Bolt security

Insecure Cookie Configuration in Bolt Application

Your Bolt.new application stores authentication tokens or session data in cookies without proper security attributes. Missing HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags leave your users' sessions vulnerable to theft through XSS attacks, man-in-the-middle interception, and cross-site request forgery.

When Bolt generates authentication code, it may set cookies using basic document.cookie assignments or use a cookie library with default (insecure) settings. This means session tokens can be read by JavaScript (enabling XSS-based theft), transmitted over unencrypted HTTP connections, and sent along with cross-site requests.

An attacker who steals a session cookie can impersonate any user on your platform, access their data, make purchases on their behalf, or escalate privileges to admin accounts. This is a silent vulnerability that leaves no trace until it's exploited.

Error Messages You Might See

Warning: Cookie set without HttpOnly flag Cookie rejected due to SameSite=None without Secure Set-Cookie header ignored: must be Secure when SameSite=None Mixed Content: cookie will be blocked in future browser versions
Warning: Cookie set without HttpOnly flagCookie rejected due to SameSite=None without SecureSet-Cookie header ignored: must be Secure when SameSite=NoneMixed Content: cookie will be blocked in future browser versions

Common Causes

  • Missing HttpOnly flag — Cookies are readable by JavaScript via document.cookie, so any XSS vulnerability can steal session tokens
  • Missing Secure flag — Cookies are sent over unencrypted HTTP connections, allowing interception on public WiFi networks
  • SameSite not set to Strict or Lax — Cookies are sent with cross-site requests, enabling CSRF attacks
  • Cookies set from client-side JavaScript — Using document.cookie or js-cookie instead of setting cookies from the server with proper flags
  • Overly broad cookie domain or path — Cookies scoped to a parent domain or root path, making them accessible to other subdomains or paths that may be compromised

How to Fix It

  1. Set cookies from the server — Use Set-Cookie headers from your API routes instead of document.cookie: res.setHeader('Set-Cookie', `token=${value}; HttpOnly; Secure; SameSite=Lax; Path=/; Max-Age=86400`)
  2. Enable HttpOnly — This prevents JavaScript from accessing the cookie, blocking XSS-based theft entirely
  3. Enable Secure flag — Ensures cookies are only sent over HTTPS connections, preventing interception
  4. Set SameSite to Lax or Strict — Lax allows cookies on top-level navigations (links), Strict blocks all cross-site cookie sending
  5. Use a session library — Install iron-session or next-auth which handle secure cookie configuration by default
  6. Set proper expiration — Use Max-Age or Expires instead of session cookies for persistent login, and set reasonable timeouts

Real developers can help you.

