Is using sessions a recommended method for verifying user rights in PHP applications?

Using sessions is a common and recommended method for verifying user rights in PHP applications. By storing user permissions or roles in session variables upon login, you can easily check if a user has the necessary rights to access certain parts of your application.

// Start the session
session_start();

// Assume user permissions are set upon login
$_SESSION['user_permissions'] = 'admin';

// Check if user has admin rights
if ($_SESSION['user_permissions'] == 'admin') {
    // User has admin rights, allow access
    echo "You have admin rights!";
} else {
    // User does not have admin rights, deny access
    echo "Access denied!";
}