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If one Apache virtual host serves PHP while another downloads the .php file, displays its source, returns a 503/502, or shows the wrong site, the failure is usually a configuration mismatch rather than a PHP-code problem. Apache first chooses a virtual host from the connection’s IP and port and the request’s Host header. Only then do that host’s PHP handlers, proxy rules, and logs matter. Prove which vhost received the request, identify whether it uses PHP-FPM or mod_php, and configure a handler for real PHP files in that vhost. The procedure below works for Apache 2.4 installations while calling out legacy mod_php limitations.
What Apache has to decide before PHP can run
A browser request passes through two separate decisions. First, Apache selects a virtual host. Second, the selected host maps a PHP filename to an execution method. A correct PHP handler in the wrong vhost is functionally the same as no handler at all for the site you are testing.
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How name-based virtual-host matching works
Apache starts with the connection’s local IP address and port. Among virtual hosts bound to that pair, it compares the request’s Host header with each ServerName and ServerAlias. The matching host wins. If no name matches, Apache uses the first virtual host for that IP-and-port combination as the default. That is why a typo, an omitted alias, a duplicate name, or a request sent to an unexpected listener can display another site’s HTML.
The address in a browser’s bar is not enough to prove the match. DNS, a proxy, a hosts-file override, an HTTPS terminator, or a nonstandard port can change the request that reaches Apache. Test the exact listener and send the intended host name explicitly.
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Why a handler can work in one host and fail in another
Apache directives may be global, inherited, or confined to one <VirtualHost> block. If a PHP-FPM SetHandler appears only in the first host, a second host can return source code or a download even though PHP is installed and the first site works. Conversely, a global rule can execute files in hosts that were meant to serve static content. Keep the execution rule in the host that owns the application and verify the selected host before changing PHP settings.
Step 1: Prove which virtual host handled the request
Do this before editing PHP configuration. It prevents fixing a perfectly good vhost while testing a different one.
Read Apache’s parsed vhost map
- Run
apachectl -S(some distributions expose the same check through a distribution-specific Apache control command). - Find the expected
ServerName, every requiredServerAlias, and the IP-and-port pair used by the listener. - Note the default vhost shown for that pair. It is the host Apache will use when the name does not match.
- Look for duplicate names, an accidental wildcard or catch-all host, and a host bound only to IPv4 while the request arrives over IPv6.
This command reports Apache’s parsed configuration, not merely the text in a file. A typo in an included file, a disabled site, or a different configuration tree can therefore become visible immediately.
Send an explicit Host header
To test a local HTTP listener without relying on DNS, request the listener’s address and supply the production name yourself:
curl -H "Host: example.test" -i http://127.0.0.1/For HTTPS, use the hostname in the URL so the TLS name and HTTP Host are both realistic; if you must test a certificate that is not publicly resolvable, use an appropriate local name-resolution method rather than judging the vhost from an IP-only URL. The important diagnostic detail is that Apache’s name-based selection uses the HTTP host value after the connection reaches the correct IP and port.
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Give each vhost a visible log identity
Use separate access and error logs for each host, or include the virtual-host field (commonly %v) in a shared access-log format. Request a deliberately missing path such as /vhost-check-that-does-not-exist and confirm which log receives the 404. Then request the PHP URL and inspect errors in that same host’s error log. This distinguishes a PHP-FPM failure from a request that never reached the intended configuration.
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Apache can execute PHP through an embedded module (mod_php) or pass requests to a separate PHP-FPM process manager. Do not combine snippets from both models without understanding which one is active.
| Characteristic | PHP-FPM with mod_proxy_fcgi |
mod_php |
|---|---|---|
| Process model | PHP runs in a separate PHP-FPM pool; Apache proxies FastCGI requests. | PHP is loaded inside Apache worker processes. |
| Apache MPM | Compatible with threaded event and worker MPMs. |
Typical non-ZTS builds require the prefork MPM. |
| Operations | PHP workers can be managed and restarted independently of Apache, with pool-level resource controls and process isolation. | PHP lifecycle and memory use are tied to Apache workers. |
| Recommended use | Preferred for modern Apache 2.4 deployments according to Apache and PHP documentation. | Useful for existing legacy installations when the module and MPM requirements are satisfied. |
Check what Apache has loaded
Run apachectl -M and inspect the output for the active MPM, proxy_module, proxy_fcgi_module, or a PHP module. The exact module name can vary with the PHP package, but an absent PHP module means a mod_php handler cannot work. An absent proxy-FCGI module means a PHP-FPM proxy: handler cannot work. Check the PHP-FPM service separately; Apache’s module list does not prove that a PHP-FPM pool is running.
