What are some common pitfalls to avoid when implementing cookie functionality in PHP for user authentication?

One common pitfall to avoid when implementing cookie functionality in PHP for user authentication is not properly securing the cookie data. It is important to encrypt sensitive information stored in cookies to prevent tampering or unauthorized access. Additionally, setting an expiration time for the cookie can help enhance security and prevent potential attacks. 

// Encrypt sensitive information before storing it in a cookie
$encryptedData = openssl_encrypt($userData, 'AES-256-CBC', 'secret_key', 0, '16charsofiv');

setcookie('auth_cookie', $encryptedData, time() + 3600, '/', 'example.com', true, true);

Keywords

cookie PHP user authentication security session hijacking

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