What are the potential pitfalls of defining constants in PHP files for security purposes?

Defining constants in PHP files for security purposes can potentially lead to security vulnerabilities if the file containing the constants is accessible to unauthorized users. To mitigate this risk, constants should be defined in a separate configuration file outside of the web root directory to prevent direct access. This way, sensitive information such as database credentials or API keys are not exposed to potential attackers. 

// config.php file outside of web root directory
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
define('DB_USER', 'username');
define('DB_PASS', 'password');
define('DB_NAME', 'database_name');

Keywords

constants PHP files security vulnerabilities sensitive information

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