%20Icon.svg){kind=small}
Poor code quality can jeopardize your application’s performance and scalability. But more importantly, security vulnerabilities in code increase the risk of exploits, leading to data breaches, compliance failures, and loss of customer trust.
Security code review tools are a proactive way to identify and resolve these issues before they impact your business. Explore what these do, their strengths and weaknesses, and the top options available.
What Are Security Code Analysis Tools?
Security code review tools, for example static application security testing (SAST) tools, evaluate source code to detect vulnerabilities and security risks.
Security-focused code reviewers can identify critical problems like vulnerabilities (like SQL injection and cross-site scripting) and code inefficiencies, which can lead to performance bottlenecks. Many tools also integrate with popular DevOps platforms, streamlining workflows by providing actionable feedback during development.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Security Code Review Tools
Source code scanning tools improve code quality and application security. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses helps you maximize their value.
Strengths of Security Code Review Tools
Security code review tools provide several advantages that make them indispensable for development teams:
- Scale effectively: Security code review tools efficiently handle large and complex codebases, making them ideal for enterprises with multiple development teams and extensive projects.
- Detect early: By catching vulnerabilities and errors early in the SDLC, these tools minimize costly fixes and reduce the risk of security breaches.
- Identify well-known vulnerabilities: Static code tools equipped with databases of common vulnerabilities help teams identify and resolve critical security issues quickly.
Weaknesses of Security Code Review Tools
Even the best security code review tools have limitations:
- Experience limited capabilities of tools: Many tools are limited to identifying a small subset of application security flaws, often missing the advanced vulnerabilities that require dynamic or contextual analysis.
- Can’t compile some code: These tools sometimes fail to analyze incomplete codebases due to missing libraries, compilation instructions, or other dependencies, leaving potential vulnerabilities undetected.
- Identify a high rate of false positives: Some tools generate false positives, overwhelming your team with issues that require manual verification and slowing down the remediation process.
10 Popular Security Code Review Tools
Consider solutions that integrate seamlessly into your development workflows and offer advanced tools for source code analysis to address complex security challenges. Below are 10 options, each offering unique features to enhance your software’s security and quality.
1. Codacy
Codacy is a versatile tool that automates code reviews and offers actionable insights into code quality, security, and coverage. Supporting over 40 coding languages—including Python and PHP—it integrates seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines, providing real-time feedback and customizable analysis rules. Plus, Codacy offers a free version for open-source development.
2. SonarQube
SonarQube is an open-source platform known for its comprehensive code quality and security analysis. It supports multiple languages and provides real-time feedback through IDE integrations like SonarLint. Features include quality gates that block deployments failing specific criteria and detailed dashboards for tracking code quality and vulnerability metrics.
3. Snyk Code
Snyk Code specializes in identifying vulnerabilities in both custom and open-source code. With AI-powered automated code scanning, it offers real-time feedback within IDEs, prioritizes risks with detailed scoring, and integrates with popular DevOps tools. This makes it an excellent choice for addressing security risks early in the SDLC.
4. Checkmarx
Checkmarx offers a highly flexible SAST solution that detects vulnerabilities, like SQL injection and XSS, early in development. Its ability to integrate with CI/CD pipelines and support for customizable scanning rules makes it a reliable choice for organizations prioritizing secure coding practices.
5. Veracode
Veracode combines static and dynamic analysis to deliver a thorough application security assessment. Its cloud-based platform offers actionable remediation insights and integrates with development tools, helping you address vulnerabilities without disrupting workflows.
6. Fortify Static Code Analyzer (Fortify SCA)
Fortify SCA excels at detecting vulnerabilities across large codebases, offering support for multiple languages and customizable rules. Its ability to integrate into CI/CD environments ensures continuous security monitoring for enterprise applications. Plus, its system supports 1,657 vulnerability categories.
7. Semgrep
Semgrep is a lightweight and customizable SAST tool that lets developers easily create and apply custom security rules. With support for over 30 programming languages and integration into CI/CD workflows, Semgrep offers flexibility and speed in vulnerability detection.
8. Klocwork
Klocwork provides detailed static analysis, focusing on vulnerabilities such as memory leaks and concurrency issues. Compliance with industry standards, like the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA), makes Klocwork stand out as a tool for safety-critical environments, like automotive and aerospace.
9. DeepSource
DeepSource offers automated code quality and security fixes, improving developer productivity across the SDLC. Its integrations with repositories like GitHub and GitLab make it convenient for teams managing multiple projects.
10. Coverity
Coverity specializes in finding vulnerabilities in C++, Java, and Python. Its ability to analyze source code and binaries makes it a strong choice for comprehensive application security. Coverity’s also completely free, but there are build limits, so it’s best for smaller projects.
Key Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Code Analysis Tool
Choosing a tool that excels in source code analysis boosts early vulnerability detection, saving time and lowering risk. Look for features like an intuitive interface and seamless integration.
Here are the key criteria to consider when choosing a tool:
- Ease of use and setup: A user-friendly interface and quick setup process reduce the learning curve for team members, enhancing adoption and morale.
- Seamless integration: The tool should integrate smoothly with your IDE, version control systems, and CI/CD pipelines for an efficient workflow.
- Enforcing code standards: Opt for a tool that enforces coding standards and best practices, maintaining consistent quality across your projects. This is especially important if you operate in a high-risk industry or aim to follow certain standards, like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
- Detailed reporting: Comprehensive and customizable reports help teams prioritize issues and track progress effectively.
- Real-time feedback: Look for tools that offer immediate feedback during coding. This lets you address issues as they arise, saving time and effort later.
Go One Step Further With Legit Security
The Legit ASPM Platform acts as the foundation of your application security program, ensuring all your testing, including static analysis, is more effective and efficient. Legit discovers and visualizes all aspects of both applications and the software factory producing these assets, plus all security controls and gaps. Further, it consolidates security findings across all your scanners and tools (i.e., SCA, SAST, DAST, etc.), leveraging AI-driven correlation and risk scoring to fix your most critical issues first.
Request a demo today.