What potential pitfalls should be avoided when using session variables in PHP scripts?

One potential pitfall when using session variables in PHP scripts is not properly sanitizing user input before storing it in a session variable. This can lead to security vulnerabilities such as session hijacking or injection attacks. To avoid this, always validate and sanitize user input before setting it in a session variable.

// Sanitize user input before storing it in a session variable
$user_input = filter_var($_POST['user_input'], FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
$_SESSION['user_input'] = $user_input;