Code Scanning and Analysis: Modern Security Practices for Development Teams

In today's security landscape, waiting until the end of the development cycle to address vulnerabilities is no longer viable. As we highlighted in our Complete Guide to Modern DevOps and Software Development, code scanning and analysis has become a critical component of comprehensive security practices. This article dives deeper into how organizations can implement effective code scanning strategies to identify and remediate security issues early in the development process.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, security vulnerabilities in software applications can lead to devastating consequences. With data breaches occurring approximately 9 times per day and costing companies millions in damages, implementing robust code scanning practices has become essential for organizations of all sizes. This blog post explores what code scanning is, how it works, and best practices for implementation.

What is Code Scanning?

Code scanning is the systematic process of examining code to identify bugs, errors, and security flaws. Any issues found are displayed, enabling developers to address them quickly and enhance the security of their applications. These scanners can be configured to run at specified intervals or during specific development events, such as certain sprints where security concerns are paramount.

Modern code scanning tools leverage threat intelligence to identify vulnerabilities that attackers have previously exploited, making them a crucial component of any development team's cybersecurity strategy.

How Does Code Scanning Work?

Code scanning can be performed in two primary states:

• Static state (non-running): The scanner examines the source code, looking for potential loopholes that attackers could exploit.
• Dynamic state (running): The application is actively running while the scanning process checks for vulnerabilities to typical threats like SQL injection or denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

The basic steps of code scanning include:

1. Defining the scope: Clearly identifying all software, codebases, and modules to be scanned.
2. Choosing appropriate tools: Selecting a mix of scanning tools suited to your specific needs.
3. Integration with pipelines: Connecting scanners with build systems, development pipelines, and code repositories.
4. Tool customization: Configuring tools to incorporate in-house security policies and standards.
5. Running the scan: Initiating scanning as early as possible in the development process.
6. Reviewing results: Examining scan reports to identify vulnerabilities.
7. Fixing issues: Resolving identified security risks through code modifications or patches.
8. Continuous monitoring: Regularly rescanning to verify fixes and ensure ongoing security.

Key Code Scanning Approaches

There are four primary approaches to code scanning, each with unique strengths:

Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

As open-source usage continues to grow, SCA has become increasingly important. These tools scan open-source components to identify potential security threats or vulnerabilities, allowing teams to address these issues before they impact production systems.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

SAST is typically performed early in the software development lifecycle without executing the code. It reviews the writing style and structure to identify security risks. SAST can also incorporate specific regulatory standards such as MISRA or CERT into the scanning process.

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

Unlike SAST, DAST is performed during runtime or black-box testing. It simulates attacks to identify vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and DoS attacks. DAST is also effective at identifying application and server configuration issues.

Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)

IAST operates inside the application by interacting with it during real-time testing in QA environments. It's significantly faster than SAST since it focuses on individual test cases rather than scanning all source code. IAST offers a low rate of false positives, high scalability, and ease of implementation.

Why Code Scanning Matters

1. Detecting Vulnerabilities During Development

Finding and fixing vulnerabilities before application deployment is significantly more cost-effective than addressing them after release. Code scanning identifies issues early, allowing teams to resolve them before they become costly production problems.

2. Reducing False Positives

By integrating multiple application security testing techniques, code scanning helps eliminate false positive detections. This allows security and development teams to focus on addressing genuine security threats, reducing time spent on non-issues.

3. Flexibility and Integration

Modern code scanning solutions can integrate both open-source and proprietary testing tools into a single cloud-native solution. Results from multiple security tools can be presented on a single screen, providing comprehensive visibility into application security.

4. Improving Infrastructure Security

Code scanning verifies all aspects of an application's code, including dependencies that might present issues. This comprehensive approach helps ensure the safety of a company's entire software ecosystem and network infrastructure.

5. Providing Actionable Insights

Rather than running general scans, code scanning executes only the actionable security rules that developers specify. This focused approach reduces alert volume and allows teams to concentrate on specific tasks without unnecessary noise.

Real-World Consequences of Inadequate Code Scanning

The consequences of failing to implement robust code scanning can be severe:

• The MOVEit Transfer Attack (2023): A SQL injection vulnerability that remained undetected for potentially more than two years led to significant data exfiltration affecting numerous organizations. Proper code scanning could have identified and mitigated this vulnerability.
• The Ollama RCE Vulnerability (2024): An exploitable remote code execution vulnerability in the popular Ollama AI platform allowed attackers to send crafted HTTP requests to exposed API servers. This incident highlights the importance of code scanning for all internet-facing software.

Best Practices for Effective Code Scanning

1. Create a Source Code Protection Policy: Establish clear guidelines for when and how code should be scanned, protected, and accessed.
2. Choose the Right Tools: Select scanning tools that support your programming languages, integrate with your workflows, provide up-to-date vulnerability intelligence, and offer actionable insights.
3. Shift-Left Approach: Test for security flaws early in the development process to save time, money, and effort.
4. Run Both Automated and Scheduled Scans: Use automated scans for immediate feedback and scheduled scans for in-depth analysis.
5. Address Risks Promptly: Don't leave alerts uninvestigated—prioritize and resolve issues quickly to prevent exploits.
6. Fine-tune Tool Configuration: Adjust sensitivity settings, add exceptions where necessary, and customize rules to meet your specific needs.
7. Promote Secure Coding Awareness: Train developers on secure coding practices and stay informed about evolving vulnerability trends.

Conclusion: Building a Security-First Development Culture

As software release cycles continue to accelerate and cyber threats become more sophisticated, code scanning has evolved from a nice-to-have feature to an essential component of the software development process. By implementing comprehensive code scanning strategies and following best practices, organizations can significantly reduce their vulnerability to attacks, protect sensitive data, and deliver more secure applications to their users.

Remember, the most effective security approach is proactive rather than reactive. Investing in robust code scanning today can prevent costly breaches tomorrow.