Secure Code Scanning: Basics & Best Practices

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What is secure code scanning?

Secure code scanning (also known as secure code review) is the practice of assessing code for potential security flaws and code quality problems. It involves the use of specialized tools and techniques to identify and resolve code smells, errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, hardcoded secrets and data privacy risks in first-party code, third-party libraries, container images, and public repositories.

Just as grammar-checking tools help rid your documents of spelling and grammar errors, code scanners detect potential vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in your code, ensuring that only quality, trusted code gets shipped to production. 

In this article, we&#;ll explore the step-by-step process of code scanning, its benefits, approaches, and best practices.

Why is code scanning important?

Secure code scanning has become vital in the software development process because code security issues are inevitable and can quickly become exploitable security vulnerabilities that impact development teams, users, and infrastructure. Below are some reasons to consider scanning your code for vulnerabilities before going live:

Rapid software release cycles leave bugs and security flaws

Increasingly, enterprises are shortening software release cycles to edge out the competition. But because this cuts some of the time that development and security teams spend building apps and resolving potential security risks, rapid release cycles often result in the deployment of vulnerable software. 

With code scanning, development teams can schedule code scans to run at periodic intervals or every time new code is added to their IDEs. Essentially, the earlier code scanning is introduced into the development process, the lower the cost and complexity of remediating issues, empowering organizations to (safely) speed up software release cycles.

Breaches have become more common

According to research by Forrester, in alone, there were 3,205 data beaches&#;that&#;s approximately 9 breaches per day. By flagging potential vulnerabilities before software is deployed, code scanning incorporates secure coding practices into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This not only enhances software security and quality, but it also reduces the frequency and severity of data breaches. 

Data breaches are costly

The fallout from data breaches can be far-reaching, including non-compliance penalties, lawsuits, reputational and financial costs, and the loss of customer trust. For context, telecommunications giant T-Mobile spent a whopping $350 million to settle a class-action lawsuit after a data breach in July . But this was not all the breach cost the organization; T-Mobile also had to pay hefty legal fees and commit to a $150 million data security spend, as well as facing a massive hit to their reputation and customer trust. 

To prevent such drastic consequences, code scanning tracks data as it flows through software applications, flagging sensitive data in file calls and function calls for proactive remediation.

The basic steps to code scanning

Read on to learn how the code scanning process functions, step by step: 

Step 1: Define the scope

The first step is to clearly delineate all software, codebases, and modules to be covered by the code scanner. Then, determine if you want to run scheduled code scans, continuous code scans, or both. Scheduled scans are cheaper and run at set intervals (e.g., every time code is compiled and ready to be shipped, weekly, etc.). On the other hand, continuous scans tend to rack up costs but run in real time to catch security vulnerabilities as soon as they are introduced into your code.

Step 2: Choose the scanning tools

In the second phase, select optimal scanning tools. For comprehensive code security throughout the software development lifecycle, your code scanning tools should be a mix of SAST, DAST, secrets scanning, and SCA tools. 

Step 3: Integrate with all necessary pipelines and environments

Integrate code scanners with all build systems, development and CI/CD pipelines, and code repositories. This will enable automated, on-the-fly-code scanning as new commits or builds are made.

Step 4: Customize the tool 

Configure the tool to incorporate in-house security policies, standards, and rule sets (such as source code protection policies) to tailor the scans to your unique requirements. 

Step 5: Run the scan 

Begin code scanning at the earliest possible moment, while the app is still static and before the source code is compiled. This ensures all code issues are detected before changes become overly complicated and time-consuming.

Step 6: Review results 

Examine scan results to pinpoint the sources of vulnerabilities, bugs, and code smells. Tools that offer comprehensive vulnerability reports are critical at this stage. 

Step 7: Fix code issues 

Resolve code security risks identified by modifying code, patching vulnerable software, or implementing other measures recommended by your tools. Tools that offer in-line feedback on how to fix code issues will be helpful here. 

Step 8: Continuously monitor for new issues

Continuously rescan to verify that identified issues have been properly fixed and to ensure ongoing code security. 

Approaches to code scanning

There&#;s a wide range of code scanning techniques and tools, each with their own use case. Let&#;s take a closer look:

Techniques/tools Description

Static application security testing (SAST)

Static analysis tools scan source code at rest to find common security risks like outdated software packages, access control problems, unsanitized external inputs, and buffer overflows.

Dynamic application security testing (DAST)

Dynamic analysis simulates attacks to detect runtime vulnerabilities like remote code execution (RCE), race conditions, and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

Software composition analysis (SCA)

SCA tools assess source code, binary files, container images, package managers, and more for dependencies and associated known vulnerabilities by comparing the dependencies against vulnerability databases, such as the National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

Interactive application security testing (IAST)

IAST combines elements of SAST and DAST capabilities.

