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Open Source Security Tools

Compare top open source security tools for SAST, SCA, and more.

C
CodePhreak Team
January 1, 2026
4 min read

TITLE: Open Source Security Tools CATEGORY: Security EXCERPT: Compare top open source security tools for SAST, SCA, and more.

Introduction to Open Source Security Tools

The world of cybersecurity is constantly evolving, with new threats and vulnerabilities emerging every day. To stay ahead of these threats, security professionals rely on a variety of tools and technologies. One of the most effective ways to ensure the security of applications and infrastructure is by using open source security tools. In this article, we will compare some of the top open source security tools available, including those for Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Software Composition Analysis (SCA), and more.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

SAST is a type of security testing that analyzes source code for potential vulnerabilities. Some popular open source SAST tools include:

  • Semgrep: A fast, open-source, static analysis tool for finding bugs and enforcing code standards.
  • Bandit: A tool designed to find common security issues in Python code.
  • ESLint Security: A plugin for ESLint that identifies potential security vulnerabilities in JavaScript code.

For example, to use Semgrep to scan a project for vulnerabilities, you can run the following command:

semgrep --config auto

This will automatically detect the programming languages used in the project and run the corresponding scans.

Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

SCA is a type of security testing that analyzes the dependencies used in an application for potential vulnerabilities. Some popular open source SCA tools include:

  • Trivy: A simple and comprehensive vulnerability scanner for containers and other artifacts.
  • OWASP Dependency-Check: A utility that identifies project dependencies and checks if there are any known, publicly disclosed, vulnerabilities.

For example, to use Trivy to scan a Docker image for vulnerabilities, you can run the following command:

trivy image <image_name>

This will scan the image for known vulnerabilities and display the results.

Secrets Detection

Secrets detection is a type of security testing that analyzes source code for sensitive information such as API keys, passwords, and tokens. Some popular open source secrets detection tools include:

  • Gitleaks: A SAST tool for detecting hardcoded secrets in git repositories.
  • TruffleHog: A tool for finding secrets in git repositories.

For example, to use Gitleaks to scan a git repository for secrets, you can run the following command:

gitleaks --repo-path=<repo_path>

This will scan the repository for hardcoded secrets and display the results.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Scanning

IaC scanning is a type of security testing that analyzes infrastructure configuration files for potential vulnerabilities. Some popular open source IaC scanning tools include:

  • Checkov: A static analysis tool for infrastructure-as-code (IaC) files.
  • tfsec: A static analysis tool for Terraform configurations.

For example, to use Checkov to scan a Terraform configuration file for vulnerabilities, you can run the following command:

checkov -f terraform -d <config_file>

This will scan the configuration file for known vulnerabilities and display the results.

Container Security

Container security is a type of security testing that analyzes container images for potential vulnerabilities. Some popular open source container security tools include:

  • Trivy: A simple and comprehensive vulnerability scanner for containers and other artifacts.
  • Hadolint: A static analysis tool for Dockerfiles.

For example, to use Trivy to scan a Docker image for vulnerabilities, you can run the following command:

trivy image <image_name>

This will scan the image for known vulnerabilities and display the results.

CodePhreak Security Auditor

CodePhreak Security Auditor is an open-source enterprise security platform that provides a comprehensive set of security tools, including SAST, SCA, secrets detection, IaC scanning, and container security. CodePhreak achieves 92-96% parity with commercial tools like Snyk, Veracode, and Wiz at 99% cost savings.

To get started with CodePhreak, you can install the CLI tool using pip:

pip install codephreak-security-auditor

Then, you can scan a project for vulnerabilities using the following command:

codephreak scan --target ./my-project

This will scan the project for known vulnerabilities and display the results.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many open source security tools available for SAST, SCA, secrets detection, IaC scanning, and container security. By using these tools, security professionals can ensure the security of their applications and infrastructure. CodePhreak Security Auditor is a comprehensive open-source enterprise security platform that provides a wide range of security tools and achieves high parity with commercial tools at a significantly lower cost. To learn more about CodePhreak and how it can help you secure your applications and infrastructure, visit the CodePhreak website and check out the API documentation.

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