Why PHP-FPM is normally the better choice
Apache’s current guidance prefers proxying to PHP-FPM, and PHP’s manual recommends PHP-FPM with Apache’s mod_proxy_fcgi for modern deployments. The model supports independent PHP restarts, process management, and threaded Apache MPMs. Those recommendations do not require an immediate migration of every functioning legacy mod_php host, but they do make PHP-FPM the sensible baseline for a new or repaired Apache 2.4 configuration.
Step 3: Configure PHP-FPM in the selected virtual host
Put the handler inside the <VirtualHost> block that apachectl -S and your explicit-Host test identified. Replace the endpoint below with the actual TCP port or Unix socket used by that host’s PHP-FPM pool.
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Use a narrow handler with an existence check
<FilesMatch ".php$">
<If "-f %{REQUEST_FILENAME}">
SetHandler "proxy:fcgi://127.0.0.1:9000"
</If>
</FilesMatch>The TCP form sends FastCGI requests to port 9000 on the local address. If PHP-FPM listens on a Unix socket, use the socket form documented for Apache:
<FilesMatch ".php$">
<If "-f %{REQUEST_FILENAME}">
SetHandler "proxy:unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost/"
</If>
</FilesMatch>Use the real socket path, including any version or pool-specific directory used by your operating system. A syntactically correct rule pointing at a nonexistent socket produces a gateway error, not PHP output.
Why the -f guard matters
The condition restricts execution to a file that actually exists. Without it, a request for a nonexistent path ending in .php can be sent to PHP-FPM before your front-controller or FallbackResource routing gets a chance to handle it. The result is often an unexpected 404 or 500 for application routes that do not map to a physical script.
The guard also narrows the attack surface. A broad proxy rule can interpret a path such as /uploads/file.jpg/something.php as PHP, depending on path-info handling. Keep upload directories outside the document root where practical, prevent script execution there, and avoid greedy matching rules unless you have explicitly validated the complete path.
Confirm the endpoint and permissions
- Verify that the PHP-FPM pool is running and listening on the same TCP address/port or Unix socket named in
SetHandler. - For a Unix socket, ensure the Apache runtime user can connect to the socket through every parent directory. A socket can exist yet still reject Apache because of ownership or mode bits.
- Ensure the requested script is readable by the PHP-FPM worker account and that Apache’s document-root and directory permissions allow the request to reach it.
- Keep the PHP-FPM pool’s document-root assumptions consistent with Apache’s filesystem path. A proxy can connect successfully and still fail when PHP cannot open the script.
Do not mix unrelated proxy recipes
Some older guides use a broad ProxyPassMatch expression. Replacing a precise FilesMatch rule with that expression can change path-info behavior and make upload paths executable. Start with the narrow rule above, then add path handling only when the application demonstrably needs it and you can validate the resulting filesystem path.
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Step 4: Configure mod_php only when you intentionally use it
For mod_php, Apache must load the PHP module, and the selected host must map PHP files to that module. A typical mapping is:
<FilesMatch ".php$">
SetHandler application/x-httpd-php
</FilesMatch>The module and handler names depend on the PHP package supplied by your operating system. Confirm the module with apachectl -M; do not assume that installing the PHP command-line binary installed the Apache module as well.
Check MPM compatibility
Most non-ZTS mod_php builds are designed for Apache’s prefork MPM. If Apache is running the event or worker MPM, the module may refuse to load, Apache may fail a configuration test, or the combination may be unsupported by the package. You can see the active MPM in apachectl -M. Do not switch MPM blindly on a production host: changing it can affect other modules and requires a controlled restart or reload plan.
Keep the handler in the right scope
If only one site should execute PHP, place the FilesMatch block in that site’s virtual host instead of enabling a global handler for every document root. After editing, use apachectl -S and an explicit-Host request to make sure the test is reaching the host that contains the mapping.
Step 5: Validate, reload, and test safely
- Run Apache’s configuration syntax check before touching the live process. The exact command is commonly exposed as
apachectl configtest; use the equivalent control command supplied by your distribution if necessary. Fix every syntax error first. - Run
apachectl -Sagain. Confirm that the edited file is included, the expected names are unique, and the intended host remains associated with the correct IP-and-port pair. - Perform a graceful reload using your platform’s Apache service control. The research-backed procedure is a validated configuration followed by a graceful reload; the service command itself differs among distributions.
- Request a minimal PHP test through the exact hostname and port. A temporary file containing a simple PHP output statement is enough to prove execution without exposing a full configuration dump.
