How can PHP developers securely handle user permissions and access control when using $_SESSION variables?

PHP developers can securely handle user permissions and access control when using $_SESSION variables by properly validating and sanitizing user inputs, storing sensitive data in server-side sessions, and implementing role-based access control (RBAC) to restrict user permissions. It is crucial to validate user permissions on each page request to ensure that users only have access to authorized resources.

// Validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive data
session_start();

if(isset($_SESSION['user_role']) && $_SESSION['user_role'] == 'admin'){
    // Allow access to admin-only content
} else {
    // Redirect unauthorized users to a different page
    header("Location: unauthorized.php");
    exit();
}