Secrets scanning

Secrets scanning tools analyze public repositories, container images, DevOps pipelines, and more for hard-coded credentials to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive cloud infrastructure.

Code scanning&#;s challenges 

From the table above, it&#;s clear that each code scanning technique has its strengths&#;and weaknesses. Besides these downsides, there are also two common challenges when it comes to using most code scanning techniques: false positives and false negatives. These challenges occur when code scanning tools either &#;identify&#; vulnerabilities that aren&#;t actually present (false positives) or miss vulnerabilities that are present (false negatives). 

To minimize false positives and negatives, it&#;s best practice to apply multiple scanning techniques and tools throughout the SDLC, ensuring that you benefit from the strengths of all approaches without being bogged down by their weaknesses. 

What vulnerabilities can code scanning detect? 

Code scanning tools detect a wide range of vulnerabilities&#;including those listed in the OWASP Top 10&#;using techniques such as flow-based analysis, semantic analysis, pattern matching, fuzzing, and heuristic analysis. Here are some vulnerabilities that code scanning detects and how it detects them:

VulnerabilityDetection Mechanism

SQL injection

By searching for input sanitization failures and other software design issues that allow users to input SQL queries directly into input fields without proper sanitization

Cross-site request forgery

By identifying improper input validation or insecure system tokens that empower hackers to exploit a target system&#;s trust for a returning user

Remote code execution (RCE)

By looking for misconfigurations or improper validation mechanisms that allow attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely

Buffer overflows

By detecting misconfigurations that allow input data beyond what a buffer can normally hold to be sent to it

Hardcoded secrets

By scanning for high-entropy or known patterns that indicate the presence of secrets&#;like API tokens or admin passwords&#;in code

Real-world examples

MOVEit Transfer alert from Wiz

1.The MOVEit Transfer attack: A SQL injection attack that targeted MOVEit Transfer was identified in May . The attack exploited three critical SQL injection vulnerabilities in the managed file transfer (MFT) service&#;s code to exfiltrate data, impacting many MOVEit Transfer customers, including GreyNoise and Kroll. 

From all indications, the vulnerability had a long dwell time, possibly spanning more than two years. The vulnerability could have been detected and resolved faster if code scanning had been implemented, preventing the attack and the subsequent reputational damage to MOVEit Transfer.

2. The Ollama RCE vulnerability: In June , the Wiz Research team discovered an exploitable remote code execution vulnerability (CVE--) in Ollama, a popular open-source project for running AI models. This vulnerability allowed attackers to send carefully crafted HTTP requests to Ollama&#;s exposed API server. 

Though the security issue has since been resolved, developers of AI projects&#;and all internet-facing software, for that matter&#;can learn an essential lesson from this attack: Code scanning is critical to correct misconfigurations and security risks like RCE vulnerabilities.

7 essential code scanning best practices

1.Create a source code protection policy that states how and when you want your source code scanned, how you want it protected (e.g., through encryption), and which administrative roles should have access to your code and DevOps pipelines. This will protect your code against unauthorized tampering or theft.

2. Choose the right blend of tools by considering their ability to:

• Automate your workflows so that they don&#;t slow down software release cycles; 

• Support all programming languages in your stack so you don&#;t have to worry about blind spots;

• Detect potential vulnerabilities on the fly to help development teams adopt secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices Checklist;

• Provide up-to-date vulnerability intelligence to minimize false negatives;

• Support in-code compliance management so you don&#;t have to deal with breaches and regulatory fines;

• Offer robust reports with actionable insights for fast vulnerability resolution; and

• Support cross-team collaboration to improve overall software security without slowing down the release cycle.

  Additional reading:
  How Does a Solar Energy System Function?

  If you want to learn more, please visit our website What Is Code Scanning.

3. Test for code security flaws early: This best practice involves adopting a shift-left, secure-by-design approach that unites DevSecOps teams, and in the long run, saves money, time, and effort you&#;d have spent on complicated secure code reviews if security was incorporated at a later stage.

4. Run automated and scheduled scans: As previously mentioned, both types of scans are useful in different scenarios. While automated scans provide instantaneous feedback on code issues throughout the SDLC, scheduled scans provide in-depth point-in-time analysis that can be useful for tracking your code security program&#;s evolution over time.

5. Address risks in a timely manner: Forbes research shows that security teams leave at least 23% of cloud alerts uninvestigated and unresolved. Unfortunately, unresolved risks present threat actors with opportunities to attack your systems. To avoid being an easy target, apply fixes and update software promptly. Also, choosing tools that prioritize risks and minimize alert fatigue means teams won&#;t have to manually validate results.

