What are the drawbacks of relying on the PHP_SELF variable for form actions, and what alternative approach can be used for improved security?

Relying on the PHP_SELF variable for form actions can pose a security risk as it can be manipulated by malicious users to inject harmful code or perform cross-site scripting attacks. To improve security, it is recommended to use htmlspecialchars() function to sanitize user input and prevent such attacks. 

<form action="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]); ?>" method="post">
  // form elements here
</form>

Keywords

PHP_SELF variable form actions security alternative approach improved security

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