Are there alternative methods to shell_exec for executing system commands in PHP?

Using shell_exec to execute system commands in PHP can pose security risks if not handled properly, as it allows for arbitrary commands to be executed on the server. To mitigate this risk, it is recommended to use alternative methods such as the exec() function, which allows for more control over the command being executed.

// Using exec() function to execute system commands in PHP
$output = array();
exec('ls -la', $output);
foreach ($output as $line) {
    echo $line . "\n";
}