User Input → [1. SANITIZE] → [2. VALIDATE] → Process → [3. ESCAPE] → Output

<!-- Attacker's malicious site: evil.com -->
<img src="https://yoursite.com/wp-admin/admin.php?action=delete_user&id=1">
<!-- If user is logged into yoursite.com, this executes! -->

<!-- Legitimate request with nonce -->
<form action="admin.php?action=delete_user&id=1" method="POST">
    <?php wp_nonce_field('delete_user_1', 'delete_nonce'); ?>
    <button>Delete User</button>
</form>

<!-- Attacker cannot generate valid nonce (tied to user session) -->

// Vulnerable form processing
if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {
    $user_id = absint($_POST['user_id']);
    delete_user($user_id); // ⚠️ CSRF vulnerable!
}

// Generate nonce in form
<form method="post" action="">
    <?php wp_nonce_field('delete_user_action', 'delete_user_nonce'); ?>
    <input type="hidden" name="user_id" value="42">
    <button type="submit" name="submit">Delete User</button>
</form>

// Verify nonce on submission
if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {
    // Security check #1: Verify nonce
    if (!isset($_POST['delete_user_nonce']) ||
        !wp_verify_nonce($_POST['delete_user_nonce'], 'delete_user_action')) {
        wp_die('Security check failed: Invalid nonce');
    }

    // Security check #2: Capability check
    if (!current_user_can('delete_users')) {
        wp_die('You do not have permission to delete users');
    }

    // Now safe to process
    $user_id = absint($_POST['user_id']);
    wp_delete_user($user_id);
}

// Generate nonce URL
$delete_url = wp_nonce_url(
    admin_url('admin.php?action=delete_post&post_id=123'),
    'delete_post_123',  // Action (must be unique)
    'delete_nonce'      // Query parameter name
);

echo '<a href="' . esc_url($delete_url) . '">Delete Post</a>';

// Verify nonce in handler
add_action('admin_action_delete_post', 'handle_delete_post');
function handle_delete_post() {
    // Verify nonce from URL
    if (!isset($_GET['delete_nonce']) ||
        !wp_verify_nonce($_GET['delete_nonce'], 'delete_post_123')) {
        wp_die('Invalid security token');
    }

    // Verify capability
    $post_id = absint($_GET['post_id']);
    if (!current_user_can('delete_post', $post_id)) {
        wp_die('You cannot delete this post');
    }

    // Delete post
    wp_delete_post($post_id, true); // true = force delete

    // Redirect with success message
    wp_redirect(add_query_arg('message', 'deleted', wp_get_referer()));
    exit;
}

// ⚠️ Vulnerable AJAX request
jQuery.post(ajaxurl, {
    action: 'update_user_meta',
    user_id: 42,
    meta_key: 'favorite_color',
    meta_value: 'blue'
}, function(response) {
    console.log(response);
});

add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'enqueue_ajax_script');
function enqueue_ajax_script() {
    wp_enqueue_script('my-ajax-script',
        plugin_dir_url(__FILE__) . 'js/ajax.js',
        ['jquery'],
        '1.0.0',
        true
    );

    // Pass nonce and AJAX URL to JavaScript
    wp_localize_script('my-ajax-script', 'myAjax', [
        'ajaxurl' => admin_url('admin-ajax.php'),
        'nonce' => wp_create_nonce('my_ajax_nonce'), // Generate nonce
    ]);
}

// AJAX handler with nonce verification
add_action('wp_ajax_update_user_meta', 'handle_ajax_update');
function handle_ajax_update() {
    // Verify nonce
    check_ajax_referer('my_ajax_nonce', 'nonce');

    // Verify capability
    if (!current_user_can('edit_users')) {
        wp_send_json_error(['message' => 'Permission denied']);
    }

    // Sanitize input
    $user_id = absint($_POST['user_id']);
    $meta_key = sanitize_key($_POST['meta_key']);
    $meta_value = sanitize_text_field($_POST['meta_value']);

    // Update meta
    update_user_meta($user_id, $meta_key, $meta_value);

    wp_send_json_success(['message' => 'Updated successfully']);
}

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
    $('#update-button').on('click', function() {
        $.post(myAjax.ajaxurl, {
            action: 'update_user_meta',
            nonce: myAjax.nonce,  // Include nonce
            user_id: 42,
            meta_key: 'favorite_color',
            meta_value: 'blue'
        }, function(response) {
            if (response.success) {
                console.log(response.data.message);
            } else {
                console.error(response.data.message);
            }
        });
    });
});

