Netlify Security Scanner
Deploying to Netlify? Ensure your site and serverless functions are properly secured.
Our automated security scanner analyzes your Netlify application for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposed secrets. Get a comprehensive security report in minutes, not days.
Netlify Security Considerations
Netlify makes development fast, but AI-generated code often skips security best practices:
- !Build-time vs runtime environment variables
- !Netlify Functions security configuration
- !Deploy preview access controls
- !Form handling security
Understanding Netlify Security Challenges
Netlify 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 Netlify 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
Netlify 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 Netlify 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
Environment Config
Review environment variable setup.
Functions Security
Check serverless function security.
Headers Setup
Verify _headers file configuration.
Form Security
Check form handling and spam protection.
What You'll Get
Why Netlify Apps Need Security Scanning
Netlify makes deploying static sites and serverless functions simple. Understanding the security implications of Netlify's features helps you deploy confidently.
VAS scans your deployed Netlify site to verify security headers, check for exposed secrets, and ensure proper configuration.
How Netlify Security Scanning Works
Submit Your URL
Enter your Netlify application URL. Our scanner automatically detects your tech stack and configures the appropriate security checks for Netlify.
Automated Analysis
We scan for exposed secrets, security headers, authentication issues, database misconfigurations, and Netlify-specific vulnerabilities. The scan typically completes in 15-20 minutes.
Get Actionable Results
Receive a detailed report with prioritized vulnerabilities, severity ratings, and step-by-step remediation guidance with code examples specific to Netlify.
Common Questions About Netlify Security
What vulnerabilities are most common in Netlify 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 Netlify 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 Netlify
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 Netlify 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 Netlify, 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 Netlify 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 Netlify 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 Netlify App
Don't let vulnerabilities compromise your hard work. Security issues in Netlify 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