What are the potential pitfalls when using variables in the include function in PHP?

When using variables in the include function in PHP, it is important to be cautious of code injection vulnerabilities. To prevent this, always sanitize and validate user input before using it in the include function. Additionally, avoid using user input directly in the file path to include to prevent directory traversal attacks. 

// Sanitize and validate user input before including a file
$filename = filter_var($_GET['file'], FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
if (file_exists($filename . '.php')) {
    include $filename . '.php';
} else {
    echo 'File not found';
}

Keywords

include variables PHP scope security

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