# Security Helper

The Security Helper file contains security related functions.

- Loading this Helper
- Available Functions

## Loading this Helper

This helper is loaded using the following code:

    $this->load->helper('security');

## Available Functions

The following functions are available:

`xss_clean`($str[, $is_image = FALSE])

  Parameters: | $str (string) – Input data $is_image (bool) – Whether we’re dealing with an image
  Returns: | XSS-clean string
  Return type: | string

  Provides Cross Site Script Hack filtering.

  This function is an alias for `CI_Input::xss_clean()`. For more info, please see the Input Library documentation.

`sanitize_filename`($filename)

  Parameters: | $filename (string) – Filename
  Returns: | Sanitized file name
  Return type: | string

  Provides protection against directory traversal.

  This function is an alias for `CI_Security::sanitize_filename()`. For more info, please see the Security Library documentation.

`do_hash`($str[, $type = 'sha1'])

  Parameters: | $str (string) – Input $type (string) – Algorithm
  Returns: | Hex-formatted hash
  Return type: | string

  Permits you to create one way hashes suitable for encrypting passwords. Will use SHA1 by default.

  See hash_algos() for a full list of supported algorithms.

  Examples:

      $str = do_hash($str); // SHA1
      $str = do_hash($str, 'md5'); // MD5

  Note

  This function was formerly named `dohash()`, which has been removed in favor of `do_hash()`.

  Note

  This function is DEPRECATED. Use the native `hash()` instead.

`strip_image_tags`($str)

  Parameters: | $str (string) – Input string
  Returns: | The input string with no image tags
  Return type: | string

  This is a security function that will strip image tags from a string. It leaves the image URL as plain text.

  Example:

      $string = strip_image_tags($string);

  This function is an alias for `CI_Security::strip_image_tags()`. For more info, please see the Security Library documentation.

`encode_php_tags`($str)

  Parameters: | $str (string) – Input string
  Returns: | Safely formatted string
  Return type: | string

  This is a security function that converts PHP tags to entities.

  Note

  `xss_clean()` does this automatically, if you use it.

  Example:

      $string = encode_php_tags($string);