Language: outside call to private method throws instead of __call (re-#146, zend_object_handlers.c)

[PurHur]

Category

Language · php-src-strict · magic method visibility (regression vs #146)

Problem

Zend: calling a private method from a scope that cannot see it is treated as “method not found” for that scope, so __call runs. The VM raises Error: Call to private method … from global scope and never enters __call.

Repro (2026-07-31)	Zend 8.2	VM
$a->hid() with private function hid() + __call	CALL_hid / m	Error: Call to private method A::hid() from global scope

php-src reference

• php/php-src Zend/zend_object_handlers.c — zend_std_get_method / call path: inaccessible method → __call
• Prior: Language: Magic methods (__get, __set, __call, __toString) #146 / Language: Magic methods __get/__set/__call/__toString — JIT lowering (phase 2 of #146) #4066 (magic __call baseline)

PHP implementation target

• lib/VM.php — method lookup / call frame setup (~__call dispatch ~16561+): when a method exists but visibility fails for the calling scope, fall through to __call with ($name, $arguments) (see existing MagicCallArgs) instead of throwing private-access Error
• Do not add C runtime branches
• Compliance: test/compliance/cases/language/magic_call_private.phpt

Repro

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'cat > /tmp/call_priv.php <<'"'"'PHP'"'"'
<?php
class A {
  private function hid() { return "p"; }
  public function __call($n, $a) { echo "CALL_$n\n"; return "m"; }
}
$a = new A();
echo $a->hid(), "\n";
PHP
php bin/vm.php /tmp/call_priv.php'

Done when

• Outside-scope call to private/protected instance method invokes __call with Zend args packing
• Same-class / allowed-scope calls still hit the real method (no __call)
• Error message for truly missing methods unchanged
• Compliance PHPT; php-src-strict

[PurHur]

claim: lane-B automation — starting this run

Pre-claim gates: release-readiness --json → user_release_ready: yes (north-star5-fast ok, helper-runtime 330 fresh); inventory OK via release-readiness. Implementing outside-scope private → __call dispatch.

[PurHur]

Merged #25683

Verification

Gate	Result
Repro Zend vs bin/vm.php	identical — outside private/protected → CALL_*; same-class/protected from child hit real methods
No __call	still Error: Call to private method A::hid() from global scope
phpunit --filter magic_call_private	OK 2/2 (VM+JIT)
phpunit --filter 'magic_call(static)?_private'	OK 4/4 (no regression vs #25670)
bootstrap-inventory.php --check	OK 6639/6639

php-src-strict: zend_std_get_method inaccessible → __call via VM::tryDispatchCall (mirrors #25670 static path).