# With iptables iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 4444 -j DROP
To use a PHP reverse shell, follow these steps:
Web Application Firewalls (WAF): Use a WAF to detect and block common attack patterns, such as the inclusion of common reverse shell keywords or suspicious PHP wrappers. Conclusion php-reverse-shell
In php.ini :
disable_functions = exec,system,shell_exec,passthru,proc_open,pcntl_exec # With iptables iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp
Blocks remote file inclusion (RFI) attacks.
You can’t just “patch PHP” — reverse shells abuse legitimate PHP features. Defense must be layered. php-reverse-shell
open_basedir = /var/www/html:/tmp
Socket-Based Scripts: Detailed PHP scripts, like the famous pentestmonkey PHP Reverse Shell, use internal PHP functions like fsockopen() and proc_open() to manage the connection and execute system commands.