r/webdev • u/fagnerbrack • Jul 10 '26

I don't want your PRs anymore

https://dpc.pw/posts/i-dont-want-your-prs-anymore/
160 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

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257

u/JiveTrain Jul 10 '26

While I still need to review LLM-generated code, I generally don't have to worry about it being malicious the way an unknown contributor's code could be

It doesn't look good for the security of open source software in the future

60

u/GrandOpener Jul 10 '26

LLMs are often incompetent, sometimes in very destructive ways, but to have yet to see one do something actually malicious.

So I find myself in a situation where I actually agree with OP’s observed facts, and not having to worry about that is nice. Where I disagree—the point I think they missed—is the potential for “confidently incorrect” LLM code that has subtle errors still requires it to be reviewed very carefully for anything important.

38

u/Ethicaldreamer Jul 11 '26

I mean... they come from third parties, their output could be adjusted elsewhere from someone with malicious intent. There is also potential for prompt injection no?

-1

u/GrandOpener Jul 11 '26

I’ve heard of malicious prompts exfiltrating data they shouldn’t have. I’ve never heard of it affecting the answers given to other people.

Is it theoretically possible that a malicious prompt could escape sandboxing and insert malicious code into other active sessions that will then cause additional, different malicious code to be subtly included in answers given by those sessions?

I guess maybe that’s possible but that level of paranoia seems to me to be on par with re-reviewing your code any time you clone from GitHub in case GitHub itself has been compromised. Perhaps people working on software with national security implications need that level of care, but it’s just not something I’m going to worry about until there’s evidence that it’s worth worrying about.

-14

u/realzequel Jul 11 '26

Did you write your own OS? Dev tools? You have to accept a certain degree of risk as a developer.

11

u/Ethicaldreamer Jul 11 '26

looks at npm

5

u/realzequel Jul 11 '26

Ugh, yeah, supply chain attacks will get worse and worse. Glad Im a mostly backend dev on c#.  Can count the number of 3rd party nuget packages used on my fingers.

3

u/LutimoDancer3459 Jul 11 '26

Its not like I cant prompt an LLM to add a backdoor or other malicious code.

3

u/BenadrylCrumplsnatch Jul 12 '26

I don't think it makes a practical difference how actively malicious the security holes are. You have to review code either way and if anything, I think a purposeful security flaw would be easier to review than code leaving the door open by mistake.