The 5 Security Holes in Every AI-Generated App (And How to Fix Them)

Introduction

We've audited 50+ AI-generated apps in the past year. Every single one had at least 3 of these 5 security holes.

AI code generators are excellent at creating functional features quickly. But they consistently fail at security because:

• They're trained on public code (which is often insecure)
• They prioritize "working" over "secure"
• They don't understand your specific security requirements
• They copy patterns without understanding implications

Here are the 5 security holes we find in every AI-generated app.

1. Exposed API Keys and Secrets

The Problem

AI generators often hardcode secrets directly in the code:

// WRONG: Generated by AI
const stripe = new Stripe('sk_live_abc123xyz');
const openai = new OpenAI({ apiKey: 'sk-proj-abc123' });

We've seen production apps with:

• Stripe secret keys in client-side JavaScript
• Database passwords in Git repos
• API keys visible in browser dev tools
• AWS credentials in public GitHub repos

Why It Happens

AI doesn't distinguish between:

• Tutorial/example code (where hardcoding is okay)
• Production code (where it's catastrophic)

The Fix

// CORRECT: Use environment variables
const stripe = new Stripe(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY);
const openai = new OpenAI({ apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY });

Checklist:

• All secrets in .env file
• .env in .gitignore
• Never commit .env to Git
• Use different keys for dev/prod
• Rotate exposed keys immediately

2. No Input Validation or Sanitization

The Problem

AI-generated forms often directly use user input without validation:

// WRONG: AI-generated code
app.post('/api/user', (req, res) => {
  const { name, email } = req.body;
  db.query(\`INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ('\${name}', '\${email}')\`);
});

This allows:

• SQL injection attacks
• XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
• Buffer overflow
• Email bombing

Why It Happens

AI focuses on the "happy path" where users provide valid data. It doesn't consider malicious input.

The Fix

// CORRECT: Validate and sanitize
import { z } from 'zod';

const userSchema = z.object({
  name: z.string().min(2).max(100),
  email: z.string().email(),
});

app.post('/api/user', (req, res) => {
  const validated = userSchema.parse(req.body);
  // Use parameterized queries
  db.query('INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ($1, $2)', 
    [validated.name, validated.email]);
});

Checklist:

• Validate all user input
• Use parameterized queries (never string concatenation)
• Sanitize HTML output
• Limit input lengths
• Validate file uploads

3. Broken Authentication and Session Management

The Problem

AI often implements "authentication" that isn't actually secure:

// WRONG: AI-generated "authentication"
app.post('/login', (req, res) => {
  const user = db.findUser(req.body.username);
  if (user && user.password === req.body.password) {
    res.cookie('user', user.id);  // Insecure!
    res.json({ success: true });
  }
});

Problems:

• Plain text passwords (not hashed)
• Predictable session tokens
• No HTTPS enforcement
• Sessions never expire
• No brute-force protection

The Fix

// CORRECT: Secure authentication
import bcrypt from 'bcrypt';
import session from 'express-session';

app.use(session({
  secret: process.env.SESSION_SECRET,
  resave: false,
  saveUninitialized: false,
  cookie: {
    secure: true,        // HTTPS only
    httpOnly: true,      // No JS access
    maxAge: 24*60*60*1000, // 24 hours
    sameSite: 'strict'
  }
}));

app.post('/login', async (req, res) => {
  const user = await db.findUser(req.body.username);
  const valid = await bcrypt.compare(req.body.password, user.passwordHash);
  if (valid) {
    req.session.userId = user.id;
    res.json({ success: true });
  }
});

Checklist:

• Hash passwords (bcrypt, argon2)
• Use secure session management
• Implement rate limiting
• Require HTTPS
• Add 2FA for sensitive apps

4. Missing Authorization Checks

The Problem

AI creates endpoints that work... for anyone:

// WRONG: No authorization check
app.get('/api/invoice/:id', (req, res) => {
  const invoice = db.getInvoice(req.params.id);
  res.json(invoice);  // Anyone can see any invoice!
});

We've seen:

• Patient records accessible without login
• Financial data exposed to anyone with a link
• Admin functions available to regular users
• Other users' data easily accessible

Why It Happens

AI implements features in isolation. It doesn't consider multi-user security models.

The Fix

// CORRECT: Check authorization
app.get('/api/invoice/:id', authRequired, async (req, res) => {
  const invoice = await db.getInvoice(req.params.id);
  
  // Check if user owns this invoice
  if (invoice.userId !== req.session.userId) {
    return res.status(403).json({ error: 'Forbidden' });
  }
  
  res.json(invoice);
});

Checklist:

• Every endpoint checks authentication
• Every data access checks authorization
• Use principle of least privilege
• Test with different user roles
• Audit API endpoints regularly

5. Inadequate Error Handling and Logging

The Problem

AI-generated error messages expose too much:

// WRONG: Exposes internal details
app.post('/api/user', (req, res) => {
  try {
    db.createUser(req.body);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ 
      error: error.message,  // Exposes database schema!
      stack: error.stack       // Exposes file paths!
    });
  }
});

Error message to user:

Error: duplicate key value violates unique constraint "users_email_key"
  at /app/server/database.js:45:12
  at /app/server/routes.js:128:8

This tells attackers:

• Your database schema
• Your file structure
• Your technology stack
• Vulnerable endpoints

The Fix

// CORRECT: Log internally, show generic message
import logger from './logger';

app.post('/api/user', (req, res) => {
  try {
    db.createUser(req.body);
  } catch (error) {
    // Log full error internally
    logger.error('User creation failed', {
      error: error.message,
      stack: error.stack,
      userId: req.session?.userId,
      timestamp: new Date()
    });
    
    // Show generic message to user
    res.status(500).json({ 
      error: 'Unable to create user. Please try again.'
    });
  }
});

Checklist:

• Never expose stack traces to users
• Log errors with context
• Use error monitoring (Sentry, etc.)
• Show generic error messages
• Monitor for unusual patterns

How to Audit Your App

1. Search for hardcoded secrets:

   grep -r "sk_live" .
   grep -r "apiKey.*:" .

2. Check for SQL injection:

   grep -r "query.*\${" .

3. Look for missing validation:

   • Find all API endpoints
   • Verify each has input validation
   • Test with malicious input

4. Test authorization:

   • Create two user accounts
   • Try to access other user's data
   • Test admin functions as regular user

5. Review error messages:

   • Trigger errors in production
   • Verify no sensitive info exposed

Real-World Impact

Case Study: E-commerce Store

• AI-generated in 2 days
• Security audit found all 5 holes
• Hardcoded Stripe keys in client code
• No authorization on order endpoints
• Anyone could view any order

Attack scenario:

1. Hacker views page source, finds Stripe key
2. Uses key to issue refunds to themselves
3. Also accesses customer payment info
4. Potential liability: $500K+

Our fix: $3,500 Avoided liability: $500K+

Don't Learn This the Hard Way

Every hour your app runs with these vulnerabilities is a risk. We've seen:

• HIPAA violations resulting in $50K fines
• Customer data breaches
• Fraudulent transactions
• Apps shut down by platforms

Get a security audit before you launch. It's cheaper than a breach.

Need a Security Audit?

We audit AI-generated apps for $500:

• Find all 5 security holes
• Detailed fix recommendations
• Priority ranking
• Cost estimate for fixes

Don't wait for a breach. Get audited today.