How does the open_basedir setting in PHP affect symlink usage and what are the implications?

The open_basedir setting in PHP restricts the files that PHP can access to a specific directory or directories. This setting can affect symlink usage because symbolic links can potentially bypass the restrictions set by open_basedir, leading to security vulnerabilities. To prevent this, it's important to disable symlink following when open_basedir is in use.

// Disable symlink following when open_basedir is in use
ini_set('open_basedir', '/path/to/allowed/directory');
ini_set('safe_mode', 'On');