.flv file no type when uploaded via php

Question

can anyone shed some light on this:

Array
(
    [video] => Array
        (
            [name] => 20051210-w50s.flv
            [type] => 
            [tmp_name] => /tmp/php38JFea
            [error] => 0
            [size] => 669036
        )

)

I'm uploading an flv file, but the [type] is not being filled, is this common?

cheers in advance!

Answer 1

The type field is a MIME type set by the client. In this case, it just didn't know what a flv file is, and didn't set it. It is a good thing not to rely on this information, as it can be freely altered by an attacker.

If you want to get reliable info about an uploaded video file, you need to do a server-side check. The getid3 for example seems to be able to recognize flv files.

The built-in getimagesize() function can do the same for many image formats.