How can developers detect and prevent unauthorized data manipulation by users using tools like Firebug in PHP applications?
Developers can prevent unauthorized data manipulation by users using tools like Firebug in PHP applications by implementing server-side validation and sanitization of user input. This involves checking and filtering user input before processing it to ensure it meets the expected format and does not contain any malicious code.
// Server-side validation and sanitization of user input
$input_data = $_POST['input_data']; // Assuming input data is received via POST method
// Validate and sanitize input data
$clean_input_data = filter_var($input_data, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
// Use the clean input data in your application logic
// For example, insert it into a database or perform other operations