Cursor Security

Cursor Security Scanner

Building with Cursor AI? Make sure the code it helps you write is secure. We find vulnerabilities in AI-assisted applications.

Our automated security scanner analyzes your Cursor application for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposed secrets. Get a comprehensive security report in minutes, not days.

Cursor-Assisted Code Considerations

Cursor makes development fast, but AI-generated code often skips security best practices:

  • !AI suggestions may include insecure code patterns
  • !Secrets might be suggested in plaintext
  • !Generated code may skip input validation
  • !Security best practices may be overlooked for speed

Understanding Cursor Security Challenges

Cursor has revolutionized how developers build web applications, enabling rapid prototyping and deployment through AI-assisted code generation. However, this speed comes with inherent security tradeoffs that every developer needs to understand before launching to production.

When AI generates code, it optimizes for functionality and developer experience rather than security hardening. The generated code typically works correctly but may lack the defensive measures that experienced security engineers would implement. This creates a gap between "working software" and "secure software" that attackers actively exploit.

Research from institutions like Stanford and security firms like Escape.tech has documented that approximately 80% of AI-generated applications contain at least one security vulnerability. Common issues include exposed API credentials, missing authentication checks, improper data validation, and misconfigured database permissions.

The Cursor platform specifically presents unique challenges because of how it handles backend services, environment variables, and database connections. Understanding these platform-specific risks is the first step toward building secure applications.

Frontend Security Risks

Cursor applications often bundle sensitive configuration into client-side JavaScript. This includes API keys, service URLs, and sometimes authentication tokens. Attackers can extract these by simply viewing your application's source code in browser developer tools, potentially gaining access to your backend services.

Backend Security Risks

Database configurations generated by Cursor frequently lack proper access controls. Without Row Level Security (RLS) policies or equivalent protections, authenticated users may access other users' data. API endpoints may also lack rate limiting, input validation, or proper authorization checks.

What We Check

Secret Detection

Scans your codebase for any API keys, tokens, or credentials that should be in environment variables.

Code Security

Analyzes code patterns for common vulnerabilities like injection, XSS, and insecure dependencies.

Database Security

Tests your database configuration for proper access controls and security policies.

Security Headers

Verifies your deployed application has proper HTTP security headers configured.

What You'll Get

Complete security audit report
Exposed secrets detection
Code vulnerability analysis
Database security check
Security headers review
Remediation guidance
AI-ready markdown export
Re-scan after fixes

Why Cursor Apps Need Security Scanning

Cursor is a powerful AI-powered code editor that dramatically speeds up development by providing intelligent code suggestions and completions. However, AI assistants optimize for functionality and developer productivity, which can sometimes mean security best practices take a back seat.

When Cursor helps you write code quickly, it's easy to accept suggestions that work but may have security implications. API keys might end up in source files, input validation might be skipped, and security configurations might be deferred for 'later' and forgotten.

VAS scans your deployed application to catch the security issues that can slip through during rapid AI-assisted development. We check for exposed secrets, analyze your security configuration, and verify that your database and authentication are properly secured.

How Cursor Security Scanning Works

1

Submit Your URL

Enter your Cursor application URL. Our scanner automatically detects your tech stack and configures the appropriate security checks for Cursor.

2

Automated Analysis

We scan for exposed secrets, security headers, authentication issues, database misconfigurations, and Cursor-specific vulnerabilities. The scan typically completes in 15-20 minutes.

3

Get Actionable Results

Receive a detailed report with prioritized vulnerabilities, severity ratings, and step-by-step remediation guidance with code examples specific to Cursor.

Common Questions About Cursor Security

What vulnerabilities are most common in Cursor apps?

The most frequent issues we find include exposed API keys in frontend code, missing or misconfigured authentication, insecure database access patterns, and missing security headers. These often result from AI-generated code that prioritizes functionality over security.

How long does a security scan take?

Most Cursor application scans complete within 15-20 minutes. Larger applications with many pages may take slightly longer. You'll receive an email notification when your scan is ready.

Will the scan affect my production app?

Our scanner uses non-invasive techniques and won't modify your application or data. We analyze your publicly accessible endpoints, check security configurations, and look for exposed secrets without performing destructive tests.

Security Best Practices for Cursor

While our scanner identifies vulnerabilities automatically, understanding security best practices helps you build more secure applications from the start. Here are the essential security measures every Cursor developer should implement:

Environment Variable Management

Never hardcode API keys, database credentials, or other secrets directly in your code. Use environment variables for all sensitive configuration and ensure they're properly excluded from version control. In Cursor, verify that secrets are stored server-side and not exposed in client bundles.

Regularly rotate your API keys and credentials. If you discover an exposed key, revoke it immediately and generate a new one. Monitor your third-party service dashboards for unusual activity that might indicate compromised credentials.

Database Security Configuration

If your Cursor application uses Supabase, enable Row Level Security (RLS) on every table containing user data. Create specific policies that restrict data access based on user identity. Test your policies by attempting to access data as different users.

For Firebase applications, configure Security Rules to validate all read and write operations. Avoid using open rules like "allow read, write: if true" even during development. Implement authentication requirements and ownership checks for all sensitive data operations.

HTTP Security Headers

Configure essential security headers including Content-Security-Policy (CSP), Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS), X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options. These headers protect against common attacks like cross-site scripting (XSS), clickjacking, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Most Cursor deployments support custom headers through configuration files or hosting platform settings. A proper CSP policy alone can prevent the majority of XSS vulnerabilities by controlling which scripts can execute on your pages.

Regular Security Testing

Security is not a one-time task. Run security scans before every major deployment and after adding new features. AI code generation often introduces new vulnerabilities when you prompt it for additional functionality, so continuous testing is essential.

Establish a security testing routine: scan during development, before staging deployments, and before production releases. Address critical and high-severity findings immediately, and track medium and low severity issues for systematic remediation.

Secure Your Cursor App

Don't let vulnerabilities compromise your hard work. Security issues in Cursor applications can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and damaged user trust. The average data breach costs startups between $120,000 and $1.24 million.

Run a Starter Scan in minutes — just $5. Scan before you launch and deploy with confidence knowing your application meets security best practices.

Get Starter Scan