What potential issues can arise when using PHP for file uploads and data storage?

One potential issue when using PHP for file uploads and data storage is the risk of security vulnerabilities such as file injection attacks. To mitigate this risk, always validate and sanitize user input before processing it. Additionally, limit the file types that can be uploaded and store uploaded files outside of the web root directory to prevent direct access. 

// Validate and sanitize user input for file uploads
$allowed_file_types = array('jpg', 'jpeg', 'png');
$upload_folder = 'uploads/';

if(isset($_FILES['file']) && $_FILES['file']['error'] == UPLOAD_ERR_OK) {
    $file_extension = pathinfo($_FILES['file']['name'], PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
    
    if(in_array($file_extension, $allowed_file_types)) {
        $file_path = $upload_folder . basename($_FILES['file']['name']);
        move_uploaded_file($_FILES['file']['tmp_name'], $file_path);
        echo 'File uploaded successfully!';
    } else {
        echo 'Invalid file type. Only JPG, JPEG, and PNG files are allowed.';
    }
}

Keywords

file uploads data storage PHP security vulnerabilities file handling

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