Vibe Coding Explained: Why Your AI-Built App Might Not Be Safe for Real Customers
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A few years ago, building an app took months and a development team.
Now someone on your team can describe what they want to an AI tool and have a working app by Monday.
That’s genuinely exciting. But “it works” and “it’s safe for real customers” are two very different things.
If your business has an AI-built app, or is about to put customer data into one, this guide explains what vibe coding is, where the security gaps usually hide, and what to check before you go live.
What Is Vibe Coding?
“Vibe coding” is building software by describing what you want to an AI in plain language and accepting the code it writes, often without reading or reviewing it line by line. The term was coined by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy in early 2025 and caught on quickly.
Tools like Lovable, Bolt, Replit and Cursor make it possible for non-developers to build working web apps, internal tools and customer portals in hours.
For prototypes, demos and internal experiments, that’s a huge advantage. The risk starts when a prototype quietly becomes the live system holding real customer data.
Is Vibe Coding Safe?
It can be, but not by default.
AI coding tools are trained to produce code that works. Security is a separate requirement, and unless someone explicitly asks for it and checks it, it’s often missing.
The research backs this up:
- Veracode’s 2025 GenAI Code Security Report tested more than 100 AI models on 80 coding tasks. The AI-generated code introduced security vulnerabilities in 45% of cases, and newer models weren’t meaningfully more secure.
- In 2025, a security researcher scanned 1,645 apps built with one popular AI app builder and found 170 apps whose databases could be read or changed by anyone, because a basic access-control setting had never been switched on. Exposed data included names, emails, financial details and API keys. The issue was published as CVE-2025-48757.
None of this means AI tools are bad. It means AI-built apps need the same security review as any other software, and often more.
7 Vibe Coding Risks to Check Before Real Customers Use Your App
1. Open databases
The most common problem. The app works, but its database lets anyone with the right link read or edit every record. In apps built on services like Supabase, that usually means access rules (row-level security) were never enabled.
Ask: Can a logged-out user, or a different customer, see someone else’s data?
2. Secret keys exposed in the browser
AI tools sometimes place API keys and passwords in front-end code, where anyone can view them with a browser’s developer tools. A leaked payment or email API key can be abused within hours.
Ask: Are any secret keys visible in the website’s code? Are they stored on the server instead?
3. Weak or missing login checks
A login screen doesn’t guarantee protection. If the server doesn’t check who you are on every request, a user can change a number in the URL and see another customer’s account.
Ask: Is every page and every data request checked on the server, not just hidden in the interface?
4. No input validation
Forms and search boxes that accept anything can be used to inject malicious code. Veracode found most AI-generated code samples failed to defend against cross-site scripting.
Ask: Does the app clean and validate everything users type in?
5. Outdated or unknown packages
AI tools pull in third-party libraries to save time. Some are outdated, unmaintained or carry known vulnerabilities.
Ask: Which packages does the app use, and when were they last updated?
6. No backups, logs or monitoring
If something goes wrong, can you tell what happened and restore your data? Many quick-built apps have no backups, no audit logs and no alerts.
Ask: If the database were deleted tonight, how much would we lose?
7. Nobody owns it
The person who built it may not be able to maintain it, and the AI won’t remember why it made each decision. Undocumented code becomes a liability fast.
Ask: Who is responsible for updates, fixes and security from here on?
The free red-flag checklist turns these seven risks into questions you can answer in 20 minutes.
What Canadian Businesses Need to Know About Customer Data
If your app collects personal information, such as names, emails, phone numbers, addresses or health and financial details, you’re responsible for protecting it.
Under PIPEDA, Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law, organizations must use security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. Breaches that create a real risk of significant harm must be reported to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and to affected individuals. Some provinces have their own rules too.
“An AI built it” won’t be an acceptable explanation after a breach.
How to Make an AI-Built App Production-Ready
You don’t have to throw away what you’ve built. In most cases, the prototype is a great head start. The goal is to harden it before it holds real data.
- Run the red-flag checklist to find the obvious gaps.
- Get an independent code and security review from developers who didn’t build it.
- Fix access control first: database rules, authentication and secret keys.
- Add the basics: backups, logging, monitoring and dependency updates.
- Document it so anyone can maintain it.
- Decide who owns it going forward.
How Purna Web Helps
Our Custom AI Software Development team builds secure, ISO/IEC 42001-aligned software and AI applications, and reviews and hardens apps that started life as AI prototypes.
We keep what works, fix what’s risky, and hand you documented, maintainable code. Learn more about our custom AI engineering and our approach to AI governance.
Frequently asked questions
What is vibe coding?
Building software by prompting an AI in plain language and accepting the code it generates, often without detailed review.
Is AI-generated code secure?
Not automatically. Independent testing has found security flaws in a large share of AI-generated code. It needs the same review and testing as human-written code.
Can I use an app built with AI for my business?
Yes, for many uses. For anything that stores customer data, payments or sensitive information, have it reviewed and hardened first.
How do I know if my AI-built app is safe?
Start with the free red-flag checklist. If you find any red flags, or can't answer the questions, get an independent security review.
Do I need to rebuild my app from scratch?
Usually not. Most AI-built apps can be secured and cleaned up without starting over.
Final Takeaways
Vibe coding is a fast way to build. It isn’t a substitute for security.
Before real customers use your AI-built app, check who can see the data, where the secret keys live, and who’s responsible for keeping it safe.
Sources: Veracode 2025 GenAI Code Security Report; CVE-2025-48757, disclosed by Matt Palmer.