Security Analysis

Is Firebase Safe?

An honest security analysis of Firebase for developers considering it for their projects.

Quick Answer

Safe when configured correctly - Security Rules required

Firebase is secure when you write proper Security Rules. The platform itself is robust (Google infrastructure), but your Security Rules determine whether data is protected. Test mode leaves everything exposed.

Security Assessment

Security Strengths

  • Google infrastructure with enterprise security
  • Flexible Security Rules for granular control
  • Built-in authentication options
  • Automatic SSL/TLS
  • Regular security updates
  • SOC compliant

Security Concerns

  • Test mode Security Rules expose all data
  • Default rules are often too permissive
  • Complex rules can have logic errors
  • No built-in rate limiting
  • API keys are public by design (security via rules)

Security Checklist for Firebase

  • 1
    Write Security Rules that check authentication
  • 2
    Never deploy with test mode rules
  • 3
    Validate data structure in rules
  • 4
    Test rules with Firebase Emulator
  • 5
    Check for overly permissive read/write access
  • 6
    Scan your app to verify rule effectiveness

The Verdict

Firebase is secure when you configure Security Rules properly. Google's infrastructure is battle-tested, but your rules determine actual security. Always write rules that validate auth and data structure.

Security Research & Industry Data

Understanding Firebase security in the context of broader industry trends and research.

10.3%

of Lovable applications (170 out of 1,645) had exposed user data in the CVE-2025-48757 incident

Source: CVE-2025-48757 security advisory

91%

of data breaches involve databases with misconfigured access controls

Source: Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report

4.45 million USD

average cost of a data breach in 2023

Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023

What Security Experts Say

“Vibe coding your way to a production codebase is clearly risky. Most of the work we do as software engineers involves evolving existing systems, where the quality and understandability of the underlying code is crucial.”

Simon Willison — Security Researcher, Django Co-creator

“The problem with AI-generated code isn't that it doesn't work - it's that it works just well enough to ship, but contains subtle security flaws that are hard to spot.”

Security Research Community — Collective wisdom from security researchers

Verify Your Firebase App Security

Don't guess - scan your app and know for certain. VAS checks for all the common security issues in Firebase applications.

Scan Your AppFirebase Security Guide

Related Security Guides

Firebase Security ScannerFirebase Security GuideVibe Coding Security