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HollowByte mascot — pixel art pirate with Guy Fawkes mask

hollowbyte.io

Case Studies

Blog

Contact

Request a Security Review

HollowByte mascot — pixel art pirate with Guy Fawkes mask

hollowbyte.io

MANUAL SECURITY AUDITS

Manual Security Audits for Startup Founders

Manual Security Audits for Startup Founders

Worried about your applications security but don't have the funds needed to onboard security staff? We'll manually test your application before attackers do, at a reasonable price.

Worried about your applications security but don't have the funds needed to onboard security staff? We'll manually test your application before attackers do, at a reasonable price.

Worried about your applications security but don't have the funds needed to onboard security staff? We'll manually test your application before attackers do, at a reasonable price.

Human led testing

Human led testing

Clear remediation guidance

Clear remediation guidance

Reports delivered in days

Reports delivered in days

Human led testing

Clear remediation guidance

Reports delivered in days

Request a Security Review

Request a Security Review

Terminal-style security scan output showing critical and high severity findings including an exposed API key and disabled Row Level Security, from a HollowByte audit
Terminal-style security scan output showing critical and high severity findings including an exposed API key and disabled Row Level Security, from a HollowByte audit
hollowbyte — audit scan
scanning https://client-app.io · launch audit
— secrets & credentials
CRITICAL Exposed API key in client-side bundle
→ /dist/assets/index-8f2e1b.js:1 · sk-proj-••••••••
HIGH Supabase service role key in frontend config
→ /src/lib/supabase.js:4
PASS Git history — no committed secrets found
— access control & authentication
CRITICAL IDOR vulnerability — /api/users/:id returns any user's data
→ unauthenticated access confirmed on 3 endpoints
HIGH RLS disabled on users, orders, payments tables
→ Supabase · anon key can query all rows
MEDIUM JWT validated client-side only — server accepts unsigned tokens
→ /api/auth/verify
MEDIUM No rate limiting on login endpoint
→ /api/auth/login · brute force possible
LOW Missing security headers — CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options
→ securityheaders.com score: F
✓ scan complete · 6 findings · report ready
2 critical 2 high 2 medium 1 low

Used before launch by SaaS founders

Used before launch by SaaS founders

Manual testing by security experts

Manual testing by security experts

No automated PDF reports

No automated PDF reports

Reports you can actually fix

Reports you can actually fix

AI writes code.
Attackers don't care who wrote it.

AI writes code.
Attackers don't care who wrote it.

AI writes code.
Attackers don't care who wrote it.

AI generated code frequently ships with broken access controls, insecure defaults, exposed secrets, and flawed authentication logic.

Authentication

Broken JWT validation

Broken JWT validation

Session issues

Session issues

OAuth mistakes

OAuth mistakes

Missing MFA enforcement

Missing MFA enforcement

Authorizaton

IDOR

IDOR

Privilege escalation

Privilege escalation

Missing ownership checks

Missing ownership checks

Exposed admin roles

Exposed admin roles

AI Specific Mistakes

Over-permissive Supabase policies

Over-permissive Supabase policies

Exposed secrets

Exposed secrets

Generated insecure middleware

Generated insecure middleware

Prompt injection surfaces

Prompt injection surfaces

Why scanners aren't enough

Why scanners aren't enough

Why scanners aren't enough

Fact: of the current OWASP Top 10, 5 out of 10 risks cannot be fully detected or tested by automated scanners.

$ zap-cli quick-scan https://yourapp.com
No alerts found.
$ hollowbyte manual audit
CRITICAL Broken access control
HIGH JWT none algorithm
MEDIUM Rate limiting bypass
LOW Security headers

We manually test:

Authentication flows

Authentication flows

Business logic

Business logic

Multi-step attack chains

Multi-step attack chains

Access controls

Access controls

AI generated code

AI generated code

API abuse

API abuse

Built on industry-standard tools
GitLeaks
Snyk
OWASP ZAP
Burp Suite
Semgrep
GitLeaks
Snyk
OWASP ZAP
Burp Suite
Semgrep
Built on industry-standard tools
GitLeaks
Snyk
OWASP ZAP
Burp Suite
Semgrep
GitLeaks
Snyk
OWASP ZAP
Burp Suite
Semgrep

Top findings, from real apps

Top findings, from real apps

Top findings, from real apps

CRITICAL

CRITICAL

Anyone could access another customers invoices.

