Understanding Software Composition Analysis

Software Composition Analysis represents a category of application security tools designed specifically to address the challenges of managing third-party and open source components. Unlike Static Application Security Testing (SAST) which analyzes custom code for vulnerabilities, or Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) which tests running applications, SCA focuses exclusively on identifying and analyzing the pre-built components within your applications.

At its core, SCA performs several critical functions. First, it creates a comprehensive inventory of all components used in an application, including both direct dependencies explicitly included by developers and transitive dependencies pulled in automatically. This inventory, often called a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), provides the visibility organizations desperately need into their software supply chain.

Second, SCA tools continuously monitor these components for known vulnerabilities. They maintain databases of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) and other security advisories, alerting teams when new vulnerabilities are discovered in components they use. This continuous monitoring is crucial because new vulnerabilities in existing components are discovered daily. What was secure yesterday might be critically vulnerable today, as the Log4j incident dramatically demonstrated.