// Single-line text (removes HTML, line breaks, extra whitespace)
$username = sanitize_text_field($_POST['username']);
// Input: "  John <b>Doe</b>\n"
// Output: "John Doe"

// Multi-line text (preserves line breaks, removes HTML)
$bio = sanitize_textarea_field($_POST['bio']);
// Input: "Line 1\nLine 2<script>alert('xss')</script>"
// Output: "Line 1\nLine 2alert('xss')"

// Email (validates format and removes invalid characters)
$email = sanitize_email($_POST['email']);
// Input: "user@EXAMPLE.com <script>"
// Output: "user@example.com"

// URL (removes dangerous protocols)
$website = esc_url_raw($_POST['website']);
// Input: "javascript:alert('xss')"
// Output: "" (blocked protocol)
// Input: "http://example.com"
// Output: "http://example.com"

// Positive integers only (absolute value)
$post_id = absint($_POST['post_id']);
// Input: "-5", "42", "123abc"
// Output: 5, 42, 123

// Any integer (preserves negative)
$temperature = intval($_POST['temperature']);
// Input: "-5", "42.7", "99abc"
// Output: -5, 42, 99

// Floating-point numbers
$price = floatval($_POST['price']);
// Input: "19.99", "20.5abc"
// Output: 19.99, 20.5

$content = wp_kses_post($_POST['content']);
// Allows: <p>, <a>, <strong>, <em>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>, <blockquote>, <img>, etc.
// Blocks: <script>, <iframe>, <object>, <embed>, <form>

// Input: "<p>Safe content</p><script>alert('xss')</script>"
// Output: "<p>Safe content</p>alert('xss')"

// Define allowed tags and attributes
$allowed_html = [
    'a' => [
        'href' => true,
        'title' => true,
        'target' => true,
    ],
    'strong' => [],
    'em' => [],
    'br' => [],
];

$clean_html = wp_kses($_POST['content'], $allowed_html);

// Input: "<a href='#' onclick='alert(1)'>Link</a><script>Bad</script>"
// Output: "<a href='#'>Link</a>Bad" (onclick removed, script stripped)

$plain_text = wp_strip_all_tags($_POST['content']);
// Input: "<p>Hello <b>World</b></p>"
// Output: "Hello World"

// Sanitize filename (removes path traversal, special characters)
$safe_filename = sanitize_file_name($_FILES['upload']['name']);
// Input: "../../etc/passwd", "my file!.php"
// Output: "..etcpasswd", "my-file.php"

// Complete file upload example
if (isset($_FILES['user_avatar'])) {
    // Verify nonce first!
    if (!wp_verify_nonce($_POST['upload_nonce'], 'upload_avatar')) {
        wp_die('Security check failed');
    }

    // Sanitize filename
    $filename = sanitize_file_name($_FILES['user_avatar']['name']);

    // Validate file type
    $allowed_types = ['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/gif'];
    $file_type = $_FILES['user_avatar']['type'];

    if (!in_array($file_type, $allowed_types)) {
        wp_die('Invalid file type. Only JPG, PNG, GIF allowed.');
    }

    // Use WordPress upload handler (handles security)
    $upload = wp_handle_upload($_FILES['user_avatar'], [
        'test_form' => false,
        'mimes' => [
            'jpg|jpeg' => 'image/jpeg',
            'png' => 'image/png',
            'gif' => 'image/gif',
        ],
    ]);

    if (isset($upload['error'])) {
        wp_die('Upload failed: ' . $upload['error']);
    }

    // Store uploaded file URL
    $avatar_url = $upload['url'];
    update_user_meta(get_current_user_id(), 'avatar_url', $avatar_url);
}

// Sanitize array of text fields
$tags = array_map('sanitize_text_field', $_POST['tags']);
// Input: ['tag1', '<script>tag2</script>', 'tag3']
// Output: ['tag1', 'tag2', 'tag3']

// Sanitize array of integers
$ids = array_map('absint', $_POST['post_ids']);
// Input: ['1', '2abc', '-5']
// Output: [1, 2, 5]

// Sanitize array of emails
$emails = array_map('sanitize_email', $_POST['email_list']);

// Register setting with sanitization callback
register_setting('my_plugin_options', 'my_plugin_settings', [
    'type' => 'array',
    'sanitize_callback' => 'my_plugin_sanitize_settings',
]);

function my_plugin_sanitize_settings($input) {
    $sanitized = [];

    // Sanitize API key (alphanumeric only)
    if (isset($input['api_key'])) {
        $sanitized['api_key'] = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/', '', $input['api_key']);
    }

    // Sanitize boolean checkbox
    $sanitized['enable_feature'] = isset($input['enable_feature']) ? 1 : 0;

