How to Secure Your Cursor-Built App
Cursor is a powerful AI code editor that generates code rapidly. However, AI-generated code can introduce security vulnerabilities including hardcoded secrets, missing input validation, and insecure defaults. This guide helps you audit and secure any application built with Cursor.
Find security issues automatically before attackers do.
Follow These Steps
Scan for hardcoded secrets in generated code
Cursor may generate code with placeholder or real API keys inline. Use a secret scanning tool to find any hardcoded credentials before they reach production.
# Install and run gitleaks
npx gitleaks detect --source . --verbose
# Or search manually
grep -rn "sk-" . --include="*.ts" --include="*.js"
grep -rn "password" . --include="*.ts" --include="*.env"Set up a pre-commit hook with gitleaks to prevent secrets from being committed in the future.
Set up environment variable management
Create a proper environment variable structure. Use .env.local for development and configure your hosting platform for production secrets.
// lib/env.ts - Type-safe environment variables
import { z } from 'zod'
const envSchema = z.object({
DATABASE_URL: z.string().url(),
OPENAI_API_KEY: z.string().startsWith('sk-'),
NEXTAUTH_SECRET: z.string().min(32),
NEXTAUTH_URL: z.string().url()
})
export const env = envSchema.parse(process.env)Review AI-generated authentication code
Cursor often generates basic auth that lacks important security features. Check for proper password hashing, session management, and CSRF protection.
// Verify password hashing uses bcrypt with proper rounds
import bcrypt from 'bcrypt'
const SALT_ROUNDS = 12 // Minimum 10, recommended 12
export async function hashPassword(password: string): Promise<string> {
return bcrypt.hash(password, SALT_ROUNDS)
}
export async function verifyPassword(password: string, hash: string): Promise<boolean> {
return bcrypt.compare(password, hash)
}Add input validation to all API routes
AI-generated API routes often skip input validation. Add Zod schemas to every endpoint that accepts user input.
import { z } from 'zod'
const CreatePostSchema = z.object({
title: z.string().min(1).max(200).trim(),
content: z.string().min(1).max(50000),
published: z.boolean().default(false)
})
export async function POST(req: Request) {
const body = await req.json()
const parsed = CreatePostSchema.safeParse(body)
if (!parsed.success) {
return Response.json({ errors: parsed.error.flatten() }, { status: 400 })
}
// Use parsed.data which is typed and validated
}Configure security headers
Add comprehensive security headers to protect against XSS, clickjacking, MIME sniffing, and other browser-based attacks.
// middleware.ts (Next.js)
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'
export function middleware(request: Request) {
const response = NextResponse.next()
response.headers.set('X-Content-Type-Options', 'nosniff')
response.headers.set('X-Frame-Options', 'DENY')
response.headers.set('Referrer-Policy', 'strict-origin-when-cross-origin')
response.headers.set('Permissions-Policy', 'camera=(), microphone=(), geolocation=()')
return response
}Secure database queries against injection
Verify that all database queries use parameterized statements. Cursor sometimes generates string concatenation for queries.
// BAD - Generated by AI without parameterization
const user = await db.query(`SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = '${email}'`)
// GOOD - Parameterized query
const user = await db.query('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = $1', [email])
// BEST - Using an ORM like Drizzle
const user = await db.select().from(users).where(eq(users.email, email))Implement proper error handling
AI-generated code often exposes stack traces and internal errors to users. Add error boundaries and sanitize error responses.
// Global error handler for API routes
export function handleApiError(error: unknown) {
console.error('API Error:', error) // Log full error server-side
// Return sanitized error to client
if (error instanceof z.ZodError) {
return Response.json({ error: 'Invalid input' }, { status: 400 })
}
return Response.json({ error: 'Internal server error' }, { status: 500 })
}Never return raw error messages, stack traces, or database errors to the client in production.
Run automated security scanning
Use VAS to scan your deployed application for security issues. It catches common vulnerabilities that are easy to miss in AI-generated code.
Make scanning part of your CI/CD pipeline to catch issues before they reach production.
What You'll Achieve
Your Cursor-built application now has secrets properly managed, input validation on all endpoints, secure database queries, proper error handling, and security headers. The code has been reviewed for the most common AI-generated security antipatterns.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake
Trusting AI-generated auth code without review
Fix
Always review authentication and authorization code manually. Check for proper password hashing, session expiry, and CSRF protection.
Mistake
Using string interpolation in database queries
Fix
Replace all string-interpolated queries with parameterized queries or use an ORM that handles this automatically.
Mistake
Exposing detailed error messages in production
Fix
Log full errors server-side but return generic messages to clients. Use error codes instead of error messages for client handling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cursor-generated code secure?
Not automatically. Cursor generates functional code but may skip security best practices like input validation, parameterized queries, and proper secret management. Always review generated code for security.
How do I prevent Cursor from generating insecure code?
Include security requirements in your prompts. For example, ask for parameterized queries, input validation with Zod, and environment variables for secrets. Use a .cursorrules file with security guidelines.
Should I use a security linter with Cursor?
Yes. Tools like ESLint with security plugins (eslint-plugin-security) can catch common issues automatically. Combine with secret scanning pre-commit hooks for best coverage.
Ready to Secure Your App?
VAS automatically scans your deployed app for the security issues covered in this guide. Get actionable results in minutes.
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