What are the potential pitfalls of not properly validating GET parameters in PHP?

Not properly validating GET parameters in PHP can lead to security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other forms of attacks. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to sanitize and validate all user input, including GET parameters, before using them in your application.

// Example of validating and sanitizing a GET parameter
$userId = isset($_GET['user_id']) ? filter_var($_GET['user_id'], FILTER_VALIDATE_INT) : null;

if ($userId === null) {
    // Handle invalid input
    die("Invalid user ID");
}

// Use the sanitized $userId in your application