How to redirect a pdf GET request through a php script in wordpress with OpenliteSpeed Server

Question

I have built a functionality on my website where I only want to allow certain people to be able to download or access certain pdfs from my uploads folder.

Searching aroud the internet and SO, I found a lot of answers and got really close in solving my problems.

The way I have structured my pdf is inside.

[root]/wp-content/uploads/scopes/unlocked-scopes/<filename>.pdf

I am interested in routing all the request for these files through a PHP script which is as follows.

<?php

require_once($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'wp-load.php');

function manage_action()
{
   $page = get_permalink( get_page_by_path( '404-not-found' ) );
   if($page) {
      wp_redirect( $page );
      exit();
   } else {
      wp_redirect(home_url());
      exit();
   }
}

// Bail if request paramter doesn't exist.
if(!isset($_GET['request'])) {
   manage_action();
}

// check if someone is logged in or not.
if( !(current_user_can('author') || current_user_can('administrator')) ) {
   manage_action();
}



// Get Scope
$scope_exists = get_posts( array(
   'post_type' => 'project_scope',
   'p' => $_GET['request'],
   'numberposts' => 1,
));

// Bail if scope doesn't exists.
if(empty($scope_exists)) {
   manage_action();
}


$scope = $scope_exists[0];

$author = $scope->post_author;
$user = get_current_user_id();

if(!current_user_can('administrator') && ($user != $author)) {
   manage_action();
}


$file = wp_upload_dir()['basedir'] .'/scopes/unlocked-scopes/'.$_GET["file"];

if(substr($file, -1) == '/') {
   $file = substr($file, 0, -1);
}

if (file_exists($file)) {
   header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
   header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
   header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.basename($file).'"');
   header('Expires: 0');
   header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate');
   header('Pragma: public');
   header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file));
   readfile($file);
   exit;
}

Initially I built this restriction on my Local machine with Laragon setup on my windows machine and using Apache server.

I added the following in my .htaccess files at the root.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} (unlocked-scopes.*)
    RewriteRule ^wp-content/uploads/scopes/unlocked-scopes/(.*)$ wp-content/uploads/dl-file.php?file=$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

This works absolutely fine on apache local server, but my live server is using openlitespeed server on a digital ocean droplet and it doesn't work there at all.

I have added this rule before the wordpress rule.

UPDATED When I try to visit any pdf from unlocked-scopes folder in my live server it opens without ever hitting my php script which makes it accessable publically. Is there something else that needs to be added when working with openlitespeed and .htaccess ?

What **exactly** is not working? What have you tried to resolve the problem? — Nico Haase, Sep 08 '21 at 10:24
@NicoHaase Sorry, I realise that I haven't actually mentioned real issue in my question. I have updated my question now. — bhanu, Sep 08 '21 at 10:30
And what have you tried to resolve the problem? If PHP isn't used after all, this sounds like you might be using the wrong rewrite rule — Nico Haase, Sep 08 '21 at 10:31
These same exact rewrite rule works in my local apache setup. it just won't work in my live openlitespeed server. — bhanu, Sep 08 '21 at 10:32
Have you tried removing the `` around the rewrite directives? Just because it is supposed to understand the Apache rewrite syntax itself, probably does not mean that it gets implemented by a module of the same name. — CBroe, Sep 08 '21 at 10:55

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 08 '21 at 17:52

I was able to find the documentation which talks about the migration of Rewrite rules from apache to openlitespeed server.

The Article

In the documentation part "Migrate from Apache Document Root .htaccess to OpenLiteSpeed Vhost Rewrite Tab" it is said that,

RewriteRule ^adminPages/(.*)$ admin-panel/$1 [L]

Changes to

RewriteRule ^/?adminPages/(.*)$ admin-panel/$1 [L]

this.

And I had to add it inside OpenLiteSpeed (Webadmin panel.) > VirtualHost > Edit your host > Rewrite tab.

Webadmin panel by deafult is at 7080 port.

My final Rewrite rule was.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} (unlocked-scopes.*)
    RewriteRule ^/?wp-content/uploads/scopes/unlocked-scopes/(.*)$ wp-content/uploads/dl-file.php?file=$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

And I added it inside the rewrite tab.

How to redirect a pdf GET request through a php script in wordpress with OpenliteSpeed Server

1 Answers1