When manipulating query strings in PHP, what are the potential pitfalls to be aware of?

When manipulating query strings in PHP, it is important to be aware of potential security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection attacks. To prevent this, always sanitize and validate user input before using it in a query. Additionally, be cautious when dynamically constructing queries to avoid unintentional errors or exposure of sensitive information.

// Sanitize and validate user input before using it in a query
$userInput = $_GET['input'];
$filteredInput = filter_var($userInput, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);

// Dynamically constructing queries with caution
$query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = '" . $filteredInput . "'";