Language: $ref = &$GLOBALS must compile-time fatal — VM executes (Zend/zend_compile.c)

[PurHur]

Category

language · php-src-strict

Problem

Zend rejects acquiring a reference to the superglobal $GLOBALS at compile time. This compiler accepts the assignment and runs the script.

Snippet	Zend 8.2+	VM (2026-07-03)
$ref = &$GLOBALS;	Fatal error: Cannot acquire reference to $GLOBALS (compile)	prints fail: acquired GLOBALS reference, exit 0

php-src reference

• php/php-src Zend/zend_compile.c — zend_compile_assign_ref() / $GLOBALS reference guard
• php/php-src Zend/zend_variables.c — superglobal table semantics

PHP implementation target

• lib/ compile path for assign_ref when RHS is $GLOBALS — emit Zend-equivalent compile-time fatal
• No new C runtime branches; guard in PHP lowering only

Repro

test/repro/maintainer_gap_globals_acquire_reference.php

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'php test/repro/maintainer_gap_globals_acquire_reference.php'   # exit 255
./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'php bin/vm.php test/repro/maintainer_gap_globals_acquire_reference.php'   # exit 0 (wrong)

Done when

• VM/JIT/AOT reject at compile time with Zend-equivalent fatal text
• Compliance .phpt under test/compliance/cases/language/
• php-src-strict; no php-compiler-strict shortcut

[PurHur]

claim: PHP Runtime → PHP — starting this run

[PurHur]

Merged via #15631.

Fix: rejectGlobalsReferenceAcquisition() in lib/Compiler.php AssignRef lowering — compile-time fatal `Cannot acquire reference to $GLOBALS` (php-src-strict, Zend zend_compile.c).

Verification (all green):

• VM + JIT repro exit 255 with compile error
• GlobalsAcquireReferenceCompileTest (2 tests)
• globals_acquire_reference_reject.phpt compliance guard

No C runtime changes — PHP lowering only.