What potential pitfalls should be considered when allowing users to log in without proper authentication in PHP?

Allowing users to log in without proper authentication in PHP can lead to security vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access to sensitive information or unauthorized actions being taken on the system. To mitigate this risk, it is essential to implement proper authentication mechanisms, such as using strong password hashing algorithms and validating user credentials before granting access. 

// Example of implementing proper authentication in PHP

// Check if the user has submitted the login form
if(isset($_POST['login'])) {
    $username = $_POST['username'];
    $password = $_POST['password'];
    
    // Validate user credentials (this is a basic example, use secure methods in a production environment)
    if($username === 'admin' && $password === 'password123') {
        // Authentication successful, redirect user to the dashboard
        header('Location: dashboard.php');
        exit();
    } else {
        // Authentication failed, display error message
        echo 'Invalid username or password';
    }
}

Keywords

SQL injection session hijacking cross-site scripting password hashing secure authentication.

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