What are the security implications of directly executing PHP code retrieved from a database?

Executing PHP code retrieved from a database can pose a significant security risk as it opens up the possibility of code injection attacks. To mitigate this risk, it is recommended to avoid executing PHP code retrieved from a database directly and instead use alternative methods such as storing the code in files or using a templating engine. 

// Example of a safer approach: storing PHP code in files

// Retrieve PHP code from the database
$code = "echo 'Hello, World!';";

// Save the code to a file
file_put_contents('dynamic_code.php', $code);

// Include the file to execute the code
include 'dynamic_code.php';

Keywords

SQL injection eval function cross-site scripting code injection security vulnerability

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