PHP - What Is Wrong With Htmlspecialchars Not Working

Hi,
should i use htmlspecialchars() when i write in mysql or when i read from mysql, and should i use another function for safety ?

which one is necessary while protecting form field

Edited July 28, 2019 by mahenda

What do most people prefer to use? htmlspecialchars or htmlentities

Hello and thanks in advance for any help.

Overview:
Im tyring to pull data from a XML api using simpleXML.  I have ran into a problem with special characters and entities that simpleXML does not accept.
IE " "   Ive tried all the solutions i could find to no avail.

SimpleXML gives me this error.

parser error : Entity 'nbsp' not defined in

Here is my code.

Code: [Select]
$feed = simplexml_load_file('URL TO API FEED');
$feed = html_entity_decode($feed);
$feed = str_ireplace(array('<','>','&','\'','"'),array('&lt;','&gt;','&amp;','&apos;','&quot;'),$feed);

echo 'Game Title: ' .$feed->game. '</br>';
echo 'Ponts Earned: ' .$feed->gamerscore. '</br>';
echo 'Total Achievements: ' .$feed->totalachievements. '</br>';

foreach($feed->achievements->achievement as $ach) {

$output = htmlentities($feed->title, ENT_QUOTES, "UTF-8");
echo $output;
if( !empty($ach->unlockedartwork)){
echo '<img src=' .$ach->unlockedartwork. '></img></br>';
}else {
echo '<img src=' .$ach->artwork. '></img></br>';
}

}
Here is the code im trying to retrieve.
Code: [Select]
      <achievement id="40">
          <title>Have Gun Will Travel&nbsp;</title>
          <artwork>http://</artwork>
          <gamerscore>20</gamerscore>
          <unlocked>true</unlocked>
          <unlockdate>7/4/2010</unlockdate>
      </achievement>

I need to put this inside of a p tag so I can change some properties but everything I've tried doesn't work and just shows nothing.   I've tried this:

printf('<p style="text-align: left; width: 500px;">', htmlspecialchars($fetch['shout'], ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8'), '</p>');

This is what I need to be wrapped in p tags:

htmlspecialchars($fetch['shout'], ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');

EDIT: I've noticed the code below works but when I style it inside of the tag the text won't show, should I include a CSS file on the PHP file?

echo "<p>".htmlspecialchars($fetch['shout'])."</p>\n";

EDIT: I just needed to create the CSS for the p tags in the index and it worked perfectly fine.    Sorry for the pointless thread.
Edited by Alanay, 18 December 2014 - 09:14 AM.

When sending data via $_POST for example, I've seen the data get filtered with both mysql_real_escape_string or htmlspecialchars

When should you use one or the other?

Hello Guys ... i am new here and i am also new in php

i selfstudy html css and js and bootstrap for front-end

and for back-back php & mysql & PDO  & OOP and  i will soon start mvc then laravel

and i am trying to secure my input field  and i do not want any attacks or sql injects

and i see people user filter_var and htmlentities and htmlspecialchars  and each one has diffrent opinion

can some one help me and tell me what is the best for securing input which all values will store in database

thanks <3

Does anyone have an example of when htmlentities() would be used over htmlspecialchars()?

HI all, Please advice me
1. When to use htmlspecialchars() or  mysql_real_escape_string?
2. what is the diffrent?

Thank you  for your help.

Not sure how to debug this. I have the following error that is ONLY happening when our site has a PCI scan running : -

