phpMussel checks uploaded files for malware within PHP applications. It is particularly suited to shared hosting accounts where administrators cannot install a conventional antivirus service or access the server shell.
The software can be connected to a website’s upload handling to inspect incoming content before the application accepts it. Its detection signatures draw on ClamAV and other sources, but the scanner operates within PHP rather than requiring a running ClamAV daemon.
Its components separate the scanning engine, upload handler, command-line interface and administrative frontend. This allows developers to use the facilities needed for their application without treating phpMussel as a replacement for whole-system security monitoring.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Detect malicious content using signatures, file hashes and configurable pattern matching.
- Inspect ZIP, TAR and RAR archives when the corresponding PHP dependencies are available.
- Limit archive recursion and the number of contained files examined during a scan.
- Optionally block encrypted archives whose contents cannot be inspected.
- Apply file-type allowlists, blocklists and selective scanning policies to uploaded content.
- Detect suspicious mismatches between file extensions and content, including disguised PHP scripts and executables.
- Configure upload-size limits and restrict how many files are processed together.
- Quarantine blocked uploads for subsequent investigation, with limits on retained files and storage usage.
- Record scanning activity in human-readable and serialised logs, with rotation controls.
- Cache scan results to reduce repeated processing of previously examined content.
- Optionally consult VirusTotal using an API key and configurable request limits.
- Run manual checks through the command-line interface or integrate scanning into PHP code.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Website: phpmussel.github.io
Support:
Developer: Caleb Mazalevskis
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
phpMussel is written in PHP. Learn PHP with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Anti-Malware Tools | |
|---|---|
| ClamAV | Antivirus engine for detecting trojans, viruses, malware and other threats |
| YARA-X | Re-incarnation of YARA |
| YARA | Pattern matching swiss knife for malware researchers |
| Maltrail | Malicious traffic detection system |
| ClamTk | Graphical frontend for ClamAV |
| LMD | Malware scanner focusing on threats faced in shared hosted environments |
| phpMussel | PHP-based anti-virus anti-trojan anti-malware solution |
| Raspirus | Lightweight signature-based malware scanner |
| FastFinder | Fast suspicious file finder |
| chkrootkit | Locally checks for signs of a rootkit |
| Unhide | Forensic tool to find hidden processes and TCP/UDP ports |
| Atomdrift Scan | Malware and supply chain scanner for software security |
| paranoya | Malware scanner using indicators of compromise and YARA rules |
| decloaker | Security tool for revealing objects concealed by malware |
| Lenspect | Lightweight security threat scanner |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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