PHP Manual . ... When PHP is used as an Apache module it inherits Apache's user permissions (typically those of the "nobody" user). ... For example, if you are using PHP to access a database, unless that database has built-in access control, you will have to make the database accessable to the "nobody" user. ... You can protect against this with Apache authorization, or you can design your own access model using LDAP, .htaccess files, etc. and include that code as part of your PHP scripts. ...