What are the potential security implications of using PHP to access network interface information?

When using PHP to access network interface information, there is a potential security risk of exposing sensitive network details to unauthorized users. To mitigate this risk, it is important to properly sanitize input and validate user permissions before retrieving network interface data in PHP.

<?php
// Check if user has necessary permissions before accessing network interface information
if (check_user_permissions()) {
    // Retrieve network interface information securely
    $network_info = shell_exec('ifconfig');
    echo $network_info;
} else {
    echo "You do not have permission to access network interface information.";
}

function check_user_permissions() {
    // Add your logic here to check user permissions
    return true; // Return true if user has necessary permissions
}
?>