Remove exposed JavaScript source maps in production

15 min Impact: medium Effort: low ✓ Scan-verified — no manual checkbox

Source maps (.js.map files) let browser dev tools show your original, unminified source code and comments for debugging — if they're publicly accessible on a production site, anyone can reconstruct your full readable source code, including internal comments and logic never meant to be public.

A .js.map file lets anyone reconstruct your original, unminified source code from the compiled file the browser actually loads — including comments, variable names, and logic you didn't intend to publish.

How to fix it

1

Check if source maps are being generated for production builds

Look at your build config (webpack, vite, etc.) for a sourcemap or devtool setting.
2

Disable them for production, or restrict access

Either turn off source map generation entirely for production builds, or generate them but don't deploy the .map files to your public server.
3

Keep using them for staging/development

Source maps are genuinely useful while you're actively debugging — the fix is keeping them out of what ships to the live public site, not eliminating them from your workflow.

Common mistakes

It's common for a build tool to generate source maps by default without anyone deciding to — check your actual build output folder, not just assumptions about your config.

How you'll know it's done

No .js.map files are accessible on your live production site.

H.I.V.E. checks this automatically

Fix it, then re-scan — the check confirms itself. No manual checkbox, the scan is the truth.

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Remove exposed JavaScript source maps in production

How to fix it

Common mistakes

How you'll know it's done

Related checks

H.I.V.E. checks this automatically