Your First Security Scan: A Step-by-Step Guide

Q: What does a security scan check for?

A security scan checks for common vulnerabilities: exposed API keys, missing database security, hardcoded secrets, insecure configurations, and vulnerable dependencies.

~ Your first scan takes 2-3 minutes

TL;DR

Running your first security scan takes about 2 minutes. Connect your GitHub repo, wait for the scan to complete, and review the results by severity. Start by fixing critical issues (usually exposed secrets and missing database security), then work through high and medium priority items.

CheckYourVibe defines a security scan as an automated analysis of your codebase that identifies vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security risks before attackers find them. Unlike manual code review, automated scanning checks thousands of patterns in seconds, finding issues that even experienced developers miss. For vibe-coded apps, scans typically reveal 3-5 critical issues on first run.

CheckYourVibe scans detect 94% of common vibe-coding vulnerabilities automatically.

Your Learning Path (Step 3 of 4)

Start Here

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Why Security Matters

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First Scan

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Quick Wins

Before You Start

Before running your first scan, make sure you have:

Pre-Scan Checklist

A GitHub account with your project repository

Your latest code pushed to the repository

Access to make changes to the code (to fix issues found)

Don't worry if your code isn't perfect. That's the whole point of scanning. The goal is to find issues so you can fix them.

Step-by-Step Scan Process

Connect Your Repository

Visit CheckYourVibe and click "Start Free Scan." You'll be asked to connect your GitHub account. This gives us read-only access to scan your code. We never modify or store your code permanently. ::

Select Your Project

Choose the repository you want to scan from your connected GitHub account. For the best results, select the main branch where your production code lives. ::

Wait for Analysis

The scan typically takes 1-3 minutes depending on your project size. We analyze your code for exposed secrets, security misconfigurations, vulnerable dependencies, and common vulnerability patterns. ::

Review Your Results

Once complete, you'll see a dashboard showing all identified issues organized by severity. Each issue includes an explanation of the problem and guidance on how to fix it. ::

Understanding Severity Levels

Scan results are categorized by how urgently they need to be fixed:

Severity	What It Means	Examples	Action
Critical	Can be exploited right now with immediate consequences	Exposed API keys, missing RLS on public tables	Fix immediately
High	Serious vulnerabilities that could lead to data breach	SQL injection, authentication bypass	Fix within 24 hours
Medium	Security weaknesses that should be addressed	Missing security headers, weak session config	Fix within a week
Low	Best practice recommendations	Verbose error messages, missing rate limiting	Address when possible

What the Scan Checks

Our scanner looks for issues common in vibe-coded applications:

Secrets Detection

API keys (OpenAI, Stripe, AWS, etc.) in code or config files
Hardcoded passwords and tokens
Database connection strings with credentials
Private keys and certificates

Database Security

Missing Row Level Security (RLS) policies
Overly permissive database rules
Exposed database URLs or connection strings

Code Vulnerabilities

SQL injection patterns
Cross-site scripting (XSS) risks
Insecure authentication implementations
Missing input validation

Configuration Issues

Missing security headers
Insecure CORS settings
Debug mode enabled in production
Insecure cookie configurations

Tip: Don't be alarmed if your first scan finds many issues. This is common for vibe-coded apps. The important thing is that you're finding them now, before someone else does.

After Your Scan

Once you have your results, here's the recommended order for fixing issues:

Critical issues first: These are actively exploitable and need immediate attention
High severity next: Address these within a day
Medium severity: Plan to fix within the week
Low severity: Add to your backlog for ongoing improvement

Each issue in your scan results includes specific guidance on how to fix it. Many common issues can be resolved in just a few minutes.

Re-scan after fixes: After addressing issues, run another scan to verify your fixes worked. This also catches any new issues that might have been introduced.

What does a security scan check for?

A security scan checks for common vulnerabilities in vibe-coded apps: exposed API keys, missing database security (RLS), hardcoded secrets, insecure configurations, outdated dependencies with known vulnerabilities, and common coding patterns that lead to XSS or injection attacks.

How long does a security scan take?

Most scans complete in 1-3 minutes depending on your codebase size. Larger projects with many files may take up to 5 minutes. You'll get results immediately after the scan completes.

Is my code safe during a security scan?

Yes. Security scans analyze your code but don't modify or store it. The scan reads files to identify patterns and potential issues, then provides a report. Your code remains unchanged and private.

What if the scan finds issues I don't understand?

Each issue includes an explanation of what the problem is and why it matters. We also provide step-by-step guidance on how to fix it. If you're still stuck, our blog has detailed tutorials for common issues.