Security Scanning in CI/CD: SAST, DAST, and SCA

In today's fast-paced software development environment, vulnerabilities can slip through the cracks if not caught early. Imagine a major data breach caused by an undiscovered SQL injection vulnerability that went unnoticed until it was too late.

Security scanning is critical in 2025 as more businesses migrate to cloud-native architectures and embrace DevOps practices. Organizations need robust security measures integrated into their CI/CD pipelines to prevent vulnerabilities from reaching production.

In this blog post, you'll learn about three key types of security scans: Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), and Software Composition Analysis (SCA). We'll explore how each works, how to integrate them into your CI/CD pipeline, and best practices for effective use.

Understanding the Basics

Security scanning in CI/CD pipelines helps identify vulnerabilities early in the development process. This reduces risk, saves time, and ensures that applications are secure by design.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

SAST analyzes source code without executing it to find security flaws like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and insecure authentication methods.

SAST tools can catch issues early in the development lifecycle when they're cheaper and easier to fix.

# Example SAST tool integration with OWASP ZAP using Maven
<plugin>
    <groupId>org.owasp</groupId>
    <artifactId>dependency-check-maven</artifactId>
    <version>7.0.5</version>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <goals>
                <goal>check</goal>
            </goals>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

This Maven plugin integrates OWASP Dependency-Check into your build process, scanning for known vulnerabilities in dependencies.

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

DAST tests running applications to identify security flaws by simulating real-world attacks. It checks for vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting that static analysis might miss.

DAST provides a more realistic view of application security post-deployment.

# Example DAST tool integration with OWASP ZAP using Docker
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/zap/wrk owasp/zap2docker-stable zap-baseline.py -t http://localhost:8080 -r report.html

This command runs OWASP ZAP in a Docker container, performing a baseline scan of an application running on localhost and generating an HTML report.

Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

SCA identifies security vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies used in your project. It checks for known vulnerabilities in libraries and frameworks that could be exploited if not updated.

SCA ensures that your application's dependencies do not introduce security risks.

# Example SCA tool integration with WhiteSource using npm
npx whitesource@latest

This command runs WhiteSource to scan your project's npm dependencies for known vulnerabilities.

Integrating Security Scans into CI/CD Pipelines

Integrating security scans into your CI/CD pipeline ensures that each commit is rigorously tested for security issues before being merged or deployed.

Step 1: Choose the Right Tools

Select SAST, DAST, and SCA tools that integrate well with your existing CI/CD platform. Popular options include SonarQube, OWASP ZAP, and WhiteSource.

💡 Tip: Look for tools with strong community support and regular updates to address new vulnerabilities.

Step 2: Configure Security Scans

Configure each security scan tool according to your project's needs. Set up rules and thresholds that fit your security policies.

# Example configuration for SAST using SonarQube in a GitHub Actions workflow
name: SonarQube Analysis
on: push
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Set up JDK 1.8
        uses: actions/setup-java@v2
        with:
          java-version: '1.8'
      - name: Cache SonarQube packages
        uses: actions/cache@v2
        with:
          path: ~/.sonar/cache
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-sonar
          restore-keys: |
            ${{ runner.os }}-sonar
      - name: Run SonarQube analysis
        env:
          SONAR_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SONAR_TOKEN }}
        run: mvn sonar:sonar \
             -Dsonar.projectKey=my-project \
             -Dsonar.organization=my-org \
             -Dsonar.host.url=https://sonarcloud.io \
             -Dsonar.login=$SONAR_TOKEN

This GitHub Actions workflow integrates SonarQube for SAST, running analysis on each push and sending results to SonarCloud.

Step 3: Automate Scans

Automate security scans as part of your CI/CD pipeline. Ensure that scans run consistently and provide timely feedback to developers.

Evaluating Security Scan Results

Analyzing the output from security scans is crucial for understanding vulnerabilities and prioritizing remediation efforts.

False Positives and Negatives

Security scans can produce false positives (vulnerabilities that are not actually present) and false negatives (real vulnerabilities missed by the scan). It's important to review results carefully.

⚠️ Warning: Regularly review and validate scan results to minimize false positives and catch real issues.

Remediation Efforts

Prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity and potential impact. Work with development teams to fix high-severity issues first, then address lower-severity findings.

# Example command to update a vulnerable dependency using npm
npm install express@latest --save

This command updates the Express framework in your project to its latest version, potentially fixing security vulnerabilities identified by SCA tools.

Troubleshooting Security Scans

Common issues with security scans include misconfigurations, false positives, and performance bottlenecks. Addressing these challenges ensures reliable and effective scanning.

Misconfigurations

Ensure that security scan tools are properly configured according to your project's requirements. Check documentation for guidance on setup and configuration options.

False Positives

Reduce the number of false positives by configuring rules appropriately and excluding irrelevant code or dependencies from scans.

Performance Bottlenecks

Optimize performance by adjusting scan parameters, running scans at off-peak times, or using parallel execution where possible.

Conclusion

Integrating SAST, DAST, and SCA into your CI/CD pipeline is essential for maintaining application security in 2025. By automating these scans, you can catch vulnerabilities early, reduce risk, and ensure that your applications are secure by design.

Key Takeaways:

Understand the differences between SAST, DAST, and SCA.
Integrate security scans into your CI/CD pipeline for consistent testing.
Review and remediate scan results promptly to maintain application security.