Anyone could access another customers invoices.

Anyone could access another customers invoices.

Cause:

Cause:

Missing authorization check.

Missing authorization check.

Fix:

Ownership validation

Fix:

Fix:

Ownership validation.

Ownership validation.

HIGH

JWT accepted unsigned tokens.

Impact:

Full account takeover.

Fix:

Enforce signature validation and reject "none" algorithm.

HIGH

Rate limit bypass.

Impact:

Credential stuffing and brute force risk.

Fix:

Apply consistent rate limits across all endpoints.

HIGH

Anyone could access another customers invoices.

Cause:

Missing authorization check.

Fix:

Ownership validation

HIGH

Anyone could access another customers invoices.

Cause:

Missing authorization check.

Fix:

Ownership validation

HIGH

JWT accepted unsigned tokens.

Impact:

Full account takeover.

Fix:

Enforce signature validation and reject "none" algorithm.

HIGH

Rate limiting bypass.

Impact:

Credential stuffing and brute force risk.

Fix:

Apply consistent rate limits across all endpoints.

From the last batch of apps we've audited, findings like these are consistently present, regardless of which AI tool built the app.

SERVICE OPTIONS

SERVICE OPTIONS

Choose the security engagement that fits your stage

Choose the security engagement that fits your stage

Choose the security engagement that fits your stage

From focused manual reviews for early-stage apps to custom security work for complex environments.

From focused manual reviews for early-stage apps to custom security work for complex environments.

Security Review

Security Review

You want added peace of mind pre or post launch, but cannot afford a security team. This is the best tier for you - ideal for MVPs, early-stage products, and solo founders on tight budgets.

Fixed price

$499

$499

USD

An in depth manual review of your application’s highest-risk areas.

✓ Manual security review
✓ Authentication & authorization checks
✓ API & database review
✓ Dependency & configuration checks
✓ Prioritized report + fix guidance

Get a Security Review

Recommended

Recommended

Penetration Test

Penetration Test

Best tier if your build deals with highly sensitive data, or is growing fast. Being at the front stage of a security incident is never fun, but we've got your back.

Fixed price

$1,499

$1,499

USD

An in depth manual assessment designed to uncover real exploitable weaknesses.

✓ Everything in Security Review
✓ Deep auth / session / JWT testing
✓ Access control & IDOR testing
✓ API endpoint mapping & abuse testing
✓ Input validation & injection testing
✓ Business logic testing
✓ Retest / verification included

Get a Penetration Test

Custom Engagement

Custom Engagement

We understand that each application is different. If your needs required a more tailored approach, lets talk!

Custom

Custom

pricing

For remediation, incidents, architecture reviews, and larger environments that need tailored scoping.

✓ Vulnerability remediation
✓ Incident triage
✓ Architecture review
✓ Large / multi-environment apps
✓ Ongoing security support

Discuss Your Project

Unsure which engagement is right for you?

Unsure which engagement is right for you?

Every build is different, with varying needs. Lets get in touch and we'll help better scope your needs and recommend the best path forward.

Contact Us

Fixed pricing applies to standard-scope applications. Larger or unusually complex environments are quoted separately.

Fixed pricing applies to standard-scope applications. Larger or unusually complex environments are quoted separately.

Fixed pricing applies to standard-scope applications. Larger or unusually complex environments are quoted separately.

Why HollowByte?

Why HollowByte?

Why HollowByte?

Every engagement is personally performed.

Every engagement is personally performed.

Clear prioritized reports.

Clear prioritized reports.

No automated scanner dumps

No automated scanner dumps

Every vulnerability is manually verified.

Every vulnerability is manually verified.

Every finding includes remediation guidance.

Every finding includes remediation guidance.

We optimize for founders shipping quickly.

We optimize for founders shipping quickly.

Common questions

Common questions:

Why not just use automated scanners?

Scanners catch known patterns (such as SQL injection signatures, outdated libraries, missing headers, etc.). However, they don't understand what your app is supposed to do, so they often miss business logic flaws, broken access control, and multi-step attack chains, which is most of what actually gets exploited with AI generated code.

Why not just use automated scanners?

Do you test production?

Will you sign an NDA?

Can you help fix issues?

What if you find nothing?

Can you review AI-generated code?

Ready to know what's underneath?

Every day your app is live without a security review is a day of unknown risk.

Request a Security Review

Request a Security Review

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