In what scenarios would it be appropriate to use file_get_contents() in PHP, and what precautions should be taken to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive files?

When using file_get_contents() in PHP, it is appropriate to fetch content from publicly accessible URLs or files that do not contain sensitive information. To prevent unauthorized access to sensitive files, it is important to ensure that the file paths are properly sanitized and validated before using file_get_contents(). 

$file_path = '/path/to/sensitive/file.txt';

// Check if the file path is allowed
if (strpos($file_path, '/path/to/sensitive/') !== 0) {
    die('Access denied');
}

$file_content = file_get_contents($file_path);
// Process the file content here

Keywords

file_get_contents PHP scenarios unauthorized access sensitive files

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