What are the potential security risks of trying to access user passwords in a guestbook application using PHP?

Attempting to access user passwords in a guestbook application using PHP can pose a significant security risk as it exposes sensitive user information. To mitigate this risk, passwords should be securely hashed before storing them in the database. Additionally, access to user passwords should be restricted and only accessible to authorized personnel for authentication purposes. 

// Hashing user password before storing it in the database
$password = $_POST['password'];
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// Storing hashed password in the database
$query = "INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('$username', '$hashed_password')";

Keywords

SQL injection password hashing cross-site scripting encryption authentication.

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