ERRNO: 2
TEXT: htmlspecialchars() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given
LOCATION: /home/bttorj45/public_html/smarty_templates_c/dbbe565f1731d4158472b66b75c85442498e81b9_0.file.top_menu_bar.tpl.php, line 42, at April 11, 2020, 5:05 pm
Showing backtrace:
htmlspecialchars(Array[1], "3", "UTF-8", true) # line 42, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/smarty_templates_c/dbbe565f1731d4158472b66b75c85442498e81b9_0.file.top_menu_bar.tpl.php
content_5e83087341d089_14126332(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 123, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_template_resource_base.php
Smarty_Template_Resource_Base.getRenderedTemplateCode(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 114, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_template_compiled.php
Smarty_Template_Compiled.render(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 216, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php
Smarty_Internal_Template.render() # line 385, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php
Smarty_Internal_Template._subTemplateRender("file:page_elements/top_menu_bar.tpl", null, null, "0", "120", Array[0], "0", false) # line 56, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/smarty_templates_c/0e4c1495f7a25cef1d85553f951690964f702a5a_0.file.error404.tpl.php
content_5e4ffba4a49c66_36622821(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 123, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_template_resource_base.php
Smarty_Template_Resource_Base.getRenderedTemplateCode(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 114, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_template_compiled.php
Smarty_Template_Compiled.render(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 216, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php
Smarty_Internal_Template.render(false, "1") # line 232, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatebase.php
Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase._execute(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template, null, null, null, "1") # line 134, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatebase.php
Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase.display("pages/error404.tpl") # line 65, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/errors/404.php
include("/home/siteaddress/public_html/errors/404.php") # line 34, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/smarty_plugins/function.load_product.php
Product.init("api") # line 5, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/smarty_plugins/function.load_product.php
smarty_function_load_product(Array[2], Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 39, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/smarty_templates_c/53725e8a2fc4b6c7c0c42e801dab2741a0994a8e_0.file.product.tpl.php
content_5e579e9761f086_59385269(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 123, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_template_resource_base.php
Smarty_Template_Resource_Base.getRenderedTemplateCode(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 114, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_template_compiled.php
Smarty_Template_Compiled.render(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template) # line 216, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php
Smarty_Internal_Template.render(false, "1") # line 232, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatebase.php
Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase._execute(Object:Smarty_Internal_Template, null, null, null, "1") # line 134, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/include/smarty/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatebase.php
Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase.display("pages/product.tpl") # line 85, file: /home/siteaddress/public_html/dirs.php

I ***think*** the scan must be inputting something in the search box to cause this (I'm awaiting info from Security Metrics with regard to this).

{load_chat assign="chat"}

{if $chat->mChat}
<script type="text/javascript" id="763333b0f312f025d780a8f4451bf6f3" src="https://www.siteaddress.com/online-support/script.php?id=763333b0f312f025d780a8f4451bf6f3"></script>
{/if}
{if !$chat->mChat && $settings->mSettings[13]}
<script type="text/javascript" id="aaa07817d7cd2a7dce9e0ffac6286dbb" src="https://www.siteaddress.com/online-support/script.php?id=aaa07817d7cd2a7dce9e0ffac6286dbb"></script>
{/if}

<div id="menu_switch"><i class="fa fa-bars fa toggler"></i></div>
<form id="product_search" method="get" action="{$smarty.const.SITE_ROOT}/searchresults/">
    <input type="text" name="search" placeholder="&#xf002; Product Search" style="font-family: FontAwesome, Arial; font-style: normal; font-size:18px;" {if isset($smarty.request.search) && $settings->mSettings[107]}value="{$smarty.request.search|escape:'htmlall'}"{/if} /><button type="submit" class="button"><i class="fa fa-search" aria-hidden="true"></i> <i class="fa fa-caret-right" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
</form>
<form id="code_search" method="post" action="{$smarty.const.SITE_ROOT}/cart/quickadd.php">
    <input type="text" name="code" maxlength="14" placeholder="&#xf061; Product Code" style="font-family: FontAwesome, Arial; font-style: normal; font-size:18px;" /><button type="submit" name="submit" class="orange"><i class="fa fa-shopping-cart" aria-hidden="true"></i> Quick Add <i class="fa fa-caret-right" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
</form>
{if !isset($hidecart) && isset($cartsmall) && $cartsmall->mCart.sub > 0}
    <p id="view_cart"><a class="button orange" href="{$smarty.const.SITE_ROOT}/cart/"><span class="hidden-xs hidden-sm"><i class="fa fa-shopping-cart" aria-hidden="true"></i> View Cart &nbsp;</span>&pound;{$cartsmall->mCart.sub} <i class="fa fa-caret-right" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></p>
{/if}
<script>
$('.toggler').click(function() {
$(this).toggleClass("fa-bars fa-times");
});
</script>

 

function.load_search.php :-

 

<?php
      
   function smarty_function_load_search($params, $smarty) {
      $search = new Search();
      $search->init();
      $smarty->assign($params['assign'], $search);
   }
   
   class Search {
      
      // public fields
      public $mSearchString;
        public $mSearchArray;
        public $mProducts;
        public $mProductCount;
      
