What is Software Composition Analysis (SCA)?
What is Software Composition Analysis (SCA)?
Software composition analysis (SCA) is an automated security process that identifies and inventories open-source and third-party components within software applications. SCA tools scan codebases to generate detailed reports of all dependencies, their versions, known vulnerabilities, license compliance issues, and potential security risks.
By providing visibility into the complex web of components that make up modern applications, software composition analysis enables organizations to proactively manage security risks, maintain compliance, and make informed decisions about the software they develop and deploy.
What is SCA in practical terms? SCA has become increasingly critical as modern software development relies heavily on pre-existing components. With up to 90% of most applications consisting of open-source and third-party code, organizations need robust SCA tools to track, manage, and secure these building blocks throughout the software development lifecycle.
Learn why legacy software composition analysis (SCA) scanners are no longer viable in the cloud native era and how modern SCA’s solve these deficiencies.
The Importance of SCA for Cybersecurity and Open-Source Software
Software composition analysis has emerged as a critical component of modern software supply chain cybersecurity strategies, particularly because open source software fundamentally shifts security responsibility. Unlike proprietary software with dedicated vendors who provide security guarantees, patches, and compliance documentation, OSS has no traditional vendor standing behind it. The OSS developers are essentially “a volunteer workforce that allows you to re-use their work but it is a take it or leave it agreement. You have no recourse if it doesn’t work as expected, or worse, has vulnerabilities in it.“
This reality creates a profound security challenge: when your organization incorporates open source components, you become the de facto supplier for that software. The security burden shifts entirely to you. Without comprehensive SCA implementation, organizations remain vulnerable to exploits targeting known SCA vulnerabilities in outdated dependencies that no vendor is obligated to patch or even notify you about. High-profile security incidents like Log4j, XZ Utils, and CUPS vulnerabilities have demonstrated how quickly attackers can exploit these weaknesses across thousands of organizations simultaneously.
By integrating robust software composition analysis into security practices, teams can fulfill their supplier responsibilities for OSS components by identifying vulnerabilities early, prioritizing remediation efforts based on actual risk, and maintaining compliance documentation that would typically come from a traditional vendor. SCA effectively becomes your organization’s defense mechanism against the “take it or leave it” nature of open source software—allowing you to leverage OSS innovation while managing the unique security challenges that come with being your own supplier for these critical components.
Key SCA Benefits for Development Teams
Implementing software composition analysis provides numerous SCA benefits throughout the development lifecycle:
- Early vulnerability detection: Identify security issues before they become deeply embedded in your codebase, reducing remediation costs and complexity.
- License compliance management: Avoid legal risks by ensuring all components adhere to license requirements and organizational policies.
- Reduced development costs: Decrease the need for costly emergency fixes by addressing SCA vulnerabilities during development rather than in production.
- Enhanced software quality: Improve overall code quality by identifying outdated, deprecated, or poorly maintained dependencies through continuous SCA scanning.
- Accelerated development: Safely leverage open-source components while maintaining security, enabling faster time-to-market.
- Comprehensive visibility: Gain a complete inventory of all components, their origins, versions, and potential risks through automated SCA tools.
- Regulatory compliance: Meet industry and government requirements for software transparency and security with robust SCA testing procedures.
How Does SCA Scanning Work?
1. Component Discovery and Identification
Software composition analysis begins by scanning source code, build files, and package managers to identify all open-source and third-party components. This includes direct dependencies as well as transitive dependencies (dependencies of dependencies) that might otherwise remain hidden.
Helpful SCA tools: Anchore’s open-source SBOM generator, Syft creates detailed software bills of materials (SBOMs) in standard formats like CycloneDX and SPDX, providing comprehensive component inventories through automated SCA scanning.
2. SCA Vulnerability Detection and Assessment
Once components are identified, SCA tools check them against multiple vulnerability databases such as the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), GitHub Security Advisories, and vendor-specific advisories. This process reveals known SCA vulnerabilities that could impact your application.
Helpful SCA tools: Anchore’s open-source vulnerability scanner, Grype performs deep vulnerability scanning against multiple databases, providing accurate, up-to-date security information on all discovered components.
3. License Analysis and Compliance Verification
SCA solutions identify and analyze the software licenses associated with each component, flagging potential compliance issues or conflicts with organizational policies. This helps teams manage legal risks associated with open-source use.
Helpful SCA tools: Anchore’s open-source licence scanner, Grant provides comprehensive license compliance management, helping teams adhere to organizational policies and legal requirements through advanced SCA testing.
4. Risk Prioritization
Not all vulnerabilities represent equal risk. Advanced SCA tools help teams prioritize remediation efforts by evaluating factors like severity, exploitability, and component usage within the application.
