What are the potential pitfalls of implementing a PHP script for user deletion in a forum environment?

One potential pitfall of implementing a PHP script for user deletion in a forum environment is the lack of proper validation and security measures, which could lead to unauthorized users being able to delete accounts. To mitigate this risk, it is crucial to implement user authentication and authorization checks before allowing account deletion. 

// Check if the user is logged in and has the necessary permissions before allowing account deletion
session_start();

if(isset($_SESSION['user_id']) && $_SESSION['user_role'] == 'admin'){
    // Proceed with account deletion process
    $user_id = $_GET['user_id'];

    // Code to delete user account from the database
} else {
    // Redirect the user to a different page or display an error message
    echo "Unauthorized access";
}

Keywords

SQL injection data validation user authentication error handling forum software integration

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