      // private fields
        private $mDoSettings;
      private $mDoCatalogue;
      
      function __construct() {
            require_once FILE_ROOT . '/data_objects/do_settings.php';
            $this->mDoSettings = new DoSettings();
         require_once FILE_ROOT . '/data_objects/do_catalogue.php';
         $this->mDoCatalogue = new DoCatalogue();
           
            if (isset($_REQUEST['search']) && strlen(trim($_REQUEST['search']))>0 ) {
                $this->mSearchString = trim(stripslashes($_REQUEST['search']));
                $this->mSearchArray = explode(" ", $this->mSearchString);
            
            } else {
                header ("Location: /emptysearch/");
            die ();
            }
      }
      
      public function init() {
            $this->mProducts = $this->mDoCatalogue->SearchProducts($this->mSearchArray);
            $this->mProductCount = count($this->mProducts);
            for ($i = 0; $i < count($this->mProducts); $i++) {
                $this->mProducts[$i]['price_inc'] = number_format($this->mProducts[$i]['price'] * (($this->mDoSettings->GetSetting(1) / 100) + 1), 2, ".", ",");
            }
      }
      
   }
   
?>

 

do_catalogue.php :-

 

public function SearchProducts($search) {
         $fields = array("code", "title", "keywords");
            $query_string = "SELECT p.code, p.title, p.cattext, p.price, p.img, p.url, p.available, p.due, p.special, p.newproduct, p.discontinued, c.name, c.menulinktext FROM " . $this->mProductTable . " p " .
                "JOIN categories c ON p.category = c.id " .
                "WHERE ((";
            for ($f = 0; $f < count($fields); $f++) {
                if ($f != 0) { $query_string .= ") OR ("; }
                for ($s = 0; $s < count($search); $s++) {
                    if ($s != 0) { $query_string .= " AND "; }
                    $query_string .= "p." . $fields[$f] . " LIKE '%" . $this->mDoQuery->dbManager->DbEscape($search[$s]) . "%'";
                }
            }
         $query_string .= ")) AND active=1 AND live=1 " .
                "ORDER BY p.rating ASC";
            return $this->mDoQuery->dbManager->DbGetAll($query_string);
        }

 

Any idea's how to fix it? I can't replicate it with a specific issue as I don't know what the scan is doing to cause this! Thanks

htmlspecialchars($str, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');

Using this code with UTF-8. I need someone to help craft up some smalll xss injections with this.

I heard htmlspecialchars doesn't stop all xss attacks, so I'm wondering what's the most xss attack you can craft to load a simple cookie loader. (Basically, just simple javascript injection is all I'm trying to find, because people can use cookie loaders with it, and yeah, that's not good).

Looking for your code to be posted, and once it is.. I'll copy it and submit it through the code I posted above and see if there is any vulnerabilities. (On my localhost server)
Thanks!

$str = user input.

Oh, and here is the BBCODE regex that the code passes through before this function is returned on the text.
 

$text = preg_replace( "#\[b\](.+?)\[/b\]#is", "<span class='b'>\\1</span>", $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[i\](.+?)\[/i\]#is", "<i>\\1</i>", $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[u\](.+?)\[/u\]#is", "<u>\\1</u>", $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[s\](.+?)\[/s\]#is", "<s>\\1</s>", $text );
			
			//Spoiler
			
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[right\](.+?)\[/right\]#is", "<div style='text-align:right'>$1</div>", $text );
			
			//Beautiful Colors
			$text = preg_replace( "%\[colou?r=([a-zA-Z]{3,20}|\#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}|\#[0-9a-fA-F]{3})](.+?)\[/colou?r\]%msi", '<span style="color: \\1">\\2</span>', $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "%\[colou?r=(rgb\(\d{1,3}, ?\d{1,3}, ?\d{1,3}\))](.+?)\[/colou?r\]%msi", '<span style="color: \\1">\\2</span>', $text );

If anyone can craft up an XSS for this, I'd appreciate it. Because I need this to be secure.
Edited by Monkuar, 10 January 2015 - 06:33 PM.

htmlspecialchars($str, ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');

Using this code with UTF-8. I need someone to help craft up some smalll xss injections with this.

I heard htmlspecialchars doesn't stop all xss attacks, so I'm wondering what's the most xss attack you can craft to load a simple cookie loader. (Basically, just simple javascript injection is all I'm trying to find, because people can use cookie loaders with it, and yeah, that's not good).

Looking for your code to be posted, and once it is.. I'll copy it and submit it through the code I posted above and see if there is any vulnerabilities. (On my localhost server)
Thanks!

