Vibe Code Audit
Vibe Code Audit: Is Your AI-Built App Ready for Real Users?
A vibe code audit is a professional security and production-readiness review for applications built with AI coding tools like Claude Code, Cursor, or Replit. An experienced engineer reviews your codebase for security vulnerabilities, data exposure risks, and operational gaps — delivering a written report with prioritized fixes before you launch.
AI tools can build a working app fast. What they can't do is tell you whether it's safe to put real users and real data behind it. That's what this review answers.
Last updated: March 2026
Why AI-Built Apps Need a Security Review
You're a designer, founder, or product person who built something real with AI coding tools. It works. It looks right. You've been using it yourself, maybe with a few friends. Now you want to open it up to actual users.
But there's a gap between "it works on my machine" and "it's safe for production." A 2025 security assessment tested five major vibe coding tools — including Claude Code, Cursor, and Replit — and found 69 vulnerabilities across just 15 test applications, with half a dozen rated critical. None of the 15 apps had CSRF protection. None implemented security headers. Only one out of fifteen even attempted login rate limiting. The tools avoided textbook flaws like SQL injection, but consistently failed at context-dependent security: authorization logic, business rules, and the kind of decisions that matter most when real users and real data are involved.
You know your limits. You've probably spent hours asking AI to double-check its own work, but there's a level of opaqueness where you can't tell if it actually did it right. That instinct to get a professional review before launch is exactly the right one.
Where vibe-coded apps break in production
Common security issues in vibe-coded apps, ranked by severity:
- Data leaks between users — Critical: Missing row-level security allows one user to access another's data.
- Auth bypass and session issues — Critical: Authentication can be circumvented by manipulating URLs or tokens.
- Exposed secrets in code — Critical: API keys and credentials committed to source code or visible in client bundles.
- No dev/prod separation — High: Development and production environments share databases or configurations.
- No error tracking or logging — Medium: No visibility into errors or failures once real users are on the app.
An experienced engineer spots these in hours. Without one, they surface when real users find them for you.
What Does a Vibe Code Audit Cover?
Audit scope
- Authentication and session management
How users log in, how sessions are managed, whether auth can be bypassed by manipulating URLs or tokens.
- Multi-tenant data isolation
If your app has multiple users, can one user see another's data? I verify row-level security policies, API access controls, and data boundaries.
- File and document storage
Bucket permissions, signed URL configuration, and whether uploaded files are accessible to unauthorized users.
- Environment and secrets
API keys in source code, dev vs. production database separation, environment variable handling. The things that seem fine until they're not.
- Data exposure in sharing features
If your app lets users share content, I verify that private data stays private. Sharing a collection shouldn't leak financial records.
- Production readiness
Error tracking, monitoring, logging, dependency vulnerabilities, and deployment configuration. The operational basics that keep an app running once real people depend on it.
What's Included in the Audit Report?
A written report with two sections:
Section 1
Pre-Launch Blockers
Issues that must be fixed before inviting real users. Security vulnerabilities, data exposure risks, and anything that could cause real damage if left unaddressed.
Section 2
Post-Launch Backlog
Recommended improvements for once you have traction. Not urgent, but worth addressing as your user base grows. Prioritized so you know what to tackle first.
Every issue includes what the problem is, why it matters, and how to fix it. Written so you can hand it to an AI coding tool and get the fix implemented, or follow along yourself.
Pricing
Based on app complexity
Quick Check
$500
Simple app · 3–5 days
- • Single-user or basic auth
- • No sensitive financial data
- • Security scan + production checklist
- • Written report with prioritized fixes
Full Audit
$1,500
Multi-user app · 5–7 days
- • Multi-tenant with auth and roles
- • Sensitive data (financial, personal, documents)
- • Deep RLS / access control review
- • File storage and sharing model audit
- • Full written report + 30-min walkthrough call
Comprehensive
$3,000
Complex app · 7–10 days
- • Payments, compliance, or regulated data
- • Multiple integrations and API surfaces
- • Full security + architecture review
- • Scalability assessment
- • Full report + 60-min walkthrough + follow-up
Not sure which tier fits? We'll figure it out on the intro call.
