What are the potential drawbacks of using server variables to determine which database to use for different users in a PHP application?

Using server variables to determine which database to use for different users in a PHP application can lead to security vulnerabilities if the variables can be manipulated by users. It is recommended to use a more secure method, such as storing this information in a secure database or configuration file that is not accessible to users. 

// Example of storing database information in a configuration file

// config.php
return [
    'database' => [
        'host' => 'localhost',
        'username' => 'root',
        'password' => 'password',
        'dbname' => 'database1'
    ]
];

// index.php
$config = require 'config.php';

$databaseHost = $config['database']['host'];
$databaseUsername = $config['database']['username'];
$databasePassword = $config['database']['password'];
$databaseName = $config['database']['dbname'];

// Use the database connection information as needed

Keywords

server variables database selection user-specific PHP application drawbacks

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