How can SQL injection vulnerabilities be prevented when interacting with a database in PHP?

SQL injection vulnerabilities can be prevented in PHP by using prepared statements with parameterized queries. This method separates the SQL query from the user input, making it impossible for attackers to inject malicious code into the query.

// Establish a connection to the database
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=database_name', 'username', 'password');

// Prepare a SQL statement with a parameterized query
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');

// Bind the user input to the parameter
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $_POST['username']);

// Execute the query
$stmt->execute();

// Fetch the results
$results = $stmt->fetchAll();