6. Finetune tool configuration so it serves your unique needs. This includes incorporating business context; adjusting sensitivity settings; adding exceptions, whitelists, and blacklists where necessary; and defining rules and signatures. Combining these strategies with multiple code scanning tools and techniques yields comprehensive and accurate results&#;with little to no false positives.

7. Increase secure coding awareness through employee training, accountability, and research on evolving vulnerability trends. Help developers understand that writing clean code from the ground up is in their best interest: There&#;ll be fewer security vulnerabilities to deal with post-production with shift-left security.

Wiz for code security

Wiz&#;s approach to secure code scanning is centered around its comprehensive, cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP), which integrates code security with cloud security. Wiz Code, a new addition to our platform, extends this by offering seamless, agentless scanning for security vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and secrets directly within the code before it&#;s deployed to production.

By scanning both application code and infrastructure as code (IaC), Wiz provides holistic security coverage that catches vulnerabilities early in the development cycle. This helps reduce risks by enabling development teams to detect and remediate issues faster, fostering secure coding practices that scale with modern DevSecOps workflows.

Wiz Code's integration into CI/CD pipelines also ensures continuous scanning and monitoring, empowering developers to maintain security without interrupting their workflows. This allows organizations to maintain a strong security posture while accelerating innovation in cloud environments.

Secure your cloud from code to production

Learn why CISOs at the fastest growing companies trust Wiz to accelerate secure cloud development.

Get a demo

Application security tools such as static code analysis tools and software composition analysis are crucial in today&#;s software development lifecycle. Nowadays, applications have moved beyond source code alone, and the conversation around adopting code scanning tools has broadened to include protecting fully-fledged applications, including open-source packages, APIs, containers and cloud deployments, infrastructure, and runtime deployments. 

This article will focus on Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Software Composition Analysis (SCA), looking at how to choose a SAST tool and how to choose an SCA tool with a holistic view of application security in mind. 

What are

Static Code Analysis Tools

and Why Are

Code Scanning Tools

Important?

Static code analysis tools aim to prevent vulnerabilities by scanning source code at the earliest stages of the software development lifecycle, before applications have been launched. 

Developers are under a high level of pressure to move fast and get applications and new features built and deployed quickly, and static code analysis tools help them by highlighting potential vulnerabilities and shifting security left into development. By identifying deviations from coding standards, defects or vulnerabilities early &#; they can be fixed much faster and with less rework, creating a more secure and collaborative DevSecOps environment that reduces friction. 

What is SAST?

SAST stands for Static Application Security Testing, and it&#;s an example of source code scanning tools that supports early detection of security vulnerabilities through static code analysis. By using SAST, developers can improve the quality of their code by identifying common coding errors and vulnerabilities, comply with targeted industry standards and compliance regulations, and save the financial and reputational headache of a security breach further down the line. 

 

Remediating code vulnerabilities after launch is estimated to cost 640x more than fixing the issue at the source. Simply put? The earlier you can fix a security issue, the better.

What is SCA? 

Of course, building applications is about a lot more than just source code. Developers regularly incorporate open source libraries into their code, which helps them to move faster and avoid reinventing the wheel time and again. However, open source libraries and functions can contain security vulnerabilities or even malicious code, and be an attack vector for threat actors. 

 

This is where Software Composition Analysis (SCA) comes in. By identifying and managing the open source libraries in use, and scanning them for vulnerabilities or malicious code, developers can rely on SCA to be confident that they are not opening the business up to risk. 

Differences Between Static

Code Scanning Tools

and SCA

Static code analysis tools like SAST are not the same as software composition analysis. While they can both be run at various stages of the SDLC, the target is different. While SAST focuses on source code, while SCA looks at open source components and functions.

Both are necessary elements of an application security platform: SAST is used by developers as they write code to ensure immediate remediation where necessary, while SCA keeps track of open source components to make sure they are safe. 

What Capabilities Do the Best SAST Tools and SCA Tools Have?

We speak to a lot of customers who ask us how to choose a SAST tool or how to choose an SCA tool, recognizing that not all code scanning tools or static analysis tools are created equally.  

 

When it comes to SAST, here are seven capabilities that we hero at Checkmarx: 

 

1. Scanning deep and wide:

   Not all scans have the same goals. In some cases, like for mission-critical applications, teams will need to uncover all vulnerabilities, high, medium and low severity. To do this, they will need a deep scan. In other cases, AppSec teams may want a wide view, looking at only the most critical vulnerabilities that need an immediate fix. 

2. Multiple presets:

   To speed up time-to-value, AppSec teams will benefit from presets or rule-sets that come out of the box and ready to go. For example there may be a preset scan for HIPAA compliance, or for the OWASP Top 10 API threats. The best SAST tools offer presets, alongside the ability to customize and build queries from scratch. 

