Are there any potential pitfalls to be aware of when implementing a collapsible directory tree in PHP?

One potential pitfall to be aware of when implementing a collapsible directory tree in PHP is the risk of exposing sensitive file paths or directories to users. To mitigate this risk, it is important to sanitize user input and validate file paths before displaying them in the directory tree.

// Sanitize and validate user input before displaying in the directory tree
$userInput = $_GET['directory'];

// Validate user input to prevent directory traversal attacks
$directory = realpath('path/to/root/directory/' . $userInput);

if (strpos($directory, 'path/to/root/directory/') !== 0) {
    die('Invalid directory path');
}

// Display the directory tree
// Implement your directory tree display logic here