
  } else {
    RETURN_STRINGL((char *) enctext, enctextsize, 1);
  }
}


//#endif

and the applicable pieces of the vendor's raptor.h file:

unsigned char *decNK(unsigned char * s, size_t inLen, size_t * outLen);
unsigned char *encNK(unsigned char * s, size_t inLen, size_t * outLen);

My test.php file has really simple code:

<?php
$x = 1;
echo "$x\n";
$y = raptor_encNK($x);
echo "$y\n";
$x = raptor_decNK($y);
echo "$x\n";
?>

From the CLI I get (output $y changes with each run, but final output always correct)

# /usr/local/bin/php -f /usr/local/var/htdocs/test.php
1
FL//haHZgltG
1

The same code through the browser gets (again output $y changes, final output always crap)

1
TgPw72NF9Zby
<binary crap>

So I'm thinking something is getting lost in translation when it goes to Apache... or I have screwed up the extension and can't figure it out... or maybe both. I just don't understand why it would work via the CLI and not via Apache.

Answer 1

So in the end it wasn't an issue with size_t but the size of an integer within their code. There is still mass confusion as to why it works when called by the CLI versus using Apache and a web browser... I may never find out.

Answer 2

What does the apache error_log report? That's almost certainly where you'll find a clue to the cause.

Personally, I'd suspect a permissions problem - remember that the apache user has very limited permissions - certainly more restrictive than yours at the command line.