How to make .PHP file only accessible to the server?

Question

I created a cron job through goDaddy control center.

The cron job is in the folder "cron jobs".

I don't want anyone to be able to run it, how should I set the permissions of the folder so that it can't be publicly opened but it still can be used for the cron job?

Will unchecking Public > Read be enough to prevent anyone from running it?

Answer 1

Just put the files outside of the webroot/document root folder.

Answer 2

In .htaccess add this.

<Location /cronjobs>
order deny,allow
deny from all
allow from 127.0.0.1
</Location>

I included allow from 127.0.0.1 so it can be run from the server, i.e. so the cron can still run.

Answer 3

Another possible solution if the file is meant to be used exclusively as an include() and not ran standalone by a user who enters it in the url.

Place this code at the top of the file you want to block direct calling of.

if(basename($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']) == 'blockedFile.php')
    {
    header('Location: ./index.php');
    exit();
    }

PHP checks if the file's name is the one being ran directly. If blockedFile.php were included in index.php with include() then basename($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']) would equal index.php. If it were standalone, it would equal blockedFile.php and send the user back to the index page.