    // Sanitize color (hex format)
    if (isset($input['primary_color'])) {
        $color = sanitize_hex_color($input['primary_color']);
        $sanitized['primary_color'] = $color ? $color : '#000000';
    }

    // Sanitize select option (whitelist)
    $allowed_modes = ['mode1', 'mode2', 'mode3'];
    if (isset($input['mode']) && in_array($input['mode'], $allowed_modes)) {
        $sanitized['mode'] = $input['mode'];
    } else {
        $sanitized['mode'] = 'mode1'; // Default
    }

    return $sanitized;
}

$email = sanitize_email($_POST['email']);

// Validate format
if (!is_email($email)) {
    $errors[] = 'Invalid email address format';
}

// Validate uniqueness (for registration)
if (email_exists($email)) {
    $errors[] = 'Email address already registered';
}

$age = absint($_POST['age']);

// Validate range
if ($age < 18 || $age > 100) {
    $errors[] = 'Age must be between 18 and 100';
}

// Validate positive number
if ($quantity <= 0) {
    $errors[] = 'Quantity must be greater than zero';
}

$username = sanitize_text_field($_POST['username']);

// Validate minimum length
if (strlen($username) < 3) {
    $errors[] = 'Username must be at least 3 characters';
}

// Validate maximum length
if (strlen($username) > 20) {
    $errors[] = 'Username cannot exceed 20 characters';
}

// Check if field exists and is not empty
if (empty($_POST['title']) || trim($_POST['title']) === '') {
    $errors[] = 'Title is required';
}

// Alternative: isset() + non-empty check
if (!isset($_POST['terms']) || $_POST['terms'] !== 'accepted') {
    $errors[] = 'You must accept the terms and conditions';
}

$phone = sanitize_text_field($_POST['phone']);

// Validate phone format (US format: (555) 123-4567)
if (!preg_match('/^\(\d{3}\) \d{3}-\d{4}$/', $phone)) {
    $errors[] = 'Phone must be in format: (555) 123-4567';
}

// Validate alphanumeric only
$product_code = sanitize_text_field($_POST['product_code']);
if (!preg_match('/^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$/', $product_code)) {
    $errors[] = 'Product code must contain only letters and numbers';
}

function validate_registration_form($data) {
    $errors = [];

    // Email validation
    $email = sanitize_email($data['email']);
    if (!is_email($email)) {
        $errors['email'] = 'Invalid email address';
    } elseif (email_exists($email)) {
        $errors['email'] = 'Email already registered';
    }

    // Username validation
    $username = sanitize_text_field($data['username']);
    if (strlen($username) < 3) {
        $errors['username'] = 'Username too short (minimum 3 characters)';
    } elseif (username_exists($username)) {
        $errors['username'] = 'Username already taken';
    }

    // Password validation
    if (strlen($data['password']) < 8) {
        $errors['password'] = 'Password must be at least 8 characters';
    }

    // Password confirmation
    if ($data['password'] !== $data['password_confirm']) {
        $errors['password_confirm'] = 'Passwords do not match';
    }

    // Age validation
    $age = absint($data['age']);
    if ($age < 18) {
        $errors['age'] = 'You must be 18 or older to register';
    }

    return empty($errors) ? true : $errors;
}

// Usage
$result = validate_registration_form($_POST);
if ($result === true) {
    // Process registration
} else {
    // Display errors
    foreach ($result as $field => $error) {
        echo "<p class='error'>$error</p>";
    }
}

// Validate URL is from allowed domain
function validate_allowed_domain($url) {
    $allowed_domains = ['example.com', 'wordpress.org'];
    $host = parse_url($url, PHP_URL_HOST);

    return in_array($host, $allowed_domains);
}

// Validate date format and range
function validate_date($date_string) {
    $date = DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d', $date_string);

    if (!$date) {
        return false; // Invalid format
    }

    // Check date is not in the past
    $now = new DateTime();
    if ($date < $now) {
        return false;
    }

    return true;
}

// Validate credit card (Luhn algorithm)
function validate_credit_card($number) {
    $number = preg_replace('/\D/', '', $number); // Remove non-digits

    if (strlen($number) < 13 || strlen($number) > 19) {
        return false;
    }

    $sum = 0;
    $double = false;

    for ($i = strlen($number) - 1; $i >= 0; $i--) {
        $digit = (int) $number[$i];

        if ($double) {
            $digit *= 2;
            if ($digit > 9) {
                $digit -= 9;
            }
        }

        $sum += $digit;
        $double = !$double;
    }

    return ($sum % 10) === 0;
}