Bad search filter on LDAP when trying to get user data
ldap, ldap-query, php, symfony-1.4
Solution
In order to use parentheses in the assertion value of a filter the parenthese must be escaped. A search filter where the assertion value is `samAccountName=(jtesting)` should be encoded as `samAccountName=\28jtesting\29`. The entire assertion value may be enclosed in parentheses which are not escaped, in which case the filter becomes `(samAccountName=\28jtesting\29)`.
More Information
- LDAP: Search Filters
- String Representation of Search Filters
Problem
I am fresh out of the box here with LDAP, so let me know if I am doing this in the completely wrong fashion. I am working with Symfony 1.4 using the bhLDAPAuthPlugin plugin I am verifying user login with LDAP. However, there is more data in the LDAP table that I would like to query using the username. So I am writing this search function to filter results according to the username: ``` function user_values($username) { if (!$username) { die ("Username is not there man!"); } if (!$this->_conn) { die ("No Connection."); } if (!$this->_base_dn) { die ("No Base."); } $filter="samaccountname=".$username; $attributes_ad = array("name"); $result = ldap_search($this->_conn, $this->_base_dn, $filter, $attributes_ad) or die ("Error in search query"); $entries = ldap_get_entries($this->_conn, $result); return($entries); } ``` I am getting the error: Warning: ldap_search(): Search: Bad search filter in /... Error in search query when i run the query. The first three "if's" are there just to assure I was getting the correct parameters for the search. The condition fails on the actual search. Any suggestions? UPDATE The username variable is jtesting I pulled the $username from the function, before it gets put in the search parameter. It is actually (jtesting). I am going to remove the parenthesis, and see if that remedies the problem.