Luca Liberati Luca Liberati I work on monoliths and microservices, backends and frontends, manage K8s clusters and love to design apps architecture Krishna Sai Kuncha Krishna Sai Kuncha Experienced Professional Full stack Developer with 8+ years of experience across react, python, js, ts, golang and react-native. Developed inhouse websearch tooling for AI before websearch was solved : ) Antriksh Narang Antriksh Narang 5 years+ Experienced Dev (Specially in Web Development), can help in python, javascript, react, next.js and full stack web dev technologies. Caio Rodrigues Caio Rodrigues I'm a full-stack developer focused on building practical and scalable web applications. My main experience is with **React, TypeScript, and modern frontend architectures**, where I prioritize clean code, component reusability, and maintainable project structures. I have strong experience working with **dynamic forms, state management (Redux / React Hook Form), and complex data-driven interfaces**. I enjoy solving real-world problems by turning ideas into reliable software that companies can actually use in their daily operations. Beyond coding, I care about **software quality and architecture**, following best practices for componentization, code organization, and performance optimization. I'm also comfortable working across the stack when needed, integrating APIs, handling business logic, and helping transform prototypes into production-ready systems. My goal is always to deliver solutions that are **simple, efficient, and genuinely useful for the people using them.** Basel Issmail Basel Issmail ’m a Senior Full-Stack Developer and Tech Lead with experience designing and building scalable web platforms. I work across the full development lifecycle, from translating business requirements into technical architecture to delivering reliable production systems. My work focuses on modern web technologies, including TypeScript, Angular, Node.js, and cloud-based architectures. I enjoy solving complex technical problems and helping teams turn product ideas and prototypes into working platforms that can grow and scale. In addition to development, I often collaborate closely with product managers, business analysts, designers, and QA teams to ensure that solutions align with both technical and business goals. I enjoy working with startups and product teams where I can contribute both as a hands-on engineer and as a technical partner in designing and delivering impactful software. Omar Faruk Omar Faruk As a Product Engineer at Klasio, I contributed to end-to-end product development, focusing on scalability, performance, and user experience. My work spanned building and refining core features, developing dynamic website templates, integrating secure and reliable payment gateways, and optimizing the overall system architecture. I played a key role in creating a scalable and maintainable platform to support educators and learners globally. I'm enthusiastic about embracing new challenges and making meaningful contributions. Jacek Rozanski Jacek Rozanski Senior PHP/Symfony developer and DevOps engineer with 20+ years of professional experience, running opcode.pl (web development agency, est. 2004). Day job: I'm the sole backend developer at merketing company where I own and maintain 11 PHP/Symfony microservices on AWS (ECS Fargate, RDS, S3, CloudFront), handle the full CI/CD pipeline (Bitbucket Pipelines, Docker), and manage monitoring with Sentry and CloudWatch. These services handle high request volumes in production every month. What I bring to AI-built apps: - I audit and fix security issues (OWASP methodology), performance bottlenecks, and architectural problems in codebases generated by Cursor, Claude Code, Lovable, Bolt, and v0 - I refactor AI-generated prototypes into production-grade applications with proper error handling, testing, and clean architecture (SOLID, DDD, hexagonal architecture) - I set up the infrastructure AI tools don't touch: AWS hosting, CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, database optimization, monitoring, and alerting - I integrate external services: payment providers, email systems, partner APIs, SSO/auth Tech stack: PHP 8.x, Symfony, React, Next.js, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Docker, AWS (ECS, RDS, S3, SQS/SNS, CloudFront), Terraform, Supabase. I also use AI tools daily (Claude Code, Cursor) in my own workflow, so I understand both the strengths and the gaps in AI-generated code. Based in Poland (CET timezone). Available for async work and calls during EU/US business hours. rayush33 rayush33 JavaScript (React.js, React Native, Node.js) Developer with demonstrated industry experience of 4+ years, actively looking for opportunities to hone my skills as well as help small-scale business owners with solutions to technical problems hanson1014 hanson1014 Full-stack developer experienced in fixing and deploying AI-generated apps from Lovable, Bolt.new, Cursor, and Replit. I specialize in debugging Supabase integration issues (auth flows, RLS policies, database connections), fixing broken deployments, resolving routing/blank screen problems, and cleaning up messy React/Vite codebases. I also build production apps with the Claude API and have shipped a Mac desktop dev tool (Nexterm from scratch. Based in Hong Kong, fast turnaround. PawelPloszaj PawelPloszaj I'm fronted developer with 10+ years of experience with big projects. I have small backend background too

You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.

Get Help

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite?

HttpOnly prevents JavaScript access to the cookie (blocks XSS theft). Secure ensures the cookie is only sent over HTTPS. SameSite controls whether cookies are sent with cross-site requests (blocks CSRF). You need all three for proper security.

Should I use localStorage or cookies for auth tokens?

Cookies with HttpOnly and Secure flags are safer for auth tokens because JavaScript cannot access them, making XSS attacks ineffective. localStorage is readable by any script on the page, so a single XSS vulnerability exposes all tokens.

Related Bolt Issues

Can't fix it yourself?
Real developers can help.

You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.

Get Help