Run a 5-Minute Security Audit on Your Bolt.new App (2026)

Estimated reading time: 9–11 minutes

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Fast app development with Bolt.new lets anyone build full-stack apps in record time. But as your AI assistant writes more of your code, security becomes invisible — until something breaks.

Leaked API keys, unpatched dependencies, and unsafe inputs can creep in quietly. The solution? A free, automated audit that finds and fixes vulnerabilities before you ship.

In this guide, you'll learn how to run a five-minute security audit on your Bolt.new project using Rafter — no setup, no cost, and no security background required.

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step 1 — Connect Your Bolt.new App to GitHub
• Step 2 — Scan Your Bolt.new Repo with Rafter
• Step 3 — Review and Interpret the Results
• Step 4 — Fix Vulnerabilities Using Your Bolt.new AI Assistant
• Step 5 — Re-Scan and Automate Security Checks
• Best Practices for Ongoing Security
• Watch the Tutorial
• Conclusion
• Related Resources

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Introduction

The rise of AI app builders like Bolt.new has redefined how developers create and deploy software. What once required weeks of manual coding can now be accomplished in hours through natural-language prompts.

But while Bolt.new takes care of design, logic, and deployment, security remains your responsibility. AI-generated code can unintentionally introduce vulnerabilities such as:

• Insecure third-party dependencies
• Hardcoded secrets or API tokens
• Unsanitized user inputs (leading to injection attacks)
• Overly permissive authentication or data rules

A single oversight can compromise sensitive user data or expose your infrastructure. Fortunately, there's a simple solution: Rafter, a free developer tool that automatically scans your Bolt.new codebase for vulnerabilities and feeds fix prompts directly to your AI assistant.

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to:

• Run a Rafter security audit on your Bolt.new project
• Understand and fix security findings with AI assistance
• Re-scan and automate your audits for ongoing protection

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Step 1 — Connect Your Bolt.new App to GitHub

Before Rafter can scan your app, it needs access to your code — securely, through GitHub.

Why GitHub Integration Matters

Rafter works by analyzing your project's GitHub repository. The connection is read-only, ensuring Rafter can detect vulnerabilities without changing your code or committing updates on your behalf.

This integration provides:

• Centralized code access
• Secure, version-controlled scanning
• Compatibility with GitHub Actions for automation

How to Connect Bolt.new to GitHub

1. In your Bolt.new workspace, click the GitHub icon next to "Publish."
2. Select Connect GitHub.
3. Authorize Bolt.new to access your GitHub account.
4. Confirm that your project repository is synced.

If you don't already have a GitHub account, create one here. It's free and takes under a minute.

Once your project is connected, you're ready to run your first scan.

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Step 2 — Scan Your Bolt.new Repo with Rafter

Running Your First Scan

1. Go to rafter.so.
2. Accept cookies and click SCAN NOW.
3. Sign in with your GitHub credentials.
4. Select your Bolt.new project repository.
5. Choose the branch you want to analyze (typically main).
6. Click START SCAN.

Most projects finish scanning in under a minute.

What Rafter Checks

Rafter runs a comprehensive security audit that includes:

• Dependency vulnerabilities: Detects outdated or vulnerable packages using CVE databases.
• Hardcoded secrets: Finds exposed API keys, credentials, and tokens.
• Insecure endpoints: Flags non-HTTPS or unsafe network calls.
• Injection risks: Identifies unvalidated inputs or user data usage in code.
• Weak configurations: Highlights overly permissive authentication or storage settings.

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Step 3 — Review and Interpret the Results

When your scan completes, Rafter presents a detailed vulnerability report.

Understanding Your Report

Issues are categorized by severity:

• Critical — Immediate risks such as leaked credentials, SQL injection, or unrestricted access.
• Warnings — Potential weaknesses like outdated libraries or improper input validation.
• Improvements — Recommendations for better practices and performance.

Each issue includes context, location, and an AI-ready fix prompt.

Example Output

{
  "type": "critical",
  "issue": "Hardcoded API key found in src/config.ts",
  "recommendation": "Replace hardcoded keys with process.env variables and store them in a secure .env file"
}

Next Step

Rafter's fix prompts can be copied directly into your Bolt.new AI assistant to generate clean, secure code updates.

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Step 4 — Fix Vulnerabilities Using Your Bolt.new AI Assistant

How to Feed Rafter Prompts into Bolt.new

1. Copy the vulnerability details and fix prompt from Rafter.

2. Open your Bolt.new project's AI chat.

3. Paste the prompt and say:

   "Fix this issue: [paste Rafter prompt]."

4. Review the generated fix before applying it.

5. Commit and push your updated code to GitHub.

Why This Works

Rafter provides precise technical context for each issue, while Bolt.new's AI agent handles the implementation. You maintain full control, reviewing each change before committing. This balance allows you to move quickly without compromising safety.

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Step 5 — Re-Scan and Automate Security Checks

Verify Your Fixes

After resolving vulnerabilities, return to your Rafter dashboard and re-run the scan. If everything was fixed correctly, your project should display no new critical or warning issues.

This quick feedback loop ensures that you catch new problems before they ship.

Automate Future Scans

For continuous security, integrate Rafter into your workflow via GitHub Actions. This allows every commit or pull request to trigger an automatic scan.

Example GitHub Action configuration:

name: Rafter Security Scan
on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
jobs:
  scan:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: rafter-ai/scan-action@v1

With this setup, Rafter will analyze every code change automatically, just like your tests or build process.

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Best Practices for Ongoing Security

Even with automation, staying proactive about security is essential. Here are a few best practices to maintain a strong security posture in your Bolt.new projects:

• Scan before every release: Catch issues before they reach production.
• Rotate credentials: Regularly refresh API keys and secrets.
• Update dependencies: Use tools like Dependabot to automate package updates.
• Validate inputs: Sanitize user inputs and apply schema validation on both frontend and backend.
• Enforce HTTPS: Always use secure endpoints for API communication.
• Educate your team: Make security awareness part of your development culture.

Combined with Rafter's automated scanning, these habits keep your AI-generated apps resilient and trustworthy.

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Watch the Tutorial

Prefer to see it in action? Watch our short walkthrough on YouTube:

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Conclusion

Security isn't a one-time task — it's an ongoing process. But it doesn't have to slow you down.

With Rafter, you can perform a full Bolt.new security audit in just minutes, identify vulnerabilities, and apply AI-assisted fixes with confidence.

By integrating regular scans and automated checks, you ensure that your app remains safe as it evolves — without adding friction to your workflow.

Start your first scan today: Visit rafter.so and run a free audit on your Bolt.new app.

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Related Resources

• How to Secure Your GitHub API Keys Automatically
• AI-Generated Code: Security Risks
• The Developer's Guide to CI/CD Security