Question

I am executing an AJAX request using jQuery as such:

$.get({
          url: 'run_program.php',
          data: 'action=run&number=' + $('#number').val(),
          success: function (j) {
            alert(j);
          }

runprogram.php is as such:

<?php
if(isset($_GET['action']) && !empty($_GET['action'])) {
    run($_GET['number']);
}

function run($number) {
    echo shell_exec('program.exe $number');
}
?>

The response I get from the server is always 0. I am running this locally by the way, so there are no security problems. The program is simply coded to square the number passed in as input. It works perfectly fine in cmd. When I echo $number, it correctly gives the value that I passed in using jQuery. What is the problem in my code?

Answer 1

The problem would be your line

echo shell_exec('program.exe $number'); 

in that this will actually call program.exe with “$number” as text as a value. You need to use double quotes eg

echo shell_exec("program.exe $number");