What are the drawbacks of using file_put_contents() to store IP addresses for access control purposes?

Using file_put_contents() to store IP addresses for access control purposes can be problematic because it may not be the most secure method. Storing IP addresses in a plain text file can expose them to potential security risks such as unauthorized access or manipulation. To improve security, consider storing IP addresses in a database with proper encryption and access control mechanisms.

// Example of storing IP addresses in a MySQL database with PDO
$dsn = 'mysql:host=localhost;dbname=your_database';
$username = 'your_username';
$password = 'your_password';

try {
    $pdo = new PDO($dsn, $username, $password);
    $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);

    $ipAddress = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
    
    $stmt = $pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO ip_addresses (ip_address) VALUES (:ip)");
    $stmt->bindParam(':ip', $ipAddress);
    $stmt->execute();

    echo "IP address stored successfully.";

} catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
}