What are the potential drawbacks of using session variables to prevent spam in online forms?

Using session variables to prevent spam in online forms can lead to issues with scalability and performance. Storing session data on the server can consume resources and slow down the application, especially as the number of users increases. Additionally, session variables can be unreliable if the user's session expires or if they have cookies disabled. 

<?php
session_start();

// Generate a random token and store it in a session variable
$token = bin2hex(random_bytes(16));
$_SESSION['spam_token'] = $token;

// Add the token to the form as a hidden input field
echo '<input type="hidden" name="spam_token" value="' . $token . '">';
?>

Keywords

session variables spam prevention online forms drawbacks security vulnerabilities

Related Questions