Open Source Dependency Scanners: 4 Key Features and Best Practices

What Is Open Source Dependency Scanning? 

Open source dependency scanning identifies vulnerabilities in the open-source libraries and frameworks included in software projects. This scanning ensures that developers are aware of potential risks in their code dependencies. The practice is important in the current software landscape, where development projects often include thousands of open-source components. 

By assessing these components, organizations can maintain security postures and mitigate vulnerabilities that could lead to breaches. The process involves using tools to examine the codebase, creating an inventory of all open-source components and their associated risks. 

Tools such as Software Composition Analysis (SCA) and Supply Chain Security Solutions (SSCS) cross-reference libraries against known vulnerabilities, cataloged in various databases. This approach lets developers detect weak spots early in the development lifecycle, enabling faster remediation. 

This is part of a series of articles about open source security.

Understanding Open Source Dependencies 

Open source dependencies refer to external libraries, frameworks, and components that developers include in their software projects to accelerate development and leverage community-driven innovations. These dependencies provide pre-written code for common functionalities, saving developers time and effort. 

However, incorporating these components introduces external code into a project, which may carry potential security, legal, and operational risks. Most open source dependencies are hosted in package repositories like npm for JavaScript, PyPI for Python, or Maven Central for Java. 

These repositories allow developers to quickly integrate external functionality into their projects by specifying a dependency and its version in configuration files. While this simplifies development, it also requires careful management to ensure the security and reliability of the software being built.

Managing open source dependencies involves understanding their licensing terms, maintaining their versions, and ensuring they do not introduce vulnerabilities into the codebase. Organizations should use automated tools to track and monitor these dependencies throughout the software lifecycle. 

How Open Source Dependency Scanning Works 

Open source dependency scanning operates through Software Composition Analysis (SCA) and Supply Chain Security Solutions (SSCS) that integrate with the software development lifecycle (SDLC). The workflow typically includes the following steps:

1. Dependency inventory creation: Scanning tools first analyze the project's codebase to identify all open-source components and their respective versions. This step involves parsing configuration files, such as package.json for JavaScript, requirements.txt for Python, or pom.xml for Java, to create a detailed inventory of dependencies.
2. Vulnerability cross-referencing: Once dependencies are identified, the scanning tools compare them against known vulnerabilities in public databases, such as the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) or vendor-specific advisories. This process identifies issues such as outdated libraries, insecure versions, or components with reported vulnerabilities.
3. Severity assessment and prioritization: Detected vulnerabilities are assigned severity ratings based on standardized scoring systems like the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). These scores help development teams prioritize fixes, focusing first on vulnerabilities that pose the highest risk.
4. Integration with development pipelines: Modern scanning tools integrate directly with CI/CD pipelines to provide real-time feedback to developers. For instance, when a new dependency is added, the tool can immediately alert the team to any associated risks, preventing insecure components from being included in the project.
5. Remediation guidance: Scanning tools often provide actionable recommendations for addressing vulnerabilities. This could include upgrading to a secure version, applying patches, or replacing the library with a safer alternative. Some tools may even automate these updates when safe to do so.
6. Continuous monitoring: Since new vulnerabilities are discovered frequently, effective dependency scanning requires ongoing monitoring of the codebase. Continuous scans ensure that newly reported issues are identified promptly, even for previously approved dependencies.

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Key Features of Dependency Scanning Tools 

1. Automatic Detection and Analysis of Dependencies

Dependency scanning tools offer automatic detection and analysis features that identify all libraries and components used in a project. By automating this process, these tools reduce manual errors and save developers time. The automatic systems inspect the codebase, generate a complete list of dependencies and provide a detailed analysis of each one's risk profile. 

These tools provide detailed reports on each detected dependency's status, covering details like the version in use, any known vulnerabilities, and suggestions for safer versions, if available. This automated insight allows development teams to make informed decisions regarding the management of dependencies. 

2. Generating Security and Compliance Reports

Dependency scanning tools generate detailed security and compliance reports. These reports provide a structured overview of all known vulnerabilities discovered within a project's dependencies, along with compliance status against industry standards or internal policies. The reports are essential for development teams and stakeholders, offering critical insights into the security posture of their applications.

These reports typically include information on each vulnerability's severity, exploitability, and remediation steps, supporting teams in prioritizing security tasks. Additionally, compliance reports prove invaluable during audits, demonstrating that an organization is taking necessary precautions to address security risks systematically. By providing thorough documentation, these reports also aid in communicating security status to non-technical stakeholders.