$str = user input.

Oh, and here is the BBCODE regex that the code passes through before this function is returned on the text.
 

$text = preg_replace( "#\[b\](.+?)\[/b\]#is", "<span class='b'>\\1</span>", $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[i\](.+?)\[/i\]#is", "<i>\\1</i>", $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[u\](.+?)\[/u\]#is", "<u>\\1</u>", $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[s\](.+?)\[/s\]#is", "<s>\\1</s>", $text );
			
			//Spoiler
			
			$text = preg_replace( "#\[right\](.+?)\[/right\]#is", "<div style='text-align:right'>$1</div>", $text );
			
			//Beautiful Colors
			$text = preg_replace( "%\[colou?r=([a-zA-Z]{3,20}|\#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}|\#[0-9a-fA-F]{3})](.+?)\[/colou?r\]%msi", '<span style="color: \\1">\\2</span>', $text );
			$text = preg_replace( "%\[colou?r=(rgb\(\d{1,3}, ?\d{1,3}, ?\d{1,3}\))](.+?)\[/colou?r\]%msi", '<span style="color: \\1">\\2</span>', $text );

If anyone can craft up an XSS for this, I'd appreciate it. Because I need this to be secure.
Edited by Monkuar, 10 January 2015 - 06:33 PM.

I have developed a code for a login and seems to work well (No syntax error according to https://phpcodechecker.com/ but when I enter a username and a password in the login form, I get an error HTTP 500. I think that everything is ok in the code but obviously there is something that I am not thinking about. The code (excluding db connection):

$id="''"; $username = $_POST['username']; $password = md5($_POST['password']); $func = "SELECT contrasena FROM users WHERE username='$username'";

$realpassask = $conn->query($func); $realpassaskres = $realpassask->fetch_assoc(); $realpass= $realpassaskres[contrasena];

$func2 = "SELECT bloqueado FROM users WHERE username='$username'"; $blockedask = $conn->query($func2); $blockedres = $blockedask->fetch_assoc(); $bloqueado = $blockedres[bloqueado];

//Login if(!empty($username)) { // Check the email with database
$userexists = $pdo->prepare("SELECT COUNT(username) FROM users WHERE username= '$username' LIMIT 1"); $userexists->bindParam(':username', $username); $userexists->execute(); // Get the result $userexistsres = $userexists->fetchColumn(); // Check if result is greater than 0 - user exist if( $userexistsres == 1) { if ($bloqueado == NO) { if ($password != $realpass) { die("contrasena incorrecta"); } Else{ $_SESSION['loguin']="OK"; $_SESSION['username']="$username"; header("Location: ./index.php"); } } Else{ die("Tu usuario ha sido bloqueado o todavía no ha sido aceptado por un administrador. } Else{ die("No hay ninguna cuenta con este nombre de usuario"); } } else { echo 'El campo usuario esta vacio'; } ?>

Hello, I'm learning PHP, so a completely noob, right now. First to the question itself, I want to know how to retrieve the data(variables & it's values) from the url, which was made or generated(or whatever right word is) by using http_build_query() in php. I created a querystring($string) with certain variables & dynamic values that I'm passing to a url

I am working to echo the results in a while or for loop... Both of my sample codes work, but the results are wrong!

The while loop ONLY echos a result IF the first record in the postings table matches the id passed (does not display a result unless the first record has a match)

The if loop displays ALL listings with the same name (counts them all) so there are no unique listings!


<?php

$posts_by_city_sql = "SELECT * FROM postings WHERE id='$_GET[id]'";
$posts_by_city_results = (mysqli_query($cxn, $posts_by_city_sql)) or die("Was not able to grab the Postings!");

/* While Loop  */
while($posts_by_city_row = mysqli_fetch_array($posts_by_city_results)) {
echo "<li><a href='posting_details.php?id=$posts_by_city_row[id]'>$posts_by_city_row[title]</a></li>";
}

/* For Loop  */
$posts_by_city_row = mysqli_fetch_array($posts_by_city_results);
 
for ($i=0; $i<sizeof($posts_by_city_row); $i++) {
echo "<li><a href='posting_details.php?id=$posts_by_city_row[id]'>$posts_by_city_row[title]</a></li>";
 }

?>

Results with for loop (there are 7 total unique book names, but it's just counting the first match on id 7 times like below):

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