Who can read the database in AI-built apps

In apps whose database is reached straight from the browser (Supabase, Firebase), the access rules are the only lock. 8% of the AI-built apps we read had a serious data access problem.

had a serious data access problem

of the 200 apps with SQL tables had at least one table without row level security

had Firebase rules that let anyone in

The most common data access problems

Share of all apps in the study with at least one case.

The most common data access problems
Problem	Share of apps
Supabase Edge Function anyone can call	5%
API route with no login check	4%

It is rarely "RLS off"

Only 1% of all tables had row level security switched off; platforms now usually create tables with it switched on. The holes moved: policies that allow every signed-in user to read every row, database functions anyone can call, and Edge Functions that skip the login check.

What to check in your app

For every table, ask what a stranger with your public key can read and change, and what any signed-in user can. Both answers should be "only their own rows" unless the data is meant to be public. Then do the same for every database function and server function.

Data: Redproof's automated checks on public GitHub repositories, November 2026. No repository is named. Method and limits