Definition
Static Application Security Testing (SAST), is a type of application security testing that scans applications in a static state to detect input validation errors, insecure dependencies, bad coding practices and other vulnerabilities that are intrinsic to the code itself.
Overview
SAST tools work by analyzing source code to identify code or coding patterns that may expose an application to attack. Using this approach, SAST can alert developers to several types of common security risks within an application.
SAST Detected Vulnerabilities
Static testing is essential for detecting specific vulnerabilities such as command Injection, Buffer Overflow and other code based attacks.
Command Injection
Command Injection is a type of attack in which malicious parties “trick” applications into running commands – often with the goal of exploiting the application to expose sensitive data or plant malware on the host system. If the application fails to validate user input properly, the injection attack will result in the commands actually being run.
For example, consider a Java application that contains the following code:
import java.util.Scanner;
…
cmd = user_input.next( );
String comm = "cmd.exe"+cmd
This code tells the application to use the cmd.exe program on the host system to run a command defined using the variable cmd. In this example, cmd is a string of input supplied by the application user, so it could be anything the user wants – such as code that tells the system to install a new application or display the contents of a sensitive data directory.
Hopefully the developer is aware of this threat and includes a validation function to ensure that the cmd varIable is not part of a malicious command. If this precaution has not been taken, then the application will simply pass all types of user input into cmd.exe, which will run it.
In this scenario, DevOps and security teams should be using a SAST solution to flag the code as being risky because of a possible Command Injection attack. Developers should be required to take the necessary steps to mitigate this risk, such as adding a function to validate the cmd variable to ensure it doesn’t contain malicious commands or preferably use an alternative method to execute the commands on the system, as in general, calling an external shell command like cmd.exe from within an application is not considered a secure coding practice.
Buffer Overflow
A buffer overflow is a coding error that allows an application to overwrite memory that has not been allocated. By exploiting buffer overflows, attackers can potentially run code of their choosing on a host system.
In Java, a buffer overflow could be triggered by code such as the following:
Public class Overflow
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int importantData =1;
int[] buffer = new int[10];
for (int i =0; i < 15; i++)
buffer[i] = 7;
}
}
In this example, the overflow is triggered because the loop iterates through 15 elements, but only 10 elements are assigned to the memory buffer. As a result, the application may attempt to write to memory outside its buffer.
Most Java applications attempt to block buffer overflows automatically. In practice, then, the code above would most likely result in an application exception, rather than a security vulnerability. Still, the overflow issue would qualify as a security risk. It’s possible that it could be exploited if Java fails to detect the overflow on its own, or attackers find a way to bypass Java’s overflow checks. In addition, not all languages have built-in overflow protection like Java, in such cases SAST tools would be instrumental in flagging code that could cause potential attack..
Additional Threats
The examples above represent just some of the risks that SAST tools can detect in source code. SAST can also identify risks such as cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, lack of input validation, and bad coding practices that result in vulnerabilities based on the original source code.
How does SAST Work?
Scanning source code for vulnerabilities
At its core, SAST is a crucial practice in software development that’s focused on finding vulnerabilities and potential security risk in an application’s source code. By analyzing the code without running it, SAST provides developers with crucial insights into the security risks tied to their software.
One of the main benefits of SAST is its ability to catch security risks early in the development process. By identifying issues at the code level, developers can address them before they evolve into larger, more expensive problems later in the development process or even post-deployment.
Identifying flaws and weaknesses
SAST is designed to blend seamlessly with the software development lifecycle. It can easily integrate with a variety of development environments and build systems, enabling automatic scans of code for security vulnerabilities. This ensures that security testing becomes an integral part of the workflow, helping developers flaws and weaknesses as they write code.
SAST tools go through the code line by line, looking for potential security flaws. It examines the code structure and logic, helping to detect common coding errors and unsafe programming practices that could lead to security issues. The best place for this level of detection is in the developers IDE which allows them to address the risks before they begin instead of further down the SDLC.
Generating reports and recommendations
After the scanning process, SAST tools generate detailed reports and offer recommendations. These reports provide developers with an in-depth analysis of the identified security issues, the severity level, and suggested steps for remediation. This allows developers to prioritize and address vulnerabilities according to their severity and effect on functionality.
Moreover, SAST tools can often be integrated with IDE’s such as VS Code or Eclipse as an extension or plugin. This integration simplifies the remediation process by directly linking identified vulnerabilities to the corresponding lines of code in the development environment. This feature allows developers to quickly locate and fix the security flaws, reducing the time and effort needed to secure their applications.
