Emerging Vulnerability Patterns

Logic bombs and time-based malicious code represent an evolution in dependency attacks. Malicious code remains dormant until specific conditions are met—a particular date, environment variable, or usage pattern. This approach helps evade initial security scanning while ensuring eventual activation. Security researchers have discovered several npm packages containing such delayed-activation malicious code.

Behavioral vulnerabilities that only manifest under specific conditions challenge traditional vulnerability detection. A component might work correctly in most cases but fail catastrophically with particular inputs or configurations. These vulnerabilities often arise from incorrect assumptions about usage contexts or incomplete input validation for edge cases.

Dependency confusion attacks exploit package management systems' resolution logic to serve malicious packages instead of intended internal packages. By publishing packages to public repositories with names matching internal packages, attackers can trick systems into downloading malicious code. This attack vector has successfully compromised major technology companies, highlighting how infrastructure assumptions can become vulnerabilities.

Understanding these vulnerability patterns helps organizations implement appropriate SCA configurations, prioritize remediation efforts, and make informed decisions about component selection. The diversity and sophistication of dependency vulnerabilities underscore why manual tracking is insufficient and automated SCA tools are essential. As attackers continue innovating and the dependency ecosystem grows more complex, staying informed about vulnerability patterns becomes crucial for maintaining secure applications. The examples in this chapter represent just a fraction of discovered vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for continuous vigilance and robust Software Composition Analysis practices.## SCA vs SAST vs DAST: Choosing the Right Security Testing Approach

Modern application security programs require multiple testing approaches to achieve comprehensive coverage. While Software Composition Analysis (SCA) focuses on third-party components, Static Application Security Testing (SAST) analyzes custom code, and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) examines running applications. Understanding how these approaches complement each other, their unique strengths and limitations, and when to apply each one enables organizations to build effective, layered security programs. This chapter provides a detailed comparison of these technologies and guidance for integrating them effectively.