Introduction to OWASP Top 10 for Vibe-Coded Apps

The OWASP Top 10 is a widely recognized standard for web application security risks. In 2025, vibe-coded apps built with tools like Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, v0, or Replit are particularly vulnerable to certain risks. The top risk for vibe-coded apps is A01:2021-Broken Access Control, which can allow unauthorized access to sensitive data. For example, consider a vibe-coded app with a faulty authentication mechanism:

import cursor

Insecure authentication example
def authenticate(username, password):
    if username == "admin" and password == "password123":
        return True
    return False

This code is easily exploitable and can be replaced with a more secure authentication mechanism using established libraries.

Risk Factors for Vibe-Coded Apps

Vibe-coded apps are often built quickly, which can lead to A03:2021-Injection risks. Injection occurs when user-supplied data is not properly sanitized, allowing attackers to inject malicious code. To mitigate this risk, vibe-coded apps should use parameterized queries or prepared statements. For example:

const lovable = require('lovable');

// Secure query example using parameterized queries
const query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = $1";
const params = ["username"];
lovable.db.query(query, params, (err, results) => {
    if (err) {
        console.error(err);
    } else {
        console.log(results);
    }
});

This code uses parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks.

Common Vulnerabilities in Vibe-Coded Apps

A07:2021-Identification and Authentication Failures is another significant risk for vibe-coded apps. This risk occurs when authentication mechanisms are not properly implemented, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access. To mitigate this risk, vibe-coded apps should implement secure password storage and authentication mechanisms. For example:

import bolt

Secure password storage example using bcrypt
import bcrypt

def hash_password(password):
    salt = bcrypt.gensalt()
    hashed_password = bcrypt.hashpw(password.encode('utf-8'), salt)
    return hashed_password

def verify_password(password, hashed_password):
    return bcrypt.checkpw(password.encode('utf-8'), hashed_password)

This code uses bcrypt to securely store and verify passwords.

Mitigating Risks in Vibe-Coded Apps

To mitigate risks in vibe-coded apps, developers should follow secure coding practices and use established libraries and frameworks. Additionally, tools like SecuriSky can be used to automatically detect and identify potential security risks. For example, consider a vibe-coded app with a vulnerable dependency:

const replit = require('replit');

// Vulnerable dependency example
const vulnerableDependency = require('vulnerable-package');

This code uses a vulnerable dependency, which can be detected and identified using SecuriSky.

Quick Fix Checklist

[ ] Implement secure authentication mechanisms using established libraries

[ ] Use parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks

[ ] Implement secure password storage using bcrypt or other established libraries

[ ] Use tools like SecuriSky to automatically detect and identify potential security risks

[ ] Regularly update dependencies and libraries to prevent vulnerabilities