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phpapache.htaccess

Why does Apache treat PHP files like folders or virtual URL?

I have a site with the URL https://example.com/file.php. I don't use URL friendly, frameworks, etc. But I see that google take duplicate content from my website, but with URL that not exist like:

https://example.com/file.php/file2.php
https://example.com/file.php/file3.php
https://example.com/file.php/file3.php/hihi/other/other2.php   (status 200)

But that URLs do not exist. In both cases show me the content from file.php. I delete my .htaccess because I think I have some bad rule, but is not that.

Solution

  • As @Quentin has already pointed out - this is the default for PHP. Or, more specifically, the Apache handler that processes PHP, allows path-info (additional pathname information on the URL) by default. Plain text/html files do not allow path-info, unless explicitly enabled.

    For example, given the following URL:

    https://example.com/file.php/<anything>

    Where file.php is a physical file on the filesystem, then /<anything> is the additional pathname information. And is available to PHP through the $_SERVER['PATH_INFO'] variable.

    However, you can disable this in .htaccess with the AcceptPathInfo directive:

    AcceptPathInfo Off

    Now any URL that contains path-info will trigger a 404 Not Found.