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What is Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?
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Praise Iwuh
January 12, 2023
Introduction
Static Application Security Testing has become an integral part of Software security in the last 20 years. It is a process that reviews source code for weaknesses and loopholes. Static application security testing is a form of white-box testing. SAST tools provide real-time
corrections that enable you to fix code vulnerabilities before moving to the launch stage of the Software Development Lifecycle.
In this article, we explain to you the following concepts as outlined below:
1. Introduction
2. What is Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?
3. Types of Static Application Security Testing
4. Why SAST is Important
5. How SAST Functions
6. Implementing SAST Operations
7. 15 Top 2022 SAST Tools
8. Other Testing Techniques
9. Pros of SAST
10. Cons of SAST
11. Conclusion
What is Static Application Security Testing
(SAST)?
SAST is a testing technique that analyses static code to detect vulnerabilities. It focuses on scanning application source code, byte codes, or binaries to identify vulnerabilities during the development phase and ensure early remediation.
SAST operations can be conveniently run anytime as it functions without running or even before building the application. In addition, SAST tools do not fix vulnerabilities; instead, they uncover problems and notify you to solve them, aiding better and faster software
development.
Types of Static Application Security Testing
Source Code Analysis
Source code is the language programmers use to give instructions to a computer. Source code analysis is the process of scanning
through the code to find and fix vulnerabilities.
Byte Code Analysis
Byte code is the intermediary language between Source code and Binary code. SAST reviews it to detect errors, loopholes, and
vulnerabilities.
Binary Code Analysis
Binary code is the primary form of programming data that a computer interprets. It translates source code from programming
language to machine code for the computer to execute. Binary code analysis reviews this code to uncover errors and weaknesses.
Why SAST is Important
Since the 90s, SAST has grown in value because it can identify critical vulnerabilities that may make or mar your brand and product.
Also, because it does not require a working application, it takes place in the earliest stages of SDLC, giving real-time information as you code.
In a nutshell, SAST is essential because it helps resolve issues before your application launch, eliminating potential data breaches that can lead to tragic financial loss and catastrophic damage to your brand reputation.
Some of the common vulnerabilities it protects you from include:
SQL Injections
This common input validation attack technique allows hackers to interfere with queries on an application database. By placing malware in SQL statements, an attacker can manipulate a database and gain access to private data, such as passwords, customer data, or other sensitive company information.
SQL also gives the attacker the freedom to download, modify or delete these data and, in
some instances, affect the entire operation of the application.
Command Injections
These vulnerabilities can occur when an application transfers invalidated user-supplied data to a system shell. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability without inputting code to inject malicious commands into the system shell to execute their desired programs on your host operating system.
Server Side Injections
This is the exploitation of web applications by injecting malicious scripts or SSI directives into HTML pages. This vulnerability occurs
when the web application fails to verify the validity of user-supplied input and can lead to the compromise of sensitive files and other unfortunate activities.
Stack Buffer Overflows
This bug occurs when a program has written more data than is allocated to a specific buffer. This often leads to the corruption of other files in the stack and the collapse of the entire program. It can be caused by attackers feeding more data than the buffer is intended to store and then inject executable code of their own to gain access to your program.
How SAST Functions
SAST works through a static code analysis tool that combs through your code for coding and design flaws, like a mediaeval scout
looking for backroads, underground passages, loopholes, and cracks in the city wall that might give access to intruders.
When these loopholes are detected, the scout alerts the guards to fix them. This process usually occurs during the coding and unit
testing stages of development.
SAST works from the inside out. This means it looks at your proprietary code and design architecture, uncovering weak spots and flaws.
SAST usually involves using a model developed in the likeness of your code, which is then analysed to detect problems very early in
the SDLC. The process begins by scanning for known vulnerabilities and employing relevant, language-specific, and custom rules. An
example of the testing process is represented below:
●Write code
●Extract code into a model
●SCA tools run analysis
●Tool reports vulnerabilities
In the process of running an analysis, the SCA tool will usually employ the following:
Semantic Analysis
The semantic analysis aims to uncover the use of insecure code and indirect calls.
Structural Analysis
This process combs for language-specific secure coding flaws, dead code, memory leakages, and erroneous variables, methods, or functions.
Control Flow Analysis
This step seeks to validate the order of operations by checking against sequence patterns. Control flow analysis detects resource leaks, dangerous sequences of actions, race conditions, and incorrect variable initialising.
Data Flow Analysis
This aims to track data flow from the malicious source to vulnerable code, identifying injections, buffer overflows, and format-string attacks.
Configuration Analysis
This technique scans the application's configuration files to uncover security misconfiguration.
Implementing SAST Operations
SAST should be thought out and implemented at the beginning of a project SDLC. It functions best at the earliest stages of writing code and should be employed from the get-go.
Below are some guidelines that enable you to quickly and efficiently implement SAST.
1. Find the right SAST Tool
Sast works through a static code analysis tool, so the first step is choosing the appropriate tool for your operations. According to
OWASP, your SCA tool should align with all or most of the following criteria:
Language Compatibility
Before obtaining any SAST tool, ensure it covers your organisation’s preferred programming languages completely.
Range of Vulnerability Detection
Ensure that your SAST tool covers all of OWASP’s security vulnerabilities.
Accuracy
Your SAST solution should excel at minimising the rate of false positives and negatives being detected, as it results in confusion and
extra workload. Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain the accuracy of the SAST tools being considered before purchase.
Framework Compatibility
For seamless integration into your SDLC process, ascertain that the frameworks you plan to use or use already support your preferred SAST tool.
Ease of Use
Your SAST tool should be easy to set up and deploy.
CI/CD Integration
Your SAST tool should seamlessly integrate with the other tools in your CI/CD pipelines.
