What are the potential pitfalls of using hidden inputs in PHP forms for passing data, and how can they be avoided?

One potential pitfall of using hidden inputs in PHP forms for passing data is that they can easily be manipulated by users, leading to security vulnerabilities such as data tampering or injection attacks. To avoid this, sensitive data should never be passed through hidden inputs. Instead, consider using sessions or server-side validation to securely handle form data.

// Example of securely handling form data without using hidden inputs
session_start();

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    $username = $_POST["username"];
    $password = $_POST["password"];

    // Validate and process the form data securely
}