How the industry's most critical web security risks manifest in AI-generated code, and how to prevent them in your vibe-coded applications.
Users can act outside their intended permissions—accessing other users' data, modifying unauthorized records, or performing admin actions.
AI generates CRUD operations without ownership checks. Client-side auth doesn't prevent API abuse. Missing RLS policies expose entire databases.
GET /api/users/123 returns any user's data without verifying the requester owns itEnable RLS on all tables. Add server-side ownership checks. Never rely on client-side auth alone.
Sensitive data exposed due to weak encryption, missing HTTPS, or improper key management.
API keys hardcoded in frontend. Passwords stored in plain text or weak hashes. Sensitive data transmitted without encryption.
const apiKey = 'sk-proj-abc123...' in client-side JavaScriptUse environment variables for secrets. Ensure HTTPS everywhere. Use bcrypt for passwords. Never expose service keys.
Untrusted data sent to interpreters as part of commands or queries, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands.
AI sometimes uses string concatenation for SQL queries instead of parameterized queries. User input inserted directly into database calls.
const query = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = '${userId}'`Use parameterized queries or ORMs. Validate and sanitize all input. Use allowlists for expected values.
Missing or ineffective security controls in the application's design and architecture.
AI doesn't architect for security—it builds features. No rate limiting, no abuse prevention, no defense in depth. Security as afterthought.
Login endpoint allows unlimited attempts with no lockout or delayInclude security requirements in prompts. Review architecture before building. Add rate limiting, logging, monitoring.
Missing security hardening, unnecessary features enabled, default credentials, overly permissive settings.
Missing security headers. Debug mode in production. Default Supabase/Firebase settings. Source maps exposed.
No Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, or Strict-Transport-Security headersConfigure security headers. Disable debug mode. Review default settings. Remove unnecessary features.
Using components (libraries, frameworks) with known vulnerabilities.
AI may suggest outdated packages or packages with known CVEs. Dependencies not regularly updated.
Using an old version of a package with a critical security vulnerabilityRun npm audit regularly. Keep dependencies updated. Use tools like Snyk or Dependabot.
Weak authentication allowing credential stuffing, brute force, or session hijacking.
Weak password policies (accepts '123456'). Missing email verification. No MFA option. Insecure session handling.
signUp({ email, password }) with no password strength validationEnforce strong passwords (12+ chars). Enable email verification. Implement rate limiting. Consider MFA.
Code and infrastructure that doesn't protect against integrity violations—unsigned updates, insecure CI/CD.
Less common in vibe coding, but auto-updates without verification, pulling from untrusted sources.
Installing packages from typosquatted npm names suggested by AIVerify package names carefully. Use lock files. Review dependency sources.
Insufficient logging and monitoring to detect attacks and respond to incidents.
AI rarely adds security logging. No audit trails. Failed login attempts not tracked. No alerting.
No logs when someone fails authentication 100 times in a rowLog authentication events. Monitor for anomalies. Set up alerts for suspicious activity.
Application fetches remote resources based on user input without validation.
Less common, but can occur when AI implements URL fetching or webhooks without validation.
Fetching user-provided URLs without restricting to safe destinationsValidate and sanitize URLs. Use allowlists for external resources. Don't expose internal services.
VAS scans your vibe-coded application for the OWASP vulnerabilities most common in AI-generated code. Get actionable findings with fixes.
Start Free Security ScanOWASP Top 10 is a standard awareness document representing the most critical security risks to web applications. Published by the Open Web Application Security Project, it's updated periodically based on data from security assessments. It's the industry standard for web application security.
Vibe-coded applications are particularly susceptible to OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities because AI prioritizes functional code over secure code. The most common issues are Broken Access Control (A01), Security Misconfiguration (A05), and Cryptographic Failures (A02)—all areas where AI frequently takes shortcuts.
Based on scan data: 1) Broken Access Control (missing RLS, client-side auth only), 2) Security Misconfiguration (missing headers, debug mode), 3) Cryptographic Failures (exposed API keys), 4) Identification and Authentication Failures (weak passwords). These account for ~80% of findings.
VAS checks for many OWASP Top 10 issues including: access control problems (A01), exposed credentials (A02), injection risks (A03), security misconfigurations (A05), and authentication weaknesses (A07). Some categories like insecure design (A04) require manual review.
1) Include security requirements in your prompts, 2) Enable database security (RLS) from the start, 3) Use environment variables for secrets, 4) Add server-side validation, 5) Configure security headers, 6) Run security scans before deployment, 7) Review AI-generated code for security.
Last updated: January 16, 2026