HTTP_REFERER no longer available?

creid

I had been using HTTP_REFERER in some of my scripts with PHP Version 4.0.6 installed.

When I installed PHP Version 4.3.1, HTTP_REFERER seems to be no longer available using getenv(), _SERVER or phpinfo().

Before anybody asks, I am aware some browsers will not send it, I was just making use of it when it was available!

Until yesterday I thought it might be a change made in 4.3.1 but I did a search for "HTTP_SERVER_VARS PHP" on Google and to my surprise found lots of phpinfo() pages from what seemed like live sites, some of which were running PHP Version 4.3.1 ->.

Does anybody know why I can no longer see HTTP_REFERER on my site's?

There are two sites and they both suffered the same fate (1) Windows 2000 with IIS (2) Mac OSX with Apache.😕

Bunkermaster

echo $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'];

have a look at the new super globals (since 4.1) in predefined variables section in manual.

creid

Thanks, I've already tried all the normal ways to get at it,

$HTTP_SERVER_VARS['HTTP_REFERER'],
$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'],
getenv('HTTP_REFERER')

It just seems to be not getting set any more! I've also tried accessing the page from different browsers on different machines as I thought it might be the client not sending it!

tsinka

Hi,

I'm not sure but it could be that with the cgi version on e.g. IIS it could be in $GLOBALS['HTTP_REFERER']. But I can't test it now 🙁

The $GLOBALS['HTTP_REFERER'] might only exist if register_globals is on. What happens if you set register_globals to on and try HTTP_REFERER with $GLOBALS ?

laserlight

The entries in this array are created by the webserver. There is no guarantee that every webserver will provide any of these; servers may omit some, or provide others not listed here.

This is set by the user agent. Not all user agents will set this, and some provide the ability to modify HTTP_REFERER as a feature. In short, it cannot really be trusted.

Just too bad.

creid

tsinka: $GLOBALS['HTTP_REFERER'] with register_globals On is still empty. I'd already tried that on but thanks.

laserlight: As I said earlier, I know some browsers don't send it but if it was available, I was using it quite successfully with the old PHP version! As soon as I upgraded to PHP 4.3.1 it was no longer available, the code I had that was working fine just gave back an empty string (from numerous clients/browsers). This happened from the moment I installed the update!

laserlight

this means, that in the process of the upgrade, your webserver somehow no longer provides that particular predefined variable.