Common Security Mistakes in Laravel Apps and How to Fix Them Properly

Your Laravel application feels solid.

The UI works smoothly. Business logic is complete. Tests pass without issues. Everything looks production-ready.

Until one day… it isn’t.

A user reports that data changed without their action. An admin notices records being updated by the wrong users. Or worse — a vulnerability report lands in your inbox.

In most cases, Laravel is not the weak point.

The way we use Laravel is.

Laravel provides excellent security defaults, but security is not automatic. Small oversights, copied snippets, or rushed decisions can quietly introduce serious vulnerabilities. This article breaks down the most common Laravel security issues, explains why they happen, and shows how to prevent them correctly.

CSRF: Protection Exists — Until You Bypass It

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is one of the oldest web attacks — and it still works surprisingly well.

A CSRF attack tricks an authenticated user into sending a request they never intended to send. That request might:

Update profile data
Change a password
Delete a record
Trigger a payment or logout

Laravel protects against CSRF by default. Problems start when developers forget — or intentionally bypass — that protection.

Where Things Go Wrong

<form method="POST" action="/profile/update">
    <input type="text" name="name">
    <button type="submit">Save</button>
</form>

This form works, but it’s unsafe. Without a CSRF token, the request can be forged from another website.

The Correct Way

<form method="POST" action="/profile/update">
    @csrf
    <input type="text" name="name">
    <button type="submit">Save</button>
</form>

Laravel now verifies that the request came from your application — not somewhere else.

AJAX Requests Are Not Exempt

Many CSRF vulnerabilities appear in APIs or JavaScript-heavy applications.

fetch('/profile/update', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
        'X-CSRF-TOKEN': document
            .querySelector('meta[name="csrf-token"]')
            .content
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ name: 'Alex' })
});

Rule of thumb: If a request changes state, it must be protected.

SQL Injection: Modern Framework, Old Mistake

There’s a dangerous misconception among developers:

“Laravel prevents SQL Injection, so I don’t need to worry.”

Laravel helps prevent SQL Injection — only if you let it.

The Problem Starts with Raw Queries

$users = DB::select(
    "SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = '$email'"
);

If $email comes from user input, attackers can manipulate the query and access unintended data.

Use the Tools Laravel Gives You

The safest approach is Eloquent:

$user = User::where('email', $email)->first();

If raw queries are unavoidable, parameter binding is mandatory:

$users = DB::select(
    'SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?',
    [$email]
);

Laravel escapes values automatically, neutralizing malicious input.

Security lesson: Convenience methods exist for a reason. Use them.

XSS: When User Input Attacks Other Users

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) happens when untrusted input is rendered directly into HTML.

This doesn’t just affect the attacker — it affects every user who views the content.

The Dangerous Shortcut

{!! $message !!}

This tells Blade:
“Trust this content completely.”

If that content contains JavaScript, it will execute.

Blade’s Default Is Safer — Use It

{{ $message }}

Blade automatically escapes output, preventing scripts from running.

What If You Need HTML?

Some applications allow formatted content (comments, blogs, descriptions). In that case:

Sanitize input before storing
Restrict allowed tags
Never trust raw HTML

$clean = strip_tags(
    $input,
    '<p><strong><em><ul><li>'
);

Security principle: Escape by default. Trust only when absolutely necessary.

Mass Assignment: The Silent Privilege Escalation

Mass assignment vulnerabilities are subtle — and extremely dangerous.

They occur when attackers send extra fields in a request that your application never intended to accept.

A Risky Model Setup

protected $guarded = [];

This allows every column to be updated — including:

is_admin
role
status

A Safer Model Definition

class User extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = [
        'name',
        'email',
    ];
}

Reinforce It in Controllers

$user->update(
    $request->only(['name', 'email'])
);

If a field should never be user-controlled, it should never be fillable.

Debug Mode in Production: A Goldmine for Attackers

Laravel’s debug mode is incredibly helpful — and incredibly dangerous in production.

When enabled, it exposes:

Stack traces
File paths
Environment variables
Database queries

Correct Production Settings

APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false

Debugging belongs in development.
Production should reveal nothing about your internals.

File Uploads: One of the Most Exploited Features

File uploads are a favorite target for attackers.

Why? Because developers often trust file extensions.

A Weak Implementation

$request->file('file')->store('uploads');

This accepts anything.

A Secure Validation Strategy

$request->validate([
    'file' => 'required|file|mimes:jpg,jpeg,png,pdf|max:2048',
]);

Safe Storage

$path = $request->file('file')
    ->store('documents', 'private');

Extra Safety Measures

Store files outside public directories
Rename files on upload
Never allow executable formats
Apply strict size limits

Every upload endpoint is a potential entry point. Treat it that way.

Exposed `.env` Files and APP_KEY Disasters

If your .env file becomes public, the damage can be catastrophic.

With the APP_KEY, attackers can:

Forge encrypted cookies
Hijack sessions
Decrypt stored data

Preventive Rules

Never commit .env
Use .env.example
Restrict server access
Rotate keys immediately if exposed

php artisan key:generate

⚠️ This invalidates existing sessions — but that’s a small price for security.

Final Thoughts: Security Is Not Optional

Security is not a feature you “add later.”

It’s a discipline that affects:

How you design models
How you validate requests
How you expose data
How you deploy applications

Laravel gives you excellent tools — but tools only work when used correctly. Most security incidents don’t come from advanced attacks. They come from small, avoidable mistakes.

Where to Go Next

Authorization with Gates & Policies
Rate limiting and abuse prevention
Audit logs and activity tracking
Secure API authentication (Sanctum / Passport)

If you’ve ever made one of these mistakes — you’re not alone.
Writing about them helps the entire Laravel community build safer applications.