Why is using the LIKE operator in a SELECT statement for login validation not recommended in PHP?

Using the LIKE operator in a SELECT statement for login validation is not recommended in PHP because it can make the application vulnerable to SQL injection attacks. It is better to use prepared statements with placeholders to prevent malicious users from manipulating the query. This approach also helps to improve the overall security of the application. 

// Using prepared statements with placeholders for login validation
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username AND password = :password");
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->bindParam(':password', $password);
$stmt->execute();

if($stmt->rowCount() > 0){
    // Login successful
} else {
    // Login failed
}

Keywords

LIKE operator SELECT statement login validation security vulnerability SQL injection

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