The Dependency Problem

Modern development practices encourage code reuse through package managers like npm, Maven, pip, and NuGet. While this accelerates development, it creates complex dependency trees where vulnerabilities in obscure sub-dependencies can compromise entire applications. Developers often have no idea what components their applications actually use, let alone whether those components contain vulnerabilities.

The problem compounds because components age like milk, not wine. A component secure today might have critical vulnerabilities discovered tomorrow. Yet many applications run for years without updating dependencies, accumulating technical debt and security risk. It's like never changing the locks on your house—over time, more people have copies of the keys, and the locks themselves wear down.