Are there any potential security pitfalls to be aware of when implementing file export functionality in PHP?

One potential security pitfall when implementing file export functionality in PHP is the risk of allowing users to access sensitive files on the server. To prevent this, it is important to validate the file path and ensure that only authorized users can access the exported files. Additionally, it is recommended to sanitize user input to prevent any malicious code injection. 

<?php
// Validate file path
$filepath = '/path/to/exported/file.csv';
if (strpos($filepath, '/path/to/exported/') !== 0) {
    die('Invalid file path');
}

// Check user authorization
if (!userIsAuthorized()) {
    die('Unauthorized access');
}

// Sanitize user input
$filename = filter_var($_GET['filename'], FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);

// Export file
header('Content-Type: text/csv');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . $filename . '"');
readfile($filepath);
exit;

function userIsAuthorized() {
    // Add your authorization logic here
}
?>

Keywords

file export security PHP vulnerabilities data leakage

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