What are the potential pitfalls of directly inserting values into SQL queries instead of using parameter markers in PHP?

Directly inserting values into SQL queries can make your application vulnerable to SQL injection attacks, where malicious users can manipulate the input to execute unauthorized SQL commands. To prevent this, it is recommended to use parameter markers in SQL queries when working with user input. Parameter markers separate the SQL logic from the data input, making it impossible for attackers to inject malicious code. Example PHP code snippet using parameter markers: 

// Connect to database
$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydatabase', 'username', 'password');

// Prepare SQL statement with parameter markers
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');

// Bind parameter values
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);

// Execute the query
$stmt->execute();

// Fetch results
$results = $stmt->fetchAll();

Keywords

SQL injection security vulnerability parameter markers prepared statements PDO.

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