Aider app security checklist

Aider edits code directly from the terminal, so a security checklist must review repository and model configuration, secrets, dependency safety and verifiable evidence. This checklist gives concrete Aider specific steps for each area and pairs the review with LyraShield AI for detection plus checksum-bound evidence. For cross tool context see the vibe coding security guide.

Use the current Aider integration guide for the separate CLI 0.2.14 repository check. Aider does not document native MCP or a native skills path; use the standalone CLI and CI gate.

1. Review repository settings and the separate CLI check

Aider does not document native MCP client support. Do not add an invented mcp-servers YAML key, paste MCP credentials into Aider settings or interpret a standalone terminal check as an Aider MCP runtime receipt. Follow the current Aider integration guide. Authenticate the separate repository-check surface with npx -y lyrashield@0.2.14 login --oauth, then run npx -y lyrashield@0.2.14 check-diff for the authorized diff or npx -y lyrashield@0.2.14 gate --verdict when the workflow needs a gate. Review the command’s target, revision, coverage and recorded evidence state. A local login establishes credentials for that user; it does not grant Aider new tools or establish that an application assessment completed.

Review Aider’s actual repository settings, selected model and permitted shell actions before each session. Remove settings or wrappers you do not recognize and keep model credentials outside version control. A third-party MCP bridge is a separate executable dependency with its own permissions and must not be credited to Aider core. The Model Context Protocol specification describes protocol contracts, but cannot establish native support in a client that does not document it. Retain the exact versions and any wrapper source with your review. Inspect the diff before executing checks and preserve incomplete results. A successful diff check is bounded evidence for the files and detectors it covered; it does not prove every application risk has been reviewed.

2. Audit secrets in Aider edited code and config

Aider can introduce example keys, tokens and connection strings as it edits, so scan for hardcoded secrets before commit. Move real values into environment variables or a managed secrets store and verify that no credential lands in the YAML settings file you might share or back up, since that file is easy to overlook when you copy your setup to a new machine. Run a dedicated secrets scanner on the pull request diff rather than relying on visual review, because secrets take many formats and Aider edits can be large and span many files in one session. The CWE entry on cleartext storage of sensitive information explains why this class of flaw persists in AI edited code. Rotate any credential that was written to a file before you caught it, because disk exposure should be treated as a leak and check git history if the secret was already pushed.

3. Validate dependencies Aider introduces

Aider pulls packages as it edits, so review the dependency manifest for unexpected or risky additions on every pull request. Pin versions instead of floating ranges, because a floating range lets a new, unreviewed version enter your build without a code change. Check each new package against a vulnerability database before merge and treat transitive dependencies with the same scrutiny as direct ones, since a safe looking direct package can pull in a vulnerable transitive one. Remove packages the edited code imports but never calls, because dead dependencies still expand your attack surface and slow installs. Prefer packages with active maintainers and clear license terms and note any package that appears in only one of your projects. The OSV database is a free, queryable source for known vulnerabilities across ecosystems. Re-scan after every dependency update, since a transitive package can introduce an advisory even when your direct list is unchanged. Keep a deny list of packages your team has reviewed and rejected, so a future Aider edit does not reintroduce them under a slightly different name. When Aider imports a package you have never used, spend a minute on the package registry checking its publish history and maintainer count before accepting it.

4. Capture verifiable evidence per change

A checklist run is only useful if you can prove it happened and what it found, so record the scanner output, the dependency review and the secret scan verdict for each pull request. Link that evidence to the commit it covers and keep detection results separate from the proof that review occurred, because conflating them lets a failed scan be silently edited to look clean later. Use the free AI app security checklist tool to standardize what each review records, so a teammate can reconstruct what was checked without reading your mind. Store evidence where it cannot be retroactively modified, because the value is auditability across many AI assisted edits over time. Link the evidence record in the pull request description so a reviewer can find it in one click. If you work across multiple repositories, standardize the evidence location so an auditor does not have to learn a new layout per repo, because consistency is what makes evidence usable at scale. Note who reviewed each finding and what they decided, so a later reader can trace a dismissed alert back to its reasoning.

5. Gate merges on the checklist

Wire the checklist into your pull request flow so review cannot be skipped under deadline pressure. Block merge when secrets are found, when a dependency has an unpatched high severity advisory or when the evidence record is missing. Run the LyraShield GitHub Action on the changed diff so only new risks block the build, not preexisting ones that would otherwise stall every pull request. Surface results in the pull request comment so reviewers see the verdict alongside the edit and require an explicit human acknowledgement before a blocked finding is dismissed. This mirrors how teams apply CI gates generally, as described in the GitHub Actions security hardening guide. Treat the gate as the last automated checkpoint before a human merges, not as a substitute for reading the diff. When a finding is dismissed, require the reviewer to record why in the evidence record, so the dismissal is auditable later rather than a silent override.

Checklist area	What to review	Gate action
Repository settings	Model config, wrappers and shell access	Remove unknown entries
Secrets handling	Edited keys, tokens, config credentials	Block merge, rotate
Dependencies	New packages, pinned versions, advisories	Block on high severity
Evidence	Scan output linked to commit	Require before merge

Why pair Aider with LyraShield AI

LyraShield AI gives you release assurance for AI built apps through a target, review, evidence, fix, retest, report loop. For Aider projects it contributes agentic pentest, software composition analysis and secrets scanning, then writes each finding with its scope and evidence in an assurance record; a retest-confirmed state requires a fresh applicable retest. Approval gated fix proposals are proposals requiring review, so a human stays in the loop before anything ships. The platform is live with open registration, so you can create an account and pair it with the AI app security checklist tool. For setup, use the Aider integration guide; the Windsurf security workflow provides separate editor review context. Because Aider edits files directly from the chat prompt without an intermediate review pane, an evidence backed scan before you commit is the moment a risky edit gets caught rather than discovered in production.