AI’s Dirty Little Coding Secrets

The Flaws Hiding Inside Your Prompt-Generated Code

What if you could go from napkin sketch to working app in a single afternoon—without hiring a dev team, spinning up cloud infrastructure, or even writing a single line of code yourself? 

Welcome to the era of vibe coding, where developers and non-developers alike are using AI tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Cursor to “prompt” their way into prototypes. It’s fast. It’s empowering. It’s magic with a keyboard. And it’s quietly redefining how modern software gets built. But there’s a problem. Underneath all the hype, vibe coding is creating a new kind of technical debt—one you might not see until it’s already too late. What’s meant to be your “minimum viable product” could just as easily become your “most vulnerable project.” 

Let’s break it down.

What is Vibe Coding, Anyway? 

Vibe coding is the practice of generating software based on feel rather than formal planning. It’s when you ask an AI tool, “Make me a Python script that monitors this folder,” or “Build a login form using React,” and take the results at face value. You’re not necessarily reviewing documentation, architecting secure flows, or even verifying every line of code. You’re trusting the tool—and your gut—to get you there. And for the record: sometimes, it does. Vibe coding can be great for idea validation, early demos, and internal automations. Founders use it to create MVPs to pitch investors. Engineers use it to unstick themselves from creative ruts. Hobbyists use it to build cool stuff on weekends. But the moment that code crosses the threshold into something customer-facing, production-bound, or integrated with real data… the stakes change. 

Why It Feels So Good 

AI-assisted coding feels like a superpower. Need a quick script? Done. Building an interface you’ve never touched before? The AI knows the syntax. Trying to implement a feature you’ve seen in another app? Describe it, and it writes half the logic for you. It’s the dopamine hit of instant productivity. No Stack Overflow rabbit holes. No fighting with outdated tutorials. Just output. For startups, this is gold. Time is tight. Funding is tighter. You need a demo, and you need it now. Vibe coding helps you show potential, ship quickly, and get feedback fast. But like any shortcut, the smooth path hides sharp edges. And some of them cut deep. 

The Risks: What You Don’t See Could Hurt You 

1. Functional Code ≠ Secure Code

AI doesn’t know the security context of your app unless you explicitly tell it. Most people don’t. The default prompt is almost always: “Build me [feature],” not “Build me [secure, compliant, resilient] feature.” That means your vibe-coded project could contain: 

• Hardcoded API keys or credentials 
• Unvalidated inputs that allow injection attacks 
• Weak or missing authentication 
• Logging of sensitive data 
• No rate limiting, abuse handling, or secure storage 

It works—but it’s a breach waiting to happen. And AI doesn’t warn you about this. It’s a code generation engine, not a security analyst. 

2. You Might Be Leaking IP or Sensitive Data

Many AI tools retain prompt data or use it for training—unless you’re using a business or enterprise plan that explicitly opts out. That means when you paste that internal system diagram or product logic into ChatGPT, you may be feeding your proprietary ideas into the training corpus of tomorrow’s competitor. Even worse, if you include: 

• Internal usernames or tokens 
• Client names or project identifiers 
• Configuration settings 
• Pieces of contracts or legal agreements 

…you may be violating NDAs, leaking customer data, or opening up compliance headaches under regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. The punchline? What feels like a private coding assistant might actually be an uncontrolled external party if you’re not careful. 

3. You Might Not Own the Code

Ownership of AI-generated code is still a legal gray area. In many jurisdictions, content created entirely by AI may not be eligible for copyright protection. If you’re using AI to write proprietary software, you may not have enforceable rights over the result. Even worse, some AI tools have been caught regurgitating open-source code without attribution. That means your application might unknowingly include GPL-licensed code—which could legally require you to open-source your entire codebase. This isn’t just a developer concern. It’s a business continuity risk. If you’re planning to raise funding, sell the company, or commercialize the product, unclear IP ownership could stall deals or trigger legal battles. 

4. Developers Stop Thinking Critically

The more we rely on AI to write the code, the less time we spend understanding what it’s doing. For experienced developers, that might just mean some mental rust. For non-technical users, it can be dangerous. You might build something functional—but unsafe, unscalable, or exploitable—because you don’t realize what questions you should be asking. AI tools reflect your intent. If your prompt lacks secure thinking, so will the output. 

So When Is Vibe Coding a Good Idea? 

Used thoughtfully, vibe coding is a fantastic prototyping tool. It’s perfect for: 

• Building mockups to validate a product idea 
• Automating simple internal workflows 
• Learning how unfamiliar technologies work 
• Generating starting points for experienced devs to build on 

But it’s not production-ready on its own. It doesn’t eliminate the need for secure design, code reviews, testing, or compliance planning. It’s a great assistant—but not a replacement for expertise. 

Before you ship anything generated by AI, ask yourself: 

• Did you prompt for secure design explicitly?
  (e.g., “Use secure password hashing with Argon2 and proper salting.”) 
• Have you reviewed every line of the generated code—manually?
  Don’t assume it’s clean just because it runs. 
• Did you run proper scans?
  Use tools like SAST (static code analysis), DAST (dynamic testing), and SCA (software composition analysis) to catch vulnerabilities and risky dependencies. 
• Are third-party libraries or packages being used?
  Verify they’re maintained, safe, and free of known exploits. 
• Did your prompt include any sensitive data by accident?
  Even examples can leak internal info—review before you paste. 
• Do you understand the IP and licensing implications of this code?
  AI may borrow code patterns under restrictive licenses. Know what you’re shipping. 

If you answered “no” to any of the above… your code is NOT ready for production. 

The Bottom Line: AI Is Not Your CTO 

Vibe coding is here to stay. It’s a productivity multiplier, a creative amplifier, and in many cases, a legitimate shortcut to working software. But you can’t blindly trust it—because vibe-coded software is often missing the guardrails of traditional development: planning, review, and secure-by-design thinking. For startups especially, that shortcut can be costly. You might get to market fast… but with insecure, unscalable, or legally questionable code. That’s a dangerous foundation to build a company on. So use vibe coding to your advantage. Just make sure you’re still doing the work that matters: asking questions, checking assumptions, reviewing outputs, and treating security like the feature it actually is. 

And if you’re unsure whether your code—or your infrastructure—is production-ready, we’ve got your back. 

Need to Know If Your Code Is Safe to Launch? 

Our cybersecurity assessment services are designed to give you confidence before you scale. Whether you’ve used AI tools to build your app, spun up cloud infrastructure fast, or just want to be sure your network and DevOps pipelines aren’t introducing critical risks—we can help. We provide: 

• Application & Network Penetration Testing
• DevSecOps Environment Reviews
• Compliance Audit Preparation
• And more…

Build fast—but build secure.

Ready to see how we can help your team succeed? Book a discovery session today or visit CyberNEX.io to learn more.