Running SAST Effectively
Effectively leveraging SAST solutions involves a few key steps. By following these steps, you can optimize your SAST process to get the best possible results. These steps include:
Setting up the environment
Before Running SAST, you need to set up the environment correctly. This involves installing the necessary tools, configuring dependencies, and ensuring compatibility with your codebase and development environment. A well-prepared SAST rollout helps avoid compatibility issues and improves scanning accuracy.
Configuring scanning parameters
To maximize the benefits of your SAST scans, it’s important to configure the scanning parameters properly. This includes setting the right rule sets, specifying the languages and frameworks used in your application, and adjusting the severity levels. Customizing scanning parameters to suit your specific needs helps focus on the vulnerabilities that matter most in your application..
Interpreting and prioritizing the results
After the SAST scan, it’s time to analyze and interpret the results. This step involves understanding the vulnerabilities identified, their severity levels, and their potential impact on your application’s security. Prioritizing remediation efforts based on the severity and exploitability of the vulnerabilities is crucial for addressing the security issues in your codebase.
Following these steps ensures that your SAST process is optimized and provides valuable insights into the security of your applications. With the right tools and practices, it should significantly enhance the overall security posture of an organization’s software development operations.
Benefits of Integrating Quality and Security
Integration of security and quality into the software development processes is essential for consistently providing reliable software achieving business results. One of the main advantages of integrating security and quality is the improvement in overall software quality. SAST helps identify and eliminate potential bugs, vulnerabilities, and code errors early in the development cycle. Detecting and fixing these issues early prevents them from escalating into more complex problems later on, leading to a reduction in customer satisfaction and possibly impacting business results.
Another significant benefit is the reduction of security risks and vulnerabilities. SAST tools analyze an application’s source code to identify security weaknesses and vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, or insecure authentication mechanisms. By proactively addressing these vulnerabilities, organizations can minimize the risk of security breaches and data leaks, protecting their reputation and their customers’ sensitive information.
It also helps streamline the development process, by incorporating SAST automation into the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. Organizations can automate code analysis and security testing, providing developers with real-time feedback on potential issues. This accelerates the release cycle, reduces manual effort, and ensures that security and quality standards are consistently met throughout the software development lifecycle.
Comparing SAST with Other Testing Methods
There are several methods available for application security testing, including SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses, making it important to understand the differences between each method and selecting the right solution for your needs.
- Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
SCA is the use of automated tools to identify open source components within an application’s code base. SCA tools scan software, determine which dependencies and other contents exist within it, then identify the original sources of those components. In this way, SCA tools determine which parts of a codebase have been obtained from third-party sources. - Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
DAST tests the application while it’s running. It simulates real-world attacks and analyzes the application’s response to identify vulnerabilities. DAST is useful for uncovering vulnerabilities that can only be detected during runtime. - Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)
IAST combines the benefits of both SAST and DAST. It analyzes the application in real-time, during its execution, to identify vulnerabilities. This method provides more accurate results and reduces false positives. - Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP)
RASP is a relatively new approach that focuses on protecting the application in runtime. It monitors the application’s behavior and automatically detects and blocks any suspicious activities. RASP offers real-time protection against attacks, but is not as effective in identifying vulnerabilities during the development phase.
No single testing method will address all possible security issues. However, implementing a combination of the methods described above can offer a comprehensive and effective approach to application security. Each method has its own unique strengths, and together they provide a multi-layered defense against security threats.
The JFrog SAST Solution
JFrog SAST is for enterprises seeking to enable development teams to deliver trusted source code from the get-go, without slowing down releases. It seamlessly integrates into the developer workflow and DevOps pipelines, preventing vulnerable code from ever becoming part of your production software.
JFrog SAST
Efficiently find and fix source code vulnerabilities, using fast and accurate security-focused engines that deliver scans that minimize false positives and don’t slow down release cycles. Jfrog SAST also enables efficient triage with results that provide guidance to prioritize and fix critical flaws, quickly and efficiently.
Available as part of the JFrog CLI or IDE plugin, the solution enables a seamless shift-left developer-focused experience, integrating with popular IDEs that enable developers to code, commit and build confidently in their native development environments.
JFrog – GitHub Partnership
JFrog’s recent partnership with GitHub further strengthens our shift left solutions and source code scanning capabilities. JFrog CLI and Frogbot tools enable code checking to happen in Git repositories as pull requests are made.
This tight integration includes intuitive navigation and traceability between source code and binaries, CI/CD with GitHub Actions and JFrog Artifactory, and a unified view of security findings across the software supply chain, accelerating our vision of making software development easier, faster and more secure.
See how the JFrog Platform in partnership with GitHub provides a fast, effective and secure SAST solution by checking out our webinar, taking a online tour or scheduling a guided one-on-one demo at your convenience.
