How can PHP developers prevent session variable manipulation or overriding in their code?

Session variable manipulation or overriding can be prevented by using a session token or unique identifier for each session variable. This way, even if an attacker manages to manipulate one session variable, they won't be able to access others without the correct token. Additionally, developers should validate and sanitize all input data to prevent injection attacks. 

// Start the session
session_start();

// Generate a unique token for the session
$session_token = md5(uniqid(rand(), true));

// Store the token in the session
$_SESSION['session_token'] = $session_token;

// Validate input data before using it
$input_data = isset($_POST['input_data']) ? $_POST['input_data'] : '';
$input_data = filter_var($input_data, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);

// Use the session token to access session variables
if ($_SESSION['session_token'] === $session_token) {
    $_SESSION['user_data'] = $input_data;
}

Keywords

PHP session variables security validation encryption

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