PostgreSQL Security Checklist
Last updated: January 12, 2026
Use this checklist to ensure your PostgreSQL application is secure before launch. 6 critical items require immediate attention.
Why This Security Checklist Matters
Security checklists serve as systematic guides for identifying vulnerabilities that might otherwise be overlooked during rapid development cycles. For PostgreSQL applications specifically, this checklist addresses the most common security gaps that emerge when using AI-assisted development workflows.
Research from multiple security organizations indicates that approximately 80% of AI-built applications contain at least one exploitable vulnerability at launch. The vulnerabilities are often predictable—they follow patterns that this checklist is designed to catch. By systematically reviewing each item, you significantly reduce the risk of launching an insecure application.
Unlike generic security checklists, this guide focuses specifically on vulnerabilities prevalent in PostgreSQL applications. Each item has been prioritized based on real-world attack patterns and the potential impact of exploitation. Critical items should be addressed before any production deployment.
Critical Priority
Critical items can lead to complete application compromise, data breaches, or unauthorized access to all user accounts. These must be addressed before deploying to production. Attackers actively scan for these vulnerabilities.
High Priority
High priority items represent significant security risks that could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data or functionality. While not immediately catastrophic, these vulnerabilities should be fixed as soon as possible.
Medium/Low Priority
Medium and low priority items strengthen your overall security posture. While they may not be immediately exploitable, addressing them prevents attack chains and defense-in-depth gaps.
Manual vs Automated Security Checking
While manual security reviews are thorough, they're time-consuming and prone to human error. Automated scanning catches common vulnerabilities instantly, freeing you to focus on business logic and complex security decisions.
Items VAS Automates
- Exposed API keys and secrets in JavaScript bundles
- HTTP security header configuration
- Supabase RLS policy testing
- Firebase Security Rules validation
- Cookie security attributes
Manual Review Still Required
- Business logic vulnerabilities
- Custom authentication implementations
- Access control logic in API routes
- Data validation requirements
- Third-party integration security
Row Level Security
Enable RLS on sensitive tables
AutoALTER TABLE x ENABLE ROW LEVEL SECURITY for multi-tenant data
Write comprehensive RLS policies
AutoCreate policies for SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE operations
Test RLS policies thoroughly
Verify policies work by testing as different user roles
Use session variables for user context
Pass user ID via set_config for RLS policy evaluation
Consider RLS performance
Use (SELECT auth.uid()) pattern for better performance
Authentication & Roles
Use strong password authentication
Configure scram-sha-256 in pg_hba.conf
Create application-specific roles
Don't connect applications as superuser
Implement least privilege principle
Grant only necessary permissions to each role
Use SSL for all connections
Require SSL in connection strings and pg_hba.conf
Injection Prevention
Use parameterized queries
Never concatenate user input into SQL strings
Use prepared statements
Prepared statements prevent SQL injection
Validate input types
Ensure user input matches expected types before querying
Use an ORM with parameterization
ORMs like Prisma and Drizzle handle parameterization automatically
Audit & Monitoring
Enable pgAudit extension
Log database access for security auditing
Configure log_statement
Log all or DDL statements for audit trail
Monitor for suspicious queries
Watch for unusual query patterns or access attempts
Set up connection monitoring
Alert on unusual connection patterns or failures
Don't Check Manually
VAS automatically checks 2 of these 17 items. Get instant results with detailed remediation guidance.
Run Automated Security ScanFrequently Asked Questions
When should I use Row Level Security?
Use RLS whenever multiple users or tenants share tables. RLS policies ensure users can only access their own data at the database level. This is especially important for Supabase apps where the database is accessed directly from the frontend.
How do I prevent SQL injection in PostgreSQL?
Always use parameterized queries or prepared statements. Never concatenate user input into SQL strings. ORMs like Prisma and Drizzle handle parameterization automatically. Test with tools that specifically check for SQL injection.