What is the purpose of using stripslashes() in PHP and what potential issues can arise from its usage?

The purpose of using stripslashes() in PHP is to remove backslashes from a string. This is commonly used when dealing with data that has been escaped, such as data retrieved from a form submission. However, using stripslashes() can potentially lead to security vulnerabilities, as it can allow certain characters to be injected into the data. It is important to use stripslashes() carefully and in conjunction with other security measures to prevent such issues.

// Example of using stripslashes() with additional security measures
$unsafe_data = $_POST['input_data'];
$clean_data = htmlspecialchars(stripslashes($unsafe_data));