- If you use a
phpinfo()file for diagnosis, remove it immediately after testing. It reveals paths, loaded modules, environment values, and other configuration details useful to attackers.
Test both a real script and a nonexistent .php path. The real script should execute through the intended PHP engine; the nonexistent path should follow your application’s normal 404 or front-controller behavior rather than being sent indiscriminately to PHP-FPM.
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Symptom-to-cause troubleshooting
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Verification and corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| The wrong site’s HTML appears | The hostname did not match, names are duplicated, or the request reached the default vhost. | Run apachectl -S, send an explicit Host header to the intended listener, and make ServerName/ServerAlias values unique. |
| The browser downloads a PHP file or displays PHP source | No PHP handler exists in the selected vhost, or the required module is not loaded. | Confirm the vhost with logs and curl; then add the PHP-FPM SetHandler or mod_php mapping and verify the corresponding module. |
| A PHP URL returns 503 or 502 | The PHP-FPM service is stopped, the TCP endpoint or socket path is wrong, or Apache cannot access the socket. | Read the selected vhost’s error log, check the PHP-FPM pool and listening endpoint, and correct the path, port, ownership, or permissions. |
| Only one vhost executes PHP | The handler is global or exists only in another virtual host. | Place the handler in the selected host, then verify the parsed map and per-vhost log entry for the request. |
| Front-controller routes produce an unexpected 404 or 500 | A handler is catching nonexistent .php paths before fallback routing. |
Wrap the handler in <If "-f %{REQUEST_FILENAME}"> so only real scripts are proxied. |
Reading the error log without guessing
Errors before PHP starts
Messages about an unknown directive, a missing module, or an invalid SetHandler usually appear during configuration validation or reload. They indicate Apache could not build the requested configuration. Resolve those first; a browser test cannot diagnose a configuration that never loaded.
Errors connecting to PHP-FPM
Connection-refused, timeout, or missing-socket messages point to the FPM service or endpoint rather than to PHP application code. Compare the socket or port in the error with the value in the selected vhost. Then check the FPM pool’s own log and service state. A 503/502 generated by Apache is evidence that the proxy path failed; it is not evidence that the script returned an HTTP 503.
Errors after PHP starts
If PHP-FPM logs a script-level parse error, missing extension, or application exception, the Apache routing problem is already past the failing point. Fix the PHP application or pool environment separately, while retaining the vhost and handler configuration that successfully delivered the script.
Security rules for PHP-enabled virtual hosts
- Match only the extensions your application needs, normally real
.phpfiles, rather than proxying every request. - Keep the
-fexistence guard in the handler so virtual routes and arbitrary path suffixes are not sent to PHP. - Do not allow script execution in upload, cache, backup, or user-content directories. Store uploads outside the document root when the application permits it.
- Use distinct logs or a log format containing the virtual-host name. It reduces the chance that an incident in one site is mistaken for a failure in another.
- Remove diagnostic scripts and avoid leaving detailed PHP configuration output publicly reachable.
- Restrict PHP-FPM pools and socket permissions to the users and groups that need them. A functioning proxy with unnecessarily broad socket access increases the impact of a compromised site.
When to keep mod_php and when to move to PHP-FPM
Keep a legacy mod_php host temporarily when
- The application depends on the embedded module and is already stable.
- The PHP build is compatible with the active prefork MPM.
- You can apply a precise handler and maintain the host’s security boundaries.
- A migration can be scheduled and tested rather than performed during an outage.
Prefer PHP-FPM for a new or modernized host when
- You need Apache’s event or worker MPM for concurrency or other threaded modules.
- You want PHP workers, limits, and restarts managed independently from Apache.
- Several applications require separate PHP pools or versions.
- You want the integration recommended by current Apache 2.4 and PHP documentation.
Changing the execution model is not a substitute for fixing vhost selection. A perfect PHP-FPM pool still appears broken if the request lands in the default host, and a correctly selected host still fails if its handler points to the wrong endpoint.
A compact decision path for the next failure
- Wrong content? Stop and prove the vhost with
apachectl -S, an explicitHostheader, and per-vhost logs. - Right vhost, source or download? Identify the execution model, confirm its module, and add a handler inside that host.
- 503 or 502? Treat it as an FPM endpoint, service, or permission problem; compare the configured and actual socket or port.
- Only routed URLs fail? Add the real-file guard and retest a physical script plus a nonexistent route.
- Configuration will not reload? Run the syntax check and fix module, directive, quoting, or include-file errors before testing in a browser.
Once the selected vhost, handler type, endpoint, and file-safety guard all agree, Apache can pass the request to the intended PHP runtime without affecting neighboring sites.
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