Helpful SCA tools: Anchore Secure offers risk-based prioritization to help teams focus on the most critical SCA vulnerabilities first, maximizing security impact with limited resources.
5. Continuous Monitoring and Alerts
As new vulnerabilities are discovered daily, SCA tools provide ongoing monitoring of components and generate alerts when new risks emerge in previously scanned applications.
Helpful SCA tools: Anchore Secure integrates continuous SCA scanning throughout your development pipeline, ensuring security remains consistent across the software lifecycle.
Expert Tips for Integrating SCA in CI/CD Pipelines and Overcoming Common Challenges
1. Start with a Risk-Based Approach
“Don’t try to fix everything at once,” advises Dan Nurmi, Anchore’s CTO. “Begin by addressing critical vulnerabilities in your most important applications. This targeted approach yields faster security improvements while building team momentum.”
2. Automate SCA Early in the Development Process
Implement SCA scans during the commit or pull request stage to catch issues before they enter your main codebase. This “shift-left” approach reduces remediation costs and makes security a natural part of the development workflow.
3. Establish Clear Policies and Exceptions
Create well-defined policies for vulnerability management, including acceptable risk levels and exception processes. Document your decision-making criteria to maintain consistency while accommodating business priorities.
4. Address the False Positive Challenge
SCA tools sometimes flag vulnerabilities that don’t affect your application due to how components are used. Implement a verification process to validate findings before committing resources to unnecessary fixes.
5. Build Developer Security Awareness
“Security tools are only as effective as the teams using them,” notes Josh Bressers, Anchore’s VP of Security. “Invest in developer education about common vulnerabilities and secure coding practices to create a proactive security culture.”
Top SCA Vendors and Tools to Streamline Software Composition Analysis
Anchore Enterprise
Anchore Enterprise stands out among SCA vendors by providing comprehensive software supply chain security with advanced SCA capabilities. It seamlessly integrates with CI/CD pipelines to automate SCA scanning, license compliance, and SBOM generation. With features like policy enforcement, customizable risk scoring, and centralized management, Anchore Enterprise enables organizations to implement robust security governance across their entire software portfolio.
Syft
Syft is Anchore’s open-source SBOM generator that creates accurate, comprehensive software bills of materials in industry-standard formats. It identifies packages and dependencies across various ecosystems including container images, filesystems, and language-specific package managers. As a foundational SCA tool, Syft provides the detailed component inventory needed for subsequent SCA security analysis.
Grype
Grype, Anchore’s open-source vulnerability scanner, works in tandem with Syft to detect known SCA vulnerabilities in your software components. It scans against multiple vulnerability databases to provide comprehensive coverage and can be easily integrated into CI/CD workflows. With low false positive rates and regular database updates, Grype ensures teams can trust their vulnerability data when making remediation decisions.
Software Composition Analysis FAQs
What’s the difference between SCA and SBOM?
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is the comprehensive process of identifying, analyzing, and managing third-party and open-source components in software, including SCA vulnerability detection and license compliance.
An SBOM (software bill of materials) is one output of this process—a formal, machine-readable inventory of all software components and dependencies used in an application.
Think of an SBOM as the ingredients list, while SCA testing is the entire nutritional analysis and food safety inspection process.
Who needs SCA tools?
Any organization that develops or maintains software applications should implement SCA tools, especially those who incorporate open-source components. If your organization would cease to function if your custom software disappeared, software composition analysis is essential for you.
While small and medium-sized businesses may rely primarily on SaaS solutions and desktop applications, they should still verify that their software suppliers take software supply chain security seriously and employ SCA scanning in their development processes.
How does software composition analysis align with compliance requirements?
While SCA isn’t explicitly mandated by most regulations, it’s effectively required to meet many compliance obligations at scale. Various industry and government regulations increasingly require organizations to maintain accurate inventories of their software supply chain components and manage associated risks.
Attempting to fulfill these requirements manually would be impractical and resource-intensive, making automated SCA tools essential for compliance in today’s software-driven enterprises.
Wrap-Up: The Future of Software Composition Analysis
Software composition analysis has evolved from a nice-to-have security practice to an essential component of modern software development. As organizations continue to leverage open-source and third-party code to accelerate innovation, the ability to effectively manage SCA vulnerabilities becomes increasingly critical. By implementing robust SCA tools and testing processes, teams can build secure, compliant applications without sacrificing development velocity.
Ready to strengthen your software supply chain security with advanced SCA capabilities? Explore Anchore Enterprise’s comprehensive SCA scanning solutions or get started with our open-source SCA tools today.
If you’d like to learn more about the Anchore Enterprise platform or speak with a member of our team, feel free to book a time to speak with one of our specialists.