3. Application-centricity:

   Ultimately, you want the most accurate scan possible, which means you need a full view of the whole application, and how application flows interact and build connections between files and components. The best SAST tools will use data-flow analysis as well as symbolic execution to explore all possible paths. 

4. Minimal false positives and negatives:

   False positives and negatives are inevitable, but the more detailed and precise you can be about fine-tuning your source code scanning, the less of a problem false positives and false negatives will become. A customizable query language is one powerful tool that works towards this goal. 

5. Scanning uncompiled code:

   Take a step back and think about speed as not just the time it takes to scan the code, but the time it takes to get secure software ready to launch. SAST solutions that support incremental scans help you get there faster, as well as scanning at the repository level to reduce the time it takes on rebuilds and overall scanning.

6. Best-fix locations:

   By leading developers to the best location to fix a vulnerability &#; and often even several vulnerabilities at once, AppSec teams can reduce Mean-Time-To-Resolution (MTTR). To do this, your SAST tool needs to understand code at a deeper level, looking holistically to see the context of the actions the code performs application-wide. 

7. Wide language and framework support:

   Every organization has its own needs, preferences and standards, and specific business use cases may demand a certain developer language or framework. That&#;s why your SAST tool should be able to maximize efficiencies by using a single application security tool that covers the broadest set of languages and frameworks. 

 

When looking at SCA, a modern platform should provide the following six features as standard: 

 

1. 1. Comprehensive open source library identification:

      Expect a detailed inventory of all open-source components in use, based on direct references from the application&#;s source code, as well as references made by other references. Discovering dependencies of dependencies is known as transitive dependency scanning. 

   2. Vulnerability and malware detection:

      Threat actors are increasingly leveraging open source libraries to launch attacks. By some estimates,

      one in eight open-source downloads

      poses a risk. SCA should identify open-source libraries containing known vulnerabilities, and also those containing malicious or suspicious code. 

   3. SBOM generation and ingestion:

      Ensure your SCA can

      gGenerate, share, and ingest

      software bill of material (SBOM)

      files in industry-standard formats, to more easily manage the open-source libraries in use, and also to help comply with relevant regulatory, policy, and licensing requirements.

   4. Licensing compliance:

      The majority of open source code is governed by licenses. These dictate how the code can be used or reused, and if developers do not keep to these rules, they may be risking compliance or copyright infringement. SCA should be able to detect any violations and flag them.

   5. Language support and integrations:

      If your SCA tool is limited by its language support, you may be missing vulnerabilities simply because a developer is using a language that is not within scope. Similarly, wide integration with IDEs, development tools, CLI tools and CI/CD platforms is critical to maximize flexibility and use.

   6. Guided risk management: Reporting open-source risks is only step one. Developers and AppSec teams can move a lot faster if they receive prioritization of high-risk threats and actionable guidance regarding how to remediate discovered threats. Look for an SCA tool that identifies open-source threats with exploitable paths and prioritizes vulnerabilities based on risk, exposure and context.

Trends In Application Security and

Code Scanning Tools

In

When you&#;re looking for SCA and SAST tools, the best option is to move away from point solutions, and choose an all-in-one application security platform, so that results can be correlated across the different AppSec tools you use. With siloed results, your AppSec teams will find it a lot harder to prioritize and understand which applications or processes are opening the business up to undue risk. 

 

You also want to make sure that your SAST and SCA tools are integrated into the rest of the developer environment, as any friction can cause developers to skip steps or lead to human error. To increase development adoption, think about integration with Source Code Management (SCM) solutions, Integrated Development Environment (IDE) solutions, Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools, and feedback platforms such as Jira or Azure DevOps. 

 

Another important trend is centering the role of the developer as a security hero, who with the right tools can become a critical part of your DevSecOps strategy.

While developers aren&#;t typically security experts, an application security solution that helps them to learn on the go, while obtaining in-line remediation advice and the ability to edit code with their own tools helps them to get there a whole lot faster, and empowers them to fix vulnerabilities and improve their code without bottlenecks. 

Checkmarx One &#; A Complete Application Security Solution

Checkmarx One is a complete application security platform that includes SAST and SCA as part of a robust suite of application security tools. 

As well as SAST and SCA, our unified AppSec platform includes Supply Chain Security, API Security, Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), security for Infrastructure as Code (IaC), container security, runtime security and more. With all your application security needs covered from a single platform, AppSec teams can simplify security, and correlate and prioritize results based on a holistic and comprehensive view. 

 

Ready to adopt a single solution for application security, code to cloud? Schedule a demo with one of our application security experts. 

Contact us to discuss your requirements of What Is Mean Smt. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.