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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.11

Personal Home Page (PHP) Hypertext Preprocessor

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Personal Home Page (PHP) Hypertext Preprocessor is a server-side scripting language and a general-purpose programming language that is typically used for web development to create dynamic web pages. PHP code can be embedded into Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) code or it can be used in combination with various web template systems, web content management system and web frameworks. Additionally, PHP code may also be executed with a command-line interface (CLI) and can be used to implement standalone graphical applications.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.6
Decision Date:	06/21/2024 at 22:00:36 UTC
Aliases:	PHP
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	PHP Group

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

You must be logged into the RSAA website prior to clicking the Attestation URLs or the URLs won't open.

Version	Release Date	Vendor Desupport Date
5.2.x	07/22/2010	01/06/2011
5.3	07/22/2010	08/14/2014
5.4.x	03/01/2012	09/03/2015
5.5.x	06/20/2013	07/10/2016
5.6.x	01/22/2015	12/31/2018
7.0.x	04/28/2016	12/03/2018
7.1.x	12/01/2016	12/01/2019
7.2.x	02/01/2018	11/30/2020
7.3.x	05/30/2019	12/06/2021
7.4.x	12/18/2019	11/28/2022
8.0.x	11/26/2020	11/26/2023
8.1.x	11/25/2021	12/31/2025
8.1.29+	06/06/2024	12/31/2025
8.2.x	02/02/2023	12/31/2026
8.2.20+	06/06/2024	12/31/2026
8.3.x	11/23/2023	12/31/2027
8.3.8+	06/06/2024	12/31/2027

Current Decision Matrix (06/12/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VAIT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported.

Legend:

White	Authorized: The technology/standard has been authorized for use.
Yellow	Authorized w/ Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M): This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST): VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unauthorized may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Unauthorized: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Authorized w/ Constraints (PLANNING/EVALUATION): The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M).

<Past

CY2023

CY2024

CY2025

Future>

Release

5.2.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

5.3

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

5.4.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

5.5.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

5.6.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

7.0.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

7.1.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

7.2.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

7.3.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

7.4.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

8.0.x

Approved w/Constraints
[9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Approved w/Constraints
[9, 10, 11, 12, 14]

DIVEST
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

8.1.x

Approved w/Constraints
[9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Approved w/Constraints
[9, 10, 11, 12, 14]

DIVEST
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

8.1.29+

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

DIVEST
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

8.2.x

Approved w/Constraints
[9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Approved w/Constraints
[9, 10, 11, 12, 14]

DIVEST
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

8.2.20+

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

8.3.x

Unapproved

DIVEST
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

8.3.8+

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[2]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not authorized and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[3]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[4]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[5]	Users must ensure that Microsoft Internet Information Services (ISS) is implemented with VA-authorized baselines.

[6]	Users must ensure that Microsoft Internet Information Services (ISS) is implemented with VA-authorized baselines. Users must not utilize iPlanet web Server as it is, at the time of writing, unapproved in the TRM.

[7]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[8]	Users must ensure that Apache Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Server and Microsoft Internet Information Services (ISS) are implemented with VA-authorized baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Users must not utilize iPlanet web Server as it is, at the time of writing, unapproved in the TRM. Users must utilize version 1.40.x and future versions of the Nginx, at the time of writing, as they are authorized in the TRM. Users must Divest the use of Apache Tomcat with this technology.

[9]	Users must ensure that Apache Hypertext Mark Up Language (HTTP) Server, Apache Tomcat and Microsoft Internet Information Services (ISS) are implemented with VA-authorized baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Users must not utilize iPlanet Web Server, as it is at the time of writing, unapproved in the TRM. Users must ensure that when using Nginx that authorized versions are utilized. Users must ensure that when using Apache Tomcat that authorized versions are utilized.

[10]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not authorized and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[11]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[12]	This technology has received one or more VA security bulletins that provide specific guidance on vulnerability patching and mitigation. It is the responsibility of VA system owners to ensure that the appropriate mitigations are taken to address all known and future discovered vulnerabilities with this product. See the Reference tab for more information on security bulletins related to this product.

[13]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[14]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

[15]	Users must ensure that Apache Hypertext Mark Up Language (HTTP) Server, Apache Tomcat, and Microsoft Internet Information Services (ISS) are implemented with VA-authorized baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Users must not utilize iPlanet Web Server, as it is at the time of writing, unapproved in the TRM.

[16]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 8.3.8 is the most current version, released 06/06/2024.

Due to security vulnerabilities, users are permitted to use minor releases and patches later than 8.1.29, 8.2.20, and 8.3.8 as identified by the ‘+’ versioning.

Type	Name	Source	Description
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Name	Description
PHP-CLI (Command Line Interface)	This component allows command line interpretation of PHP script for code validation and testing.
PHP-ZTS (Zend Thread Safety)	This component allows PHP to support multi-threading control when interfacing with multi-threading enabled Apache Webserver instances.


Application Technology Development Tools	Development Frameworks

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology supports imperative, functional, object-oriented, procedural and reflective programming paradigms.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include general web scripting.
This technology is available at no cost through open-source licensing and supports VA's open-source initiative.
This is a well-documented technology.

Adoption Risks

This technology can potentially use iPlanet Web Server, an unapproved technology.
There are Threat & Assessment Analysis Portal (TAAP) bulletins associated with this technology.
As open-source software, this product may be left without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) associated with this technology. Please see <a href = "https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search" target="_blank">https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search</a> for more details.
There are other authorized solutions that provide similar functionality available on the TRM. The use of several similar solutions may increase organization requirements for support and maintenance.
There is no indication based on either the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-authorized operating systems.
This technology is compatible with multiple other Technical Reference Model (TRM) technologies and standards used by the organization.

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (06/21/2024 at 22:00:36 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.11

General Information

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Current Decision Matrix (06/12/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.11

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (06/12/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Optional Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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VA Categories

View the VA Categorization Framework