Fix the "SecurityException in Application.cpp:188" Error

What does the error mean?

You usually find it in the Apache error log. The log is a diary where the web server writes problems. The line looks like this:

SecurityException in Application.cpp:188: Script /home/user/public_html/index.php is writeable by others

The ending can differ. It may say a folder is "writeable by group" or "owned by another user". The line number may also change on other server versions.

This comes from suPHP. suPHP runs your PHP scripts as your own user. It is a safety tool. It refuses to run a script if the file or its folder has permissions that are too open. Permissions are rules that say who can read, write or run a file. They are shown as numbers like 755 or 644.

Common causes

• A folder or file has permission 777 or 775.
• The file is owned by the wrong user, such as root.
• A script was uploaded by another program with odd permissions.

Steps to fix it

Take a backup of your site first. Wrong changes can break it.

1. Log in to your hosting panel and open the File Manager.
2. Open the folder named in the error message.
3. Right-click the folder and choose the permissions option, often called Change Permissions.
4. Set folders to 755.
5. Set PHP files to 644.
6. Reload your website to see if it works.

If you have root access on a VPS or dedicated server, you can fix all sites at once. Replace username with the account name.

chown -R username:username /home/username/public_html
find /home/username/public_html -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find /home/username/public_html -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

The first line sets the right owner. The next two lines set folders to 755 and files to 644.

If the error stays after this, open a ticket at the support page and paste the exact log line.

Quick recap

• The error comes from suPHP refusing unsafe permissions or owners.
• Set folders to 755 and files to 644.
• Make sure the files belong to the right account user.
• Back up before bulk changes.