How to Install IonCube Loader on CentOS 9

IonCube Loader helps you run PHP scripts that are encoded or protected. It’s often required for premium CMS plugins, billing systems, or encrypted applications. Below is a clean step-by-step setup for CentOS 9 users.

Step 1: Update System Packages

Always start by making sure your system is up to date:

sudo dnf update -y

Step 2: Install PHP and Required Extensions

If PHP isn’t installed yet, set it up using the default AppStream repository or Remi’s repo:

sudo dnf install php php-cli php-common php-devel php-pear -y

Check your PHP version:

php -v

You’ll need this number (like PHP 8.2) in the next steps.

Step 3: Download IonCube Loader

Go to /tmp and download the latest IonCube Loader package:

cd /tmp
sudo wget https://downloads.ioncube.com/loader_downloads/ioncube_loaders_lin_x86-64.tar.gz

Extract the archive:

sudo tar xvf ioncube_loaders_lin_x86-64.tar.gz

Step 4: Locate Your PHP Extension Directory

Find where PHP stores its extensions:

php -i | grep extension_dir

You’ll get something like:

/usr/lib64/php/modules

Copy the matching IonCube loader file for your PHP version:

sudo cp ioncube/ioncube_loader_lin_8.2.so /usr/lib64/php/modules/

(Adjust the version number to your PHP version.)

Step 5: Enable IonCube Loader in PHP Configuration

Open your main PHP configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/php.d/00-ioncube.ini

Add this line:

zend_extension = /usr/lib64/php/modules/ioncube_loader_lin_8.2.so

Save and close the file.

Step 6: Restart Web Server or PHP-FPM

Depending on your setup:

For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

For Nginx (with PHP-FPM):

sudo systemctl restart php-fpm

Step 7: Verify Installation

Check if IonCube Loader is active:

php -v

You should see something like:

with the ionCube PHP Loader (enabled) + Intrusion Protection from ioncube24.com

Optional Step: Cleanup Temporary Files

Free up space by deleting the downloaded files:

sudo rm -rf /tmp/ioncube*

Tip: When updating PHP in the future, make sure to copy the matching IonCube loader for the new version — older .so files won’t work.