What potential issues can arise when using preg_replace in the context of the given code?

Using preg_replace in the given code can lead to potential security vulnerabilities if the regular expression used is not properly sanitized. This can allow for code injection or other malicious activities. To solve this issue, it is important to carefully validate and sanitize the regular expression before using it in preg_replace.

// Sanitize the regular expression before using preg_replace
$pattern = "/[a-zA-Z0-9]+/";
$replacement = "replacement_text";
$sanitized_input = preg_replace($pattern, $replacement, $input);