Add-on
Keep building with confidence
Most people who get an audit don't stop building. If you want ongoing technical support as you add features, change your data model, or ship updates that touch permissions and user data, the advisory retainer keeps an experienced engineer on call.
- • Async code review via GitHub. Submit PRs or questions, response within 1 business day
- • Architecture guidance as you add features
- • Security gut-checks before you ship changes that touch permissions or user data
- • Monthly 30-minute check-in call
- • Up to 3 hours/month of async support; additional hours at $300/hr
Who This Is For
- Designers and founders who built a working app with AI tools and want a professional review before inviting real users
- Non-technical builders handling sensitive data (financial records, personal information, documents) who need confidence the security model is sound
- Anyone who's asked AI to check its own security work and realized they can't verify the answer
- Solo builders on Vercel, Supabase, Firebase, or similar stacks who want a go/no-go before beta
Still building? If you're earlier in the process and want help understanding what your AI tools are doing, check out Vibe Coding Coaching. Learn to work with AI tools confidently so there are fewer surprises when it's time for a review.
AI Self-Check vs. Professional Vibe Code Audit
| Asking AI to check itself | Professional audit | |
|---|---|---|
| Security coverage | Surface-level, misses what it doesn't know to check | Deep review of auth, RLS, secrets, and data boundaries |
| Time to answer | Ongoing uncertainty | Clear go/no-go in 3–10 business days |
| Confidence level | "AI said it's fine" | Written report with prioritized, actionable fixes |
| Production patterns | Generic best-practice suggestions | Patterns from 15+ years of production software |
| Accountability | None — AI doesn't own the outcome | Named engineer with reputation and experience |
Why You Need a Human Review for AI-Generated Code
AI coding tools will eventually find most issues. The problem is "eventually." Every bug fix is an experiment: hypothesize, code, deploy, monitor, repeat. Without experience, that loop runs dozens of times. With it, you narrow the problem in minutes.
I've spent 15+ years building production software, including FDA-cleared medical device software in regulated environments. I know where vibe-coded apps break because I've seen where all apps break. The patterns are the same; the stakes are just higher when you can't see the code yourself.
The review isn't about judging how you built it. It's about making sure what you built is safe to ship.
Damian Galarza
Fractional CTO & AI Engineering Consultant
15+ years building production software. Former CTO who scaled an engineering team from 0 to 50+. Shipped FDA-cleared medical device software in regulated environments. Current senior engineer and daily AI tooling practitioner.
More about my backgroundFrequently Asked Questions
What access do you need?
GitHub repo (read access), your hosting platform (Vercel, Netlify, etc.), and your database/backend (Supabase, Firebase, etc.). I'll tell you exactly what I need after the intro call based on your stack.
What stacks do you review?
Most common vibe-coded stacks: Next.js, React, Vercel, Supabase, Firebase, Postgres, Node.js. If you're on something else, mention it on the intro call and I'll let you know.
How long does it take?
Quick Check: 3-5 business days. Full Audit: 5-7 business days. Comprehensive: 7-10 business days. Timeline starts when I have access to everything I need.
Will you fix the issues you find?
The audit deliverable is the report. Every issue includes clear instructions for how to fix it, written so you can hand it to your AI coding tool or follow along yourself. If you want hands-on help implementing fixes, that's a coaching or consulting engagement. The advisory retainer is for ongoing review and guidance as you keep building.
When does an AI-built app need a security audit?
If your app has user accounts and stores any user data, a review is worth it. If it handles financial data, personal information, or lets users share content with each other, it's essential. The intro call is free. We'll figure out the right scope together.
Get a Clear Answer Before You Launch
Book a free 30-minute intro call. We'll look at what you've built, figure out the right scope, and I'll tell you honestly whether you need a review or if you're good to go.
No pitch. No pressure. Just a conversation about your app.
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