What are the best practices for securing PHP code from potential vulnerabilities?

To secure PHP code from potential vulnerabilities, it is important to follow best practices such as input validation, using parameterized queries for database interactions, escaping output data, enabling error reporting, and keeping PHP and all related software up to date. Additionally, implementing secure coding practices, using frameworks like Laravel or Symfony, and regularly conducting security audits can help mitigate risks. 

// Example of input validation using filter_var
$email = $_POST['email'];
if (filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
    // Valid email address
} else {
    // Invalid email address
}

// Example of using parameterized queries with PDO for database interactions
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email');
$stmt->execute(['email' => $email]);
$user = $stmt->fetch();

// Example of escaping output data to prevent XSS attacks
echo htmlspecialchars($user['username'], ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');

Keywords

SQL injection Cross-site scripting Input validation Escaping output Secure coding practices

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