Using open-source code is a key part of most software development. It allows developers to benefit from the expertise of an entire community, meet their milestones faster, and reduce costs. However, using open-source software can also expose your application to a number of potential security risks.
That’s why software composition analysis (SCA) should always be a part of your risk management toolbox, as it can help your team identify, manage, and mitigate known vulnerabilities across your software supply chain.
SCA is used to identify the open-source components within a software application, assess their security vulnerabilities, and ensure compliance with licensing requirements. Software composition analysis tools analyze your codebase, inventory all third-party components, and continuously monitor them for new vulnerabilities or licensing issues.
Software composition analysis tools have several uses, including:
To better understand how software composition analysis works in practice, let’s take a closer look at how Kiuwan’s SCA tool operates.
Kiuwan’s SCA software begins by scanning an application’s entire codebase. This includes examining both source code and binary files to identify all the open-source components and libraries used in the project.
Our software will identify each component of your application, including its version and license information. SCA tools compare the identified components against a comprehensive database of known open-source libraries and their metadata.
Next, our SCA application will map out the dependencies between components, including transitive dependencies. This mapping is crucial for understanding the full scope of the open-source components and their potential vulnerabilities.
Once the application has been fully mapped out, our software will cross-reference the identified components against known vulnerability databases, such as the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and other security advisories. It flags components with known vulnerabilities, providing details on the nature and severity of each.
Our software composition analysis tools also check the licenses of all identified components to ensure that their use complies with the terms and conditions of these licenses. This will help prevent legal issues arising from improper use of open-source software.
Kiuwan’s SCA tools will assess the security risks associated with each component based on factors such as the severity of vulnerabilities, the component’s criticality within the application, and the frequency of updates or patches.
Once this process is complete, our SCA software generates detailed reports that provide insights into software products, their known security vulnerabilities, and their license compliance status. It can also send alerts for new vulnerabilities or non-compliance issues, enabling timely remediation and improved risk management.
One of the most useful parts of Kiuwan’s SCA software is our remediation guidance. It can include recommendations to update or replace vulnerable components, apply patches, or make configuration changes to mitigate risks and critical issues.
If you have the Kiuwan local analyzer installed on your machine, it can continuously monitor your application’s codebase for changes and new vulnerabilities. By providing real-time feedback on vulnerability detection, you can catch potential security flaws before they become a problem.
Implementing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines is one of the best ways to improve efficiency in your application development lifecycle. Our SCA software seamlessly integrates into the CI/CD process to allow automated scanning and checks at various stages of the modern development process.
We’ve outlined a few best practices to help you smoothly implement SCA scanning within your team.
Create an inventory of all the open-source libraries currently used in your codebase. This gives you a baseline understanding of your software composition and code quality. You should also determine who will be responsible for SCA implementation and ongoing management—such as security or development teams—to ensure accountability.
Develop and maintain an incident response plan for vulnerabilities discovered in open-source components. The plan should outline steps for assessing the impact, communicating with stakeholders, and deploying patches or mitigations to prioritize vulnerabilities effectively.
Remove any unused or outdated dependencies from your codebase. This will simplify the scanning process and reduce the number of issues to manage. You should also ensure that all dependencies and their versions are well-documented. This will help in accurately identifying components during the SCA scan.
Start with a pilot project to test the SCA tool and processes. It will allow you to identify issues and refine your approach before rolling out SCA across all your projects. Gather feedback from the pilot project team and make necessary adjustments to the tool configuration, processes, or policies.
Ready to see what SCA can do for your development process? Try Kiuwan free for 14 days and get a free automated scan of your application for open source vulnerabilities and license compliance.
Software composition analysis (SCA) is the process of scanning and identifying all open-source components in your software to uncover security vulnerabilities, license issues, and outdated dependencies. It helps ensure your applications remain compliant and secure throughout the development lifecycle.
SCA protects your application from open-source vulnerabilities, supply chain attacks, and licensing violations. It gives development and security teams visibility into their codebase and enables faster, data-driven remediation before deployment.
SAST analyzes custom source code for vulnerabilities, while SCA focuses on third-party and open-source components. Both complement each other—SAST identifies coding flaws, and SCA identifies risks hidden within dependencies.
SCA detects known vulnerabilities (CVEs), outdated versions, unpatched libraries, and risky transitive dependencies. It also flags incompatible or noncompliant open-source licenses that could expose your organization to legal risk.
Kiuwan’s SCA tool scans your codebase, maps dependencies, identifies vulnerabilities, and checks license compliance. It integrates directly into CI/CD pipelines, providing continuous monitoring and real-time remediation guidance for open-source security.
Integrating SCA into CI/CD ensures vulnerabilities are caught early—before code reaches production. It automates security checks during builds and deployments, reducing manual work and improving overall DevSecOps efficiency.
Yes. SCA tools monitor all third-party libraries and dependencies for known or emerging threats, preventing compromised or malicious components from entering your software supply chain.
Start with a full inventory of open-source components, define ownership between DevOps and security teams, remove unused dependencies, and create an incident response plan. Continuous scanning and documentation are essential for long-term risk management.
Choose an SCA solution with automated scanning, vulnerability mapping, license management, CI/CD integration, and real-time alerts. Tools like Kiuwan also provide actionable remediation guidance to accelerate secure development.
You can request a free demo or run a free scan with Kiuwan to evaluate your codebase for open-source risks, vulnerabilities, and license compliance issues before implementing it fully.
