phalcon/cphalcon · error · Phalcon\Image\Exceptions\ImageLoadFailed

Failed to create image from file {file}

Error message

Failed to create image from file {file}

What it means

The GD adapter constructor throws ImageLoadFailed($file) in two cases: the file exists but getimagesize() returns false (corrupt, truncated or not a real image), or the file does not exist AND no width+height were passed (those are required to create a blank canvas instead of loading a file).

Source

Thrown at phalcon/Image/Adapter/Gd.zep:89

    ) {
        var image, imageInfo;

        this->check();

        let this->file = file;
        let this->type = 0;

        if (true === this->phpFileExists(this->file)) {
            let this->realpath = (string) realpath(this->file);
            let imageInfo      = getimagesize(this->file);

            if (false !== imageInfo) {
                let this->width  = imageInfo[0];
                let this->height = imageInfo[1];
                let this->type   = imageInfo[2];
                let this->mime   = imageInfo["mime"];
            } else {
                throw new ImageLoadFailed(this->file);
            }

            switch (this->type) {
                case IMAGETYPE_GIF:
                    let image = imagecreatefromgif(this->file);
                    break;

                case IMAGETYPE_JPEG:
                case IMAGETYPE_JPEG2000:
                    let image = imagecreatefromjpeg(this->file);
                    break;

                case IMAGETYPE_PNG:
                    let image = imagecreatefrompng(this->file);
                    break;

                case IMAGETYPE_WEBP:
                    let image = imagecreatefromwebp(this->file);

View on GitHub (pinned to b7419de9cd)

Solutions

1. Verify before constructing: if (false === @getimagesize($path)) reject the upload with 400/415
2. For a blank canvas pass dimensions: new Gd('canvas', 800, 600); - width/height skip file loading
3. Catch ImageLoadFailed around adapter construction and surface a friendly error or request a re-upload

Example fix

// before
$image = new \Phalcon\Image\Adapter\Gd($tmpName); // corrupt upload -> throws

// after
if (!is_file($tmpName) || false === @getimagesize($tmpName)) {
    throw new \RuntimeException('Uploaded file is not a readable image');
}
$image = new \Phalcon\Image\Adapter\Gd($tmpName);

$path = '/uploads/' . $name;
if (!is_file($path) || false === @getimagesize($path)) {
    throw new \RuntimeException('Not a readable image: ' . $path);
}
$adapter = new \Phalcon\Image\Adapter\Gd($path);

function isReadableImage(string $path): bool
{
    return is_file($path) && false !== @getimagesize($path);
}

try { $image = new \Phalcon\Image\Adapter\Gd($path); } catch (\Phalcon\Image\Exceptions\ImageLoadFailed $e) { http_response_code(415); exit('Corrupt or unreadable image file');
}

When it happens

Trigger: new Gd('/tmp/upload123') on a zero-byte or corrupted upload; an SVG renamed to .jpg; a nonexistent path passed without the $width/$height constructor arguments.

Common situations: Processing user uploads without verification; temp files moved or deleted concurrently; files truncated by interrupted transfers or full disks; SVG uploads sneaking through extension checks.

Related errors

• Width and height must be specified
• Width must be specified
• Height must be specified
• Installed GD does not support {mime} images
• The color '{color}' is not a valid hex color

AI-assisted analysis of phalcon/cphalcon@b7419de9cd (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/216121d2dc266519. Report an issue: GitHub.