 security of php php is a popular target of hackers who exploit vulnerable applications written in php software vulnerabilities related to php are identified among the cve common vulnerabilities and exposures  records available from the national vulnerability database  the proportion of vulnerabilities related to php out of the total of all common vulnerabilities amounted to 12 in 2003 20 in 2004 28 in 2005 43 in 2006 36 in 2007 and 338 for the first quarter of 2008 more than a quarter of all software vulnerabilities listed in this database are related to php and more than a third of vulnerabilities listed recently most of these vulnerabilities can be exploited remotely that is without being logged on the computer hosting the vulnerable application  28  such exploitation is made possible due to poor programming habits such as failing to check data before entering it into a database and features of the language such as registerglobals which is now deprecated  22  these result in code injection   crosssite scripting and other application security issues it s important to note that none of these attacks are exclusive to php and all are avoidable by following proper coding techniques and principles  