• Posted by: Eng. Donya Bino
• November 28, 2025

Insecure Code When Using Prompts: A Hidden Risk

Prompts are everywhere now. Chatbots, automation scripts, AI tools you name it. They’re convenient. You type something, the system responds. Quick. Easy. Feels harmless.

But here’s the thing: prompts aren’t magic. They’re just input. And if your code doesn’t handle that input carefully, bad things happen. Sometimes, the “bad thing” is obvious a crash. Sometimes it’s subtle data leaks, commands running that shouldn’t, unexpected behavior.

I’ve seen developers assume that because the prompt is coming from “the user” or “the AI,” it’s safe. Nope. That’s where insecure code sneaks in. A single line of code that blindly executes or parses prompt input can be the hole attackers need.

What do you do? Start simple:
1. Validate everything. Don’t just assume it’s text. Check lengths, allowed characters, patterns.
2. Escape special characters. Especially if prompts end up in commands, databases, or code.
3. Limit what prompts can trigger. Don’t let input directly control sensitive functions.
4. Test weird stuff. Seriously. Random characters, strange sequences, unusual formats, see what breaks.

It’s easy to overlook because prompts feel “soft” and harmless. But in security, even something that feels harmless can be dangerous. Treat every prompt like untrusted input.
The takeaway? Prompts are powerful, but that power is double-edged. Handle them carelessly, and you could be inviting trouble before you even know it.