Hi, all.
please help me with this problem.

I want to run snort through a web application with exec("snort -v -i eth0 ") php function.
for example when start button was pressed snort should be run,
but the execution failed with this error:

Running in packet dump mode

--== Initializing Snort ==--
Initializing Output Plugins!
Verifying Preprocessor Configurations!

Initializing Network Interface eth0
ERROR: OpenPcap() device eth0 open:
socket: Operation not permitted
Fatal Error, Quitting..

but when I run snort command via command line as root it will execute successfully.

I think this problem is for that apache user haven't access to network adapter, is my guess correct? I have no experience with apache, should I change apache configuration? what is the configuration for this problem.

I apply below command:

chown -R wwwrun:www /srv/www/htdocs/myprogram/snort

and changed my snort run command like this:
<?php

exec(/srv/www/htdocs/mywebprogram/snort/bin/snort -u wwwrun -g www -v -i eth0)
?>

but my problem didn't solve,I also test this:

chown -R root:www /srv/www/htdocs/mywebprogram/snort

but no difference,
I think I should find a way to allow apache to access but I don't know how?

Apache was designed to run with very limited permissions, that is why it is so safe.

You don't want to increase the permissions from a point of security, let alone let it run as root.

If you really want to make your system insecure, you might try to set setuid on snort. (man setuid) But again, I warn you it is a bad idea.

There are other ways to accomplish this, but slightly more complicated. For example, build a script which runs in the background with root privileges, and checks for the contents of a certain flag file. This flag file contains '0' or '1'. When it is '1', the background script executes your snort. The output of snort goes into a temporary file. Your web page displays the contents of this file. You php script only writes '0' or '1' in the flag file. This is perfectly safe.

Most information which is shown to you thru a web page is based on a background process gathering information and storing it somewhere. When the information is retrieved over the web, this information is what you see.

jlinkels

yes, you are perfectly right. thanks for your ideas.