Lovable / GPT Engineer

Lovable Security Incidents

Documented security vulnerabilities and common issues in Lovable-generated applications. Protect your app with the mitigations provided.

Check for exposed secrets, missing auth, and security misconfigurations.

Important Context

Lovable generates functional code quickly, but security is not its primary focus. The issues documented here are not “bugs” in Lovable - they're common patterns in AI-generated code that require human review and hardening before production deployment.

Common Security Issues

Supabase Credentials Exposed in Generated Code

critical

Lovable frequently generates code with Supabase credentials embedded directly in client-side code. While Supabase anon keys are designed to be public, the pattern encourages insecure practices and often includes service role keys that should never be exposed.

Technical Details

  • Generated React code often includes hardcoded SUPABASE_URL and SUPABASE_ANON_KEY
  • Some generated code mistakenly includes service_role keys
  • Lack of .env file generation leads users to commit credentials
  • No automatic .gitignore entries for sensitive files

Impact

  • Exposed service role keys allow full database access
  • RLS bypass if service role key is exposed
  • Data exfiltration from public repositories
  • Account takeover if auth tables are accessible

Mitigation

  • Immediately rotate any exposed Supabase keys
  • Move all credentials to environment variables
  • Ensure .env files are in .gitignore
  • Enable RLS on all Supabase tables
  • Use anon key for client-side, service role only server-side

Generated Code Missing Authorization Checks

high

Lovable-generated applications frequently lack proper authorization checks. While authentication may be implemented, the generated code often doesn't verify that authenticated users can only access their own data.

Technical Details

  • API routes check for authentication but not authorization
  • IDOR vulnerabilities common in generated CRUD operations
  • No automatic user_id scoping on database queries
  • Admin functions accessible to regular authenticated users

Impact

  • Users can access other users' private data
  • Horizontal privilege escalation between accounts
  • Potential for mass data exposure
  • Privacy violations and compliance failures

Mitigation

  • Manually add user_id checks to all data access
  • Implement Supabase RLS policies properly
  • Test with multiple user accounts to find IDOR
  • Add role-based access control for admin functions

Insecure Default Configurations

medium

Lovable generates applications with development-friendly but production-insecure defaults. CORS is often set to allow all origins, error messages expose internal details, and security headers are missing.

Technical Details

  • CORS set to '*' allowing any origin
  • Detailed error messages with stack traces returned to clients
  • Missing Content-Security-Policy headers
  • No rate limiting on authentication endpoints

Impact

  • Cross-origin attacks possible due to permissive CORS
  • Information disclosure through verbose errors
  • XSS attacks easier without CSP
  • Brute force attacks on login/signup

Mitigation

  • Configure CORS to allow only your domain
  • Implement production error handling
  • Add security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options)
  • Add rate limiting to public endpoints

Flawed AI-Generated Authentication Logic

high

When users request custom authentication instead of using Supabase Auth, Lovable sometimes generates insecure authentication implementations with predictable tokens, weak password hashing, or bypassable checks.

Technical Details

  • JWT secrets that are too short or predictable
  • Password hashing using MD5 or SHA1 instead of bcrypt
  • Session tokens stored in localStorage (XSS vulnerable)
  • Missing token expiration validation

Impact

  • Account takeover through token prediction
  • Password cracking due to weak hashing
  • Session hijacking via XSS attacks
  • Persistent access after logout

Mitigation

  • Always use Supabase Auth or established auth libraries
  • Never implement custom authentication without security review
  • If custom auth required, use bcrypt/argon2 for passwords
  • Store tokens in HttpOnly cookies, not localStorage

Patterns to Watch For

PatternFrequencyExampleRisk
Hardcoded API KeysVery Commonconst supabaseKey = 'eyJ...'Keys exposed in client bundles and git history
Missing .gitignoreCommonNo .gitignore generated, .env committedSecrets pushed to public repositories
Permissive CORSVery CommonAccess-Control-Allow-Origin: *Cross-origin attacks enabled
Client-Side Auth Checks OnlyCommonif (user) { showAdminPanel() }Authorization trivially bypassed
Verbose Error MessagesCommonreturn { error: err.stack }Internal details exposed to attackers

Securing Your Lovable App

Before Generating

  • Understand what data your app will handle
  • Plan your authentication strategy (use Supabase Auth)
  • Identify which data is private vs public

After Generating

  • Move ALL credentials to environment variables
  • Add .env to .gitignore immediately
  • Review every database query for user_id scoping
  • Test authorization: can user A access user B's data?

Before Deploying

  • Run a security scan on your application
  • Configure CORS for your specific domain
  • Enable Supabase RLS on all tables
  • Remove or genericize error messages

Check Your Lovable App's Security

Our scanner checks for the common Lovable security issues automatically - exposed Supabase keys, missing authorization, permissive CORS, and more.

Scan Your App Free

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lovable safe to use?

Lovable can be used safely with proper security review. The platform excels at generating functional code quickly, but like all AI coding tools, the generated code needs security hardening before production use. Follow the best practices on this page and run a security scan before deploying.

Are my Supabase keys exposed?

Check your generated code and git history. If you see SUPABASE_ANON_KEY in your code (not .env), it's exposed but that's expected - anon keys are designed to be public. If you see SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY exposed, immediately rotate it in your Supabase dashboard. Service role keys should NEVER be in client code.

How do I fix authorization issues?

Enable Row Level Security (RLS) in Supabase and create policies that scope data to the authenticated user. For each table, add a policy like: 'auth.uid() = user_id'. Also verify that API endpoints check authorization, not just authentication.

Should I avoid Lovable for serious projects?

Lovable is suitable for serious projects if you treat it as a starting point, not a finished product. Plan for security review time after generation. For apps handling sensitive data (health, financial, personal), allocate extra time for security hardening or consider a professional security review.

What should I check before going live?

Before launching: 1) All secrets in environment variables, 2) RLS enabled on Supabase tables, 3) Authorization tested for each endpoint, 4) CORS restricted to your domain, 5) Error messages don't expose internals, 6) Security scan shows no critical issues.