3. Integration with CI/CD Pipelines

By embedding dependency scanners into the pipeline, developers can catch potential security flaws immediately as code is committed, tested, and deployed. This integration helps ensure that security checks become an automatic part of the development lifecycle, increasing efficiency and lowering the time to remediate identified issues.

In a CI/CD pipeline, dependency scanning tools can halt the development process if critical vulnerabilities are detected, ensuring that flawed code does not progress further down the pipeline. However, note that open source vulnerabilities constantly emerge, and relying on catching them only in pre-production environments will be an endless cat and mouse game.

4. Real-Time Monitoring for New Vulnerabilities

Runtime dependency scanning tools can continuously scan software to identify any newly discovered dependencies threats. The ability to monitor vulnerabilities in real-time is vital, allowing immediate action as new threats emerge, reducing the window of exposure.

Real-time monitoring ensures that organizations are promptly alerted when a new dependency appears in production applications, or new vulnerabilities are published, allowing for faster application of patches or workarounds, and reducing risk of exploitation. 

Best Practices for Managing Open Source Dependencies 

Organizations can significantly improve their security posture by implementing open-source dependency scanning best practices.

1. Manage Dependency Updates and Patches

Regularly updating dependencies ensures that applications benefit from the latest security patches and improvements. A systematic approach to managing updates involves establishing a schedule for reviewing and testing new versions of dependencies in a controlled environment before deploying them into production. This helps avoid unforeseen compatibility issues and ensures functional stability.

Additionally, relying on automated tools to track available updates for all dependencies can optimize this process. These tools alert developers to new versions, including details about security patches and improvements. Prioritizing updates based on the criticality of vulnerabilities helps manage resources efficiently, ensuring that the most significant risks are addressed first. 

2. Maintain an Up-to-Date Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)

An SBOM is a detailed list of all components used in an application, including libraries, frameworks, and their respective versions. Having an accurate and current SBOM allows organizations to respond rapidly to emerging security threats by identifying affected components and assessing their impact.

An SBOM also enables compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards, proving the organization's due diligence in managing open-source dependencies. Regularly updating the SBOM ensures that it accurately reflects the current state of a project's dependencies, making it a valuable tool for audits and security assessments. 

Learn more in our detailed guide to SBOM generation

3. Use Minimal and Trusted Dependencies

By carefully selecting only necessary and reputable libraries, developers can minimize the number of potential vulnerabilities introduced into their projects. Evaluating each dependency's security track record, community activity, and maintenance status is crucial before including it in a codebase.

Developers should prefer dependencies with an active community and regular maintenance, as these are more likely to receive timely updates and security patches. Minimizing dependencies also simplifies upgrades and reduces complexity in maintaining an application. This careful selection and continuous review process help ensure that dependency-related risks are kept in check.

4. Use Dependency Lock Files

Lock files provide a snapshot of all the exact versions of dependencies used in a project, preventing unexpected changes when updating dependencies. By locking versions, developers can replicate builds confidently, knowing that the same library versions will be used, reducing integration risks.

Lock files are especially valuable in collaborative projects where multiple team members might otherwise introduce discrepancies in dependency versions. Additionally, they enable compliance and auditing processes by maintaining a clear record of all dependencies and their versions. Using lock files simplifies dependency management, ensuring stable and reproducible builds.

5. Monitor Vulnerability Feeds

Vulnerability feeds provide updates on newly discovered vulnerabilities, enabling timely identification and remediation of risks in dependent libraries. By subscribing to these feeds, organizations gain real-time insights into emerging threats, allowing them to promptly address vulnerabilities before they are exploited in the wild.

Automated tools that integrate vulnerability feed monitoring into the development environment further improve this practice's efficacy. These tools ensure that developers receive immediate alerts and guidance on mitigating any identified risks. Staying vigilant through constant monitoring helps organizations maintain a proactive stance in their security posture.

6. Educate Your Development Team

Training ensures that developers understand how to evaluate, integrate, and manage dependencies safely. It equips them with knowledge about identifying vulnerable dependencies, understanding the implications of updates, and applying best practices in security.

Continual education through workshops, seminars, and access to the latest research in security practices keeps the team informed and prepared to take preventive actions against threats. By integrating security into the development process, organizations can mitigate risks associated with open-source components, ensuring that applications remain secure.

Real-Time Open Source Security with Oligo

Oligo transforms open source dependency scanning from a laborious, point-in-time exercise to a simplified and continuous process. By understanding which dependencies are used, loaded, and executed in running applications, Oligo reduces CVE backlogs associated with open source dependencies by 90%.