The Benefit of Doing Reachability Analysis

In the ever-evolving landscape of software development, managing security vulnerabilities has become a critical challenge, particularly when dealing with third-party open source dependencies. The emergence of Software Composition Analysis tools (SCAs) has revolutionised how vulnerabilities in dependencies are handled. However, conventional SCAs overload users with irrelevant alarms because they don’t consider how dependencies are actually used. This blog post explores the benefits of Coana, a new SCA that incorporates a reachability analysis in the vulnerability management process, drawing insights from the experiences of Maze, a product discovery platform, and GAN Integrity, a LegalTech company.

Understanding Reachability Analysis in SCA

Reachability analysis refers to the process of determining whether a part of a codebase that contains a known vulