Introduction to OWASP Top 10 for Vibe-Coded Apps

The OWASP Top 10 is a widely accepted standard for identifying and mitigating 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. Broken Access Control is the most significant risk, as it can allow unauthorized access to sensitive data and functionality.

For instance, consider a vibe-coded app with the following code:

// Authentication middleware
const authenticate = (req, res, next) => {
  if (req.headers['x-api-key'] === 'secret-key') {
    next();
  } else {
    res.status(401).send('Unauthorized');
  }
};

This code is vulnerable to Broken Access Control because it relies on a simple API key check, which can be easily bypassed.

Risk 1: Broken Access Control

Broken Access Control occurs when an application fails to properly restrict access to sensitive data and functionality. This can happen when authentication and authorization mechanisms are inadequate or poorly implemented. For example, consider a vibe-coded app that uses a simple role-based access control system:

Role-based access control
class User:
  def __init__(self, role):
    self.role = role

  def can_access(self, resource):
    if self.role === 'admin':
      return True
    else:
      return False

This code is vulnerable to Broken Access Control because it relies on a simple role-based access control system, which can be easily bypassed.

Risk 2: Cryptographic Failures

Cryptographic Failures occur when an application fails to properly use encryption and decryption mechanisms. This can happen when sensitive data is not properly encrypted or when encryption keys are not properly managed. For example, consider a vibe-coded app that uses a simple encryption mechanism:

// Simple encryption mechanism
public class Encryptor {
  public static String encrypt(String data) {
    return data + "encrypted";
  }

  public static String decrypt(String data) {
    return data.replace("encrypted", "");
  }
}

This code is vulnerable to Cryptographic Failures because it uses a simple and insecure encryption mechanism.

Risk 3: Injection

Injection occurs when an application allows user input to be executed as code. This can happen when user input is not properly sanitized or validated. For example, consider a vibe-coded app that uses a simple SQL query mechanism:

Simple SQL query mechanism
import sqlite3

conn = sqlite3.connect('database.db')
cursor = conn.cursor()

def query(data):
  cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = '" + data + "'")
  return cursor.fetchall()

This code is vulnerable to Injection because it allows user input to be executed as SQL code.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate these risks, vibe-coded app developers can use a variety of strategies, including input validation and sanitization, secure encryption mechanisms, and proper access control mechanisms. Tools like SecuriSky can also be used to automatically detect and mitigate these risks.

Quick Fix Checklist

[ ] Implement proper access control mechanisms to prevent Broken Access Control

[ ] Use secure encryption mechanisms to prevent Cryptographic Failures

[ ] Sanitize and validate user input to prevent Injection

[ ] Use tools like SecuriSky to automatically detect and mitigate risks

[ ] Regularly review and update code to ensure security vulnerabilities are addressed