How can one ensure security when passing file addresses in PHP forms?

When passing file addresses in PHP forms, it is important to ensure security to prevent potential vulnerabilities such as directory traversal attacks. One way to enhance security is by validating and sanitizing the file address input to ensure it points to a safe location within the server's file system. Additionally, restricting file access permissions and using server-side validation can further enhance security.

// Validate and sanitize file address input
$file_address = isset($_POST['file_address']) ? $_POST['file_address'] : '';
$validated_file_address = realpath('./uploads/' . basename($file_address));

// Check if the file address is within the uploads directory
if (strpos($validated_file_address, realpath('./uploads/')) !== 0) {
    die('Invalid file address.');
}

// Further security measures such as restricting file access permissions and server-side validation can be implemented here