Licence Cost
Your SAST tool should be affordable by your organisation’s budget.
Scalability
Your SAST tool should easily adapt to the increasing workload and volume of projects.
2.Choose means of Deployment
Depending on your cost and scalability preferences, your SAST operations can either be cloud-based or deployed on-premise. On-premises gives you absolute control and responsibility for your operations, while a cloud-based environment offers more flexibility and scalability.
3.Choose the depth of Analysis
Next, you need to determine the level of security analysis to be carried out. For example, it may be a comprehensive scan of your
applications, code, and entire SDLC process, a scan for only new code or real-time scanning while writing code.
4.Incorporate into SDLC
Again, you have multiple options based on your preference and dev operations. There are various ways to employ your SAST tools.
You can:
●Integrate into CI/CD pipeline(DevSecOps)
●Run in your IDE
●Analyse code during compilation
5.Customise
Adapt the tools to suit SDLC requirements by creating and adapting rules to uncover new vulnerabilities.
6.Assess Risks
Assess risks and threats to your assets in order of importance and value.
7.Analyse Results
As stated earlier in this article, SAST tools are notorious for reporting many false positives. Therefore, analysing results to root out
these false vulnerability reports is necessary.
8.Report and Governance
Use reporting tools to oversee the progress of development teams.
15 Top 2022 SAST Tools
SpectralOps
SpectraOps scans the entire SDLC for hard-coded secrets, keys, and misconfigured code, continuously. In addition, spectral is a multi-language AI-driven SAST to prevent secrets (credentials, API keys, encryption keys, and others) from leaking, avoiding false positives by using sophisticated AI.
Klocwork
Klocwork adheres to coding and security standards: CWE, OWASP, CERT, PCI DSS, DISA
STIG, and ISO/IEC TS 17961. It manages pre and post-check-in static code analysis for C,
C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, and Kotlin.
OWASP ASST (Automated Software Security Toolkit)
This is an open-source static code scanning tool developed with Node.js. It focuses on detecting PHP and MySQL vulnerabilities and offers developers security solutions.
Checkmarx
Checkmarx is a reliable SAST tool that supports numerous languages with no configuration. It identifies security issues and also proffers solutions.
CxSAST
This tool runs full source code security scans. It supports over 15 languages, including Javascript, Java, Apex, PHP, Python, Swift, Scala, Perl, Groovy, Ruby, C++, C#.NET, PL/SQL, VB.NET, ASP.NET, HTML 5, Windows Mobile, Go, and Kotlin.
Veracode Analysis
This tool is notable for its minimal false-positive rate and offers developers potential solutions to issues it finds.
Reshift
Redshift integrates into IDEs and CI/CD pipelines and tests code in real-time while it is. This tool is built explicitly for NodeJS.
HuskyCI
This open-source tool manages security tests inside CI pipelines of multiple projects, centralising all results into a database for further analysis and metrics. It performs static security analysis in Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Golang, and Java.
Insider CLI
Insider is a community-driven open-source SAST tool for tracking and detecting vulnerabilities according to OWASP criteria. It is hosted on Github.
Codacy
Codacy is an automated code analysis tool that relays information about the overall health of all areas of your SDLC process.
PT Application Inspector
This tool combines SAST, DAST, IAST, SCA, configuration analysis, and other technologies to generate unique test queries and verify
detected vulnerabilities during SAST analysis. It supports Java, C\#, PHP, JavaScript, Objective C, VB.Net, PL/SQL, T-SQL, and more.
HCL AppScan
HCL designed AppScan for web applications. It ensures security for web applications and boasts a minimised rate of false positives.
Jit
Jit combines open-source tools such as GitLeaks, Semgrep, etc., to secure code through all SDLC phases.
CAST AIP
This tool performs static and architectural analysis to identify numerous security issues. It supports more than 30 languages.
LGTM.com
This free, open-source platform uses automated code scanning to uncover common vulnerabilities and exposures.
Other Testing Techniques
SAST is often and rightly paired as the opposite of DAST. However, several more testing methodologies are being employed depending on the requirements of individual test environments. They are primarily combinations of SAST and DAST attributes.
Dynamic Application Testing (DAST)
DAST identifies potential security vulnerabilities by simulating different attack types against the application running it. DAST tools do not require access to source code and fall under black-box testing.
Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)
IAST combines SAST and DAST to analyse code for security vulnerabilities by simulating user interactions while running the application.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
SCA tools identify open-source components with known vulnerabilities and suggest possible remediations.
Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST)
MAST analyses the behaviour of the applications during runtime to identify actions that an attacker could exploit.
Pros of SAST
Early Detection
By being able to work on code before running it, SAST finds vulnerabilities very early in the SDLC, making it easier to remediate issues.
Locates all instances of Vulnerabilities
SAST identifies all instances of each identified vulnerability and reveals their location, making them easy to find and fix.
Developer Friendly
SAST tools can be incorporated as plugins to give real-time reporting and error detection, making remediation very easy. It also covers most languages that developers use.
Cost-effective
Due to its early detection, remediation is subsequently faster, and thus the process is much cheaper than fixing flaws late in development, or worse after deploying the application.
Ease of Use
SAST tools focus on your codebase and uncover vulnerabilities as opposed to having to pick and choose test cases when using DAST.
Cons of SAST
High risk of false Positives
SAST is often short-sighted due to its nature of working on source code. It is common to identify issues in the code that are resolved further down the line.
Requires access to source code to Function
This restricts SAST tools from performing tests while the application is running(dynamic testing).
Conclusion
Static Application Security Testing is a fast, efficient method of security testing. It is imperative and valuable because it helps identify
possible security breaches before deployment, protecting the brand from data loss, revenue, productivity, and credibility.
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