What Do I Use Vibe Coding For?-Code and Environment Security

by | Nov 11, 2025 | Learning | 0 comments

Code and Environment Security

When developing with Vibe Coding, apart from waiting for AI to generate code, I also pay special attention to the behavior of the Cursor. If any potential risks are identified, I immediately create rules in cursorrule.md to ensure every step is securely managed.

Cursor Permissions Management and Security Considerations

1. Key Points for Configuring Cursor Permissions

File System Permissions

  • Principle of Least Privilege: Grant Cursor access only to necessary project directories.
  • Avoid System-Level Permissions: Do not grant Cursor administrator privileges.
  • Sensitive File Protection: Ensure that sensitive files such as .env, config.json, and secrets are inaccessible to Cursor.

Gitignore Best Practices

  • Exclude Sensitive Files: All files containing sensitive information must be excluded from version control.
  • Environment Variable Files: Exclude all .env*, .env.local, .env.production, etc.
  • Configuration and Credential Files: Exclude files containing passwords, keys, or certificates.
  • Database and Log Files: Exclude local databases, backups, and logs that might contain sensitive information.
  • Cache and Temporary Files: Exclude files that could leak information.

Network Permissions

  • API Key Protection: Ensure Cursor cannot access files containing API keys.
  • Database Connection Info: Avoid hardcoding database passwords in files accessible by Cursor.
  • Third-Party Service Credentials: Protect all external service authentication details.

2. Security Checks for Code Output

Risks of Sensitive Information Leakage

// Unsafe Example:
const API_KEY = "dy-1234567890abcdef";
const DB_PASSWORD = "dy1203";
const JWT_SECRET = "secretkey";

// Safe Example:
const API_KEY = process.env.API_KEY;
const DB_PASSWORD = process.env.DB_PASSWORD;
const JWT_SECRET = process.env.JWT_SECRET;

Common Security Vulnerability Checks

  • Hardcoded Passwords: Check for plaintext passwords or API keys.
  • SQL Injection Risks: Always use parameterized queries.
  • XSS Vulnerabilities: Strengthen input validation and output encoding.
  • CSRF Protection: Implement CSRF tokens.

3. Pre-Deployment Security Checklist

Key Points for Code Review

  1. Use of Environment Variables: Ensure all sensitive information uses environment variables.
  2. Error Handling: Check for error messages that might expose sensitive information.
  3. Log Records: Ensure logs do not contain passwords or personal data.
  4. Dependency Checks: Scan third-party packages for known vulnerabilities.

Deployment Environment Configuration

  • Enforce HTTPS: Ensure all communications use HTTPS.
  • CORS Configuration: Properly configure cross-origin resource sharing.
  • Security Headers: Set appropriate HTTP security headers.
  • File Upload Restrictions: Limit the type and size of uploaded files.

4. Recommended Security Practices

Development Phase

  • Use .gitignore to exclude sensitive files.
  • Create .env.example template files.
  • Implement a code review process.
  • Use static code analysis tools.

Deployment Phase

  • Use separate environment variables for production.
  • Regularly update dependencies.
  • Implement automated security scans.
  • Establish monitoring and alert mechanisms.

5. Suggested Cursor Project Settings

Project Structure

project/
├── .env.local          # Local development environment variables
├── .env.example        # Environment variable template
├── .gitignore          # Exclude sensitive files
├── .cursorignore       # Cursor ignore files
└── src/
    ├── config/         # Configuration files
    └── utils/          # Utility functions

Example .cursorignore

.env*
*.key
*.pem
secrets/
config/production.json

Example .gitignore

# Environment Variable Files
.env
.env.local
.env.development
.env.test
.env.production
.env.staging
.env.*

# Sensitive Configuration Files
config/secrets.json
config/database.json
config/production.json
config/*.secret.*

# Certificates and Keys
*.pem
*.key
*.crt
*.p12
*.pfx
*.jks
*.keystore
*.truststore

# Database Files
*.db
*.sqlite
*.sqlite3
*.mdb
*.accdb
*.frm
*.ibd

# Log Files
*.log
logs/
log/

# Cache and Temporary Files
.cache/
.tmp/
temp/
tmp/
*.tmp
*.temp

# IDE and Editor Settings
.vscode/settings.json
.idea/
*.swp
*.swo
*~

# OS Files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
desktop.ini

# Backup Files
*.bak
*.backup
*.old
backup/
backups/

Core Security Principles

1. Environment Isolation and Protection

graph TD A[Development Environment] --> B[Test Environment] B --> C[Staging Environment] C --> D[Production Environment] A --> E[Version Control] B --> F[Automated Testing] C --> G[Security Scanning] D --> H[Monitoring and Alerts] E --> I[Code Review] F --> J[Quality Assurance] G --> K[Vulnerability Detection] H --> L[Real-Time Monitoring]

2. Code Security Checks

Vibe Coding emphasizes continuous security checks during development:

  • Static Code Analysis: Detect potential vulnerabilities in real-time.
  • Dependency Scanning: Ensure third-party libraries are free of known vulnerabilities.
  • Sensitive Data Protection: Prohibit hardcoding of passwords or API keys.
  • Input Validation: Strictly validate and sanitize all external inputs.

3. Team Collaboration Security

Creating a secure collaboration environment is a key part of Vibe Coding:

  • Permission Management: Ensure each developer only has access to necessary resources.
  • Code Reviews: All code changes must undergo peer reviews.
  • Security Training: Conduct regular security awareness training.
  • Incident Response: Establish processes for quickly responding to security incidents.

Practical Use Cases

Development Phase

  • Use secure development tools and IDEs.
  • Implement code signing and verification.
  • Establish secure CI/CD pipelines.

Deployment Phase

  • Secure configuration for containerized applications.
  • Network security settings.
  • Database access control.

Operations Phase

  • Continuous monitoring and log analysis.
  • Regular security updates and patches.
  • Disaster recovery planning.

Why Choose Vibe Coding?

  1. Prevention Over Cure: Build security awareness during development.
  2. Team Collaboration: Security is everyone's responsibility.
  3. Continuous Improvement: Continuously optimize security processes and tools.
  4. User Experience: Ensure the product is secure and user-friendly.

Conclusion

Vibe Coding is not just a programming methodology but also a security culture. By fostering a good development atmosphere and security awareness, teams can create secure, high-quality software products.

Special Reminder: When using AI programming tools like Cursor, always establish security awareness and proper permission controls:

  1. Principle of Least Privilege: Grant only necessary access.
  2. Sensitive Information Protection: Never hardcode sensitive information.
  3. Pre-Deployment Checks: Establish a comprehensive security review process.
  4. Continuous Monitoring: Regularly inspect and update security configurations.

Remember: The best security measure is to make security a natural habit during development, not a remedial action afterward.

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