So you have a large PHP deployment that is (still? - this is 2008!) using register_globals. How do you test individual pieces of the site without being able to change the ini variable via .htaccess? Try this code out:
<?phpif (ini_get('register_globals')){ $__sgs = array('_ENV', '_GET', '_POST', '_COOKIE', '_SERVER'); foreach ($__sgs as $__sg) { $__k = array_keys(${$__sg}); foreach($__k as $__v) { if (isset($$__v) && ${$__sg}[$__v] === $$__v) { unset($$__v); } // end if superglobal var = local var } // end foreach superglobal key } // end foreach superglobal} // end if register_globals?>