5 HIPAA Violations Hiding in Your Next.js Healthcare App Right Now

#security #webdev #healthtech #nextjs

You shipped your healthcare app. It works. Patients love it. Your security review is next week.

Here are five violations I see in almost every Next.js healthcare codebase I review -- and what to do about each one.

1. Your API Routes Have No Authentication Middleware

This is the most common violation I find. Next.js makes it easy to create API routes, and that ease creates a trap: nothing forces you to add authentication.

The problem:

// app/api/patients/[id]/route.ts
export async function GET(req: Request, { params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
  const patient = await db.patients.findById(params.id);
  return Response.json(patient);
}

Anyone with the URL can pull patient records. No token, no session check, nothing. This violates HIPAA 164.312(a)(1) -- the access control standard.

The fix:

// app/api/patients/[id]/route.ts
import { authenticate } from '@/lib/auth';

export async function GET(req: Request, { params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
  const user = await authenticate(req);
  if (!user) {
    return Response.json({ error: 'Unauthorized' }, { status: 401 });
  }

  // Also check authorization -- can THIS user see THIS patient?
  const hasAccess = await checkPatientAccess(user.id, params.id);
  if (!hasAccess) {
    return Response.json({ error: 'Forbidden' }, { status: 403 });
  }

  const patient = await db.patients.findById(params.id);
  return Response.json(patient);
}