Service Key Exposure
Last updated: January 12, 2026
Service key exposure occurs when admin-level credentials (like Supabase service_role or Firebase admin SDK) are included in frontend code, giving attackers full database access.
Scan for This VulnerabilityWhat is Service Key Exposure?
Service keys bypass all security rules. The Supabase service_role key ignores RLS, and Firebase admin SDK credentials have unrestricted access. When these appear in frontend code, attackers gain complete control over your database regardless of your security configuration.
Why It's Dangerous
This vulnerability can allow attackers to access sensitive data, compromise user accounts, or gain unauthorized control over your application. In AI-generated code, this issue is particularly common because security measures are often deprioritized in favor of rapid feature development.
Why AI Code Is Vulnerable
AI code generation tools focus on producing functional code quickly. They often generate patterns that work correctly but lack the defensive measures experienced security engineers would implement. This makes service key exposure particularly prevalent in vibe-coded applications.
Understanding the Technical Details
Service Key Exposure is classified as a critical-severity vulnerability because of its potential to cause significant damage to your application and users. Understanding the technical mechanics helps you recognize and prevent this issue in your own code.
This vulnerability typically occurs when security controls are either missing entirely, improperly configured, or incorrectly implemented. In many cases, the code appears to work correctly during development and testing, but the security flaw becomes exploitable once the application is deployed and accessible to malicious actors.
Attackers actively scan for this type of vulnerability using automated tools. Once discovered, exploitation can be rapid—often within hours of your application going live. The consequences range from data theft and account takeover to complete system compromise depending on the application's architecture.
For vibe-coded applications built with platforms like Lovable, Bolt.new, Replit, or v0.dev, this vulnerability appears in roughly 20-40% of deployments according to security research. The AI-generated patterns often follow insecure defaults that require manual security hardening.
How It Happens
- Using service key instead of anon key in frontend
- AI suggesting service keys for convenience
- Copy-pasting server code to frontend
- Not understanding the difference between key types
Impact
Complete database access - bypasses all security
Can read, modify, or delete any data
Create/delete users and authentication
Full administrative control over your backend
How to Detect
- Search code for 'service_role' or 'serviceRole'
- Check for Firebase admin SDK in frontend
- Look for keys that are much longer than anon keys
- Run VAS to detect service key exposure
How to Fix
Remove service key from frontend immediately
Service keys should never be in client-accessible code.
Use anon key for frontend
Supabase anon key is safe for frontend use with proper RLS.
// Frontend - use anon key
const supabase = createClient(
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL,
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY // Safe for frontend
);Keep service key server-side only
Use service key only in API routes, Edge Functions, or backend.
// Server-side only
const supabaseAdmin = createClient(
process.env.SUPABASE_URL,
process.env.SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY // Never expose this
);Rotate compromised keys
If exposed, generate new keys in your Supabase/Firebase dashboard.
Commonly Affected Platforms
Prevention Best Practices
The most effective approach to service key exposure is prevention. Implementing security measures during development is significantly easier and less costly than remediating vulnerabilities after deployment.
Security-First Development
When using AI code generation tools, always review the generated code for security implications. AI tools prioritize functionality over security, so treat all generated code as requiring security review. Establish a checklist of security requirements specific to your application type and verify each before deployment.
Continuous Security Testing
Integrate security scanning into your development workflow. Run scans after major code changes, before deployments, and on a regular schedule for production applications. Early detection of vulnerabilities reduces remediation costs and prevents potential breaches.
Defense in Depth
Never rely on a single security control. Implement multiple layers of protection so that if one control fails, others still protect your application. For example, combine authentication, authorization, input validation, and output encoding to create comprehensive protection against attacks.
Stay Informed
Security threats evolve constantly. Follow security researchers, subscribe to vulnerability databases, and monitor your dependencies for known issues. Understanding emerging threats helps you proactively protect your applications before attackers exploit new techniques.
Is Your App Vulnerable?
VAS automatically scans for service key exposure and provides detailed remediation guidance with code examples. Our scanner specifically targets vulnerabilities common in AI-generated applications.
Scans from $5, results in minutes. Get actionable results with step-by-step fix instructions tailored to your stack.
Get Starter ScanFrequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between anon key and service_role key?
Supabase anon key is PUBLIC - designed for frontend use, subject to RLS policies. service_role key is SECRET - bypasses all RLS, gives full database access. Same distinction in Firebase: client config (public) vs service account (secret). NEVER use service keys in client code.
How do I know if I'm using the wrong key?
Check your key's length and prefix. Supabase anon keys are shorter JWT tokens. service_role keys are longer and labeled 'service_role' in Supabase dashboard. If your frontend code can bypass RLS policies you wrote, you're likely using service_role key by mistake.
What should I do if service_role key was exposed?
IMMEDIATELY: 1) Go to Supabase Dashboard > Settings > API, 2) Click 'Generate new keys', 3) Update your server-side code with new key, 4) The old key is now invalid. Also audit your database for unauthorized changes during the exposure window.
Why does my app 'need' the service key to work?
If your app breaks without service_role key, your RLS policies are blocking necessary operations. Fix the root cause: write proper RLS policies that allow your legitimate operations. Using service_role to bypass RLS is a security hole, not a fix.