In PHP applications, what mechanisms can be implemented to detect and handle unauthorized data modification attempts by users?

To detect and handle unauthorized data modification attempts by users in PHP applications, developers can implement mechanisms such as input validation, authorization checks, and using prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks. By validating user input, checking user permissions, and sanitizing data before interacting with the database, developers can reduce the risk of unauthorized data modifications.

// Example of input validation and authorization check in PHP
$user_id = $_POST['user_id'];
$new_data = $_POST['new_data'];

// Check if user has permission to modify data
if($user_has_permission) {
    // Validate input data
    if(!empty($user_id) && !empty($new_data)) {
        // Sanitize input data
        $user_id = filter_var($user_id, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
        $new_data = filter_var($new_data, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
        
        // Proceed with updating data in the database
        // Example: $query = "UPDATE table SET data = '$new_data' WHERE user_id = '$user_id'";
    } else {
        // Handle invalid input data
        echo "Invalid input data";
    }
} else {
    // Handle unauthorized access
    echo "Unauthorized access";
}