Why Static Code Analysis Is Not Enough?

As web applications are quickly becoming the norm in how businesses operate, it’s critical to ensure they are secure from cyberattacks. One approach organizations use to bolster their security posture is through static code analysis. However, relying on only static code analysis to secure your web applications is not a reliable approach. In this blog post, we will discuss why static code analysis is not enough to secure your web applications and what other measures you need to implement.

1. Cannot Detect Logical Vulnerabilities

Static code analysis focuses on code syntax and can detect security vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows, SQL injections, and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. However, it cannot detect logical vulnerabilities that are not easily visible in the code itself. For example, if an application allows privileged users to upload files, a static code analyzer may not detect this as a vulnerability. The best way to identify this type of vulnerability is through manual testing and implementing measures such as access controls and file validation.

2. Lacks Context

Another major limitation of static code analysis is that it does not have context into how the web application is used. Static code analysis operates on code logic but does not take into consideration how that logic is implemented or used in the application. This lack of context can lead to false positives or miss a security vulnerability that can be exploited.

3. May Not Detect Third-Party Libraries

Web applications heavily rely on third-party libraries and frameworks to function. While static code analysis can detect vulnerabilities in your own code, it may not identify security issues in the third-party libraries used in the application. To address this, you need to ensure that third-party libraries used in your web application are up-to-date and do not have any known vulnerabilities.

4. Cannot Simulate User Input

Static code analysis cannot accurately simulate user input to test how the web application behaves. With the absence of user input and context, static code analysis may not detect issues such as improper session handling, insufficient access controls, and server-side request forgery (SSRF) attacks. To address this, it’s critical to perform regular dynamic testing that simulates user input. This testing will give insight into how the web application behaves under real-world conditions and help identify security vulnerabilities.

5. Cannot keep up with the ever-changing threat landscape

Static code analysis tools are not designed to keep up with the constantly evolving threat landscape. Hackers develop new techniques and exploits regularly. For this reason, relying solely on static code analysis tools may leave your application exposed to new and undiscovered threats.

6. Does Not Guarantee Security

Finally, it is essential to understand that relying solely on static code analysis to secure your web application does not guarantee 100% security. Hackers continue to develop advanced techniques to circumvent existing security control. As such, while static code analysis can help identify vulnerabilities, it is only one piece of the puzzle and should not be relied upon entirely.

In conclusion, while static code analysis is a valuable tool, it should not be relied upon solely to secure your web applications. To ensure your web application has robust security measures, you should supplement static code analysis with other measures such as manual testing, regular dynamic testing, access controls, and file validation. These security measures should also be continuously updated to keep up with the dynamic threat landscape. By taking a multi-layered approach to security, organizations can minimize the risk of cyberattacks and protect their web applications.

As far as security is concerned, in view of the fact that there are many critical classes of vulnerability which cannot be addressed with traditional static analysis tools, it is essential a Dynamic Scanner. You can always try our Professional Security product to have an automated dynamic vulnerability scanner.