Windsurf
security
Windsurf Generated API Routes Without Auth Middleware
Windsurf's Cascade generated API routes and server endpoints that process requests without verifying the user is authenticated or authorized. Anyone who knows the URL can access, modify, or delete data without logging in.
This happens frequently when Cascade creates new CRUD endpoints, admin routes, or data export functionality. The generated handlers focus on the business logic but skip the authentication and authorization layer entirely. Your app may have a login page, but the API behind it is wide open.
You might discover this when testing your API directly with curl or Postman and realizing it returns data without any authentication header, or when a user accesses another user's data by changing an ID in the URL.
Error Messages You Might See
200 OK (but should be 401 Unauthorized)
Data returned without authentication header
User A can see User B's records
No authorization header required
Common Causes
- No middleware applied to new routes — Cascade generated route handlers but didn't wrap them with your existing auth middleware
- Auth check missing on individual endpoints — Some routes have auth, others don't, because they were generated in separate Cascade sessions
- No authorization checks — Routes verify the user is logged in but don't check if they have permission to access the specific resource
- Public endpoints exposing private data — API routes intended for internal use are accessible without authentication
- Missing user scoping on queries — Database queries return all records instead of filtering by the authenticated user's ID
How to Fix It
- Audit all your routes — List every API endpoint in your app and mark which ones require authentication. Any endpoint that reads or writes user data must be protected
- Apply auth middleware globally — Set up authentication middleware at the router level so all routes are protected by default, then explicitly mark public routes
- Add authorization checks — After verifying identity, check that the user has permission to access the specific resource (e.g., only the owner can edit their profile)
- Scope all database queries — Always filter queries by the authenticated user's ID: WHERE user_id = $currentUser instead of returning all rows
- Test with unauthenticated requests — Use curl or Postman to hit every endpoint without an auth token and verify you get 401 responses
- Enable Supabase RLS if applicable — Turn on Row Level Security and create policies that restrict data access at the database level
Real developers can help you.
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.
Stanislav Prigodich
15+ years building iOS and web apps at startups and enterprise companies. I want to use that experience to help builders ship real products - when something breaks, I'm here to fix it.
Jaime Orts-Caroff
I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields
Tejas Chokhawala
Full-stack engineer with 5 years experience building production web apps using React, Next.js and TypeScript.
Focused on performance, clean architecture and shipping fast.
Experienced with Supabase/Postgres backends, Stripe billing, and building AI-assisted developer tools.
Franck Plazanet
I am a Strategic Engineering Leader with over 8 years of experience building high-availability enterprise systems and scaling high-performing technical teams. My focus is on bridging the gap between complex technology and business growth.
Core Expertise:
🚀 Leadership: Managing and coaching teams of 15+ engineers, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
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I thrive on "out-of-the-box" thinking to solve complex technical bottlenecks and am always looking for ways to use automation to improve business productivity.
Jen Jacobsen
I’m a Full-Stack Developer with over 10 years of experience building modern web and mobile applications. I enjoy working across the full product lifecycle — turning ideas into real, well-built products that are intuitive for users and scalable for businesses.
I particularly enjoy building mobile apps, modern web platforms, and solving complex technical problems in a way that keeps systems clean, reliable, and easy to maintain.
Costea Adrian
Embedded Engineer specilizing in perception systems. Latest project was a adas camera calibration system.
Jared Hasson
Full time lead founding dev at a cyber security saas startup, with 10 yoe and a bachelor's in CS. Building & debugging software products is what I've spent my time on for forever
legrab
I'll fill this later
Yovel Cohen
I got a lot of experience in building Long-horizon AI Agents in production, Backend apps that scale to millions of users and frontend knowledge as well.
You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.
Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
How do I know which endpoints are unprotected?
Use curl or Postman to make requests to each API endpoint without any authentication headers. Any endpoint that returns 200 instead of 401 is unprotected. Also review your route files for handlers that don't reference auth middleware.
Should I protect every single endpoint?
Almost every endpoint should require authentication. The exceptions are typically: login/signup, password reset, public content pages, health checks, and webhook receivers. Everything that touches user data must be protected.