SAST helps combat vulnerabilities in code

Introduction

SAST stands for Static Application Security Testing. This is a popular approach used to identify vulnerabilities in the code. Because they provide protection for applications or systems at the beginning of SDLC/Software Development Life Cycle, these are very important. Experts can identify software flaws and vulnerabilities after learning the programming langauge. The review can be conducted with or even without using tools.

Why Does Source Code Have Vulnerabilities?

Since they can identify vulnerabilities in code, it is important to have source code audits as part SDLC. In the majority of cases, businesses will hire professional code auditors to hunt down weaknesses. In essence repositories were made available to the auditors in charge of auditing codes. SAST a key part of that process. Talk about vulnerabilities and their reasons for being present.

Potential Vulnerabilities Due to Inputs

These vulnerabilities result from the common practice of improperly handling user inputs. In cases where an application is designed with user-assigned parameters, a tester examines the way these inputs have been handled. Assume, for instance, that user inputs will be transferred straight to SQL queries. It is possible that SQL-injection can occur in this case.

If the inputs were rendered in the webpage now, it could result in XSS. XSS can occur if inputs from the user are sent directly to system commands. It is possible that developers, who don't understand the importance of security, will not use input verification when they write code. As a result there are severe vulnerabilities.

Vulnerabilities in Components

Some weaknesses can arise when a developer or organization chooses to use components which have been known to contain vulnerabilities. Those third party components could cause greater vulnerability and lead to an attack on the whole company's network.

As an example, let's say a business uses a dependency that is outdated in its code. This may contain some RCE or SQLi flaws. A hacker can then exploit an RCE vulnerability in the app, which could compromise the whole server.

SAST should be applied to the application's source code. In order to reduce the cost of SDLC and the reputational risk, you can mitigate these vulnerabilities during the first phase.

Remediation: What's the point?

Imagine that someone has discovered an undiscovered vulnerability in the application. If this happens, the cost to an organization is high, as it could lead to a data breach or even manipulation. Due to the vulnerabilities, PII information held by a company could be compromised. The company will suffer from a loss of reputation and money if a breach happens.

The first step in SDLC is to address these vulnerabilities. If you want to minimise the risk of a data breach, patching them at this stage will be crucial. Deploying a software that contains vulnerabilities like XSS (X-Structured Semantic Scripting), SQLi (SQL injection), or RCE to the general public is not advisable.

Most businesses now adhere to the agile method and aim to resolve the vulnerability quickly. SAST is a tool that helps in remediating the issue at its earliest stages. SAST helps to reduce costs for the project, as well as the size of the attack surface. SAST's main point is that companies need experts for a specific language. This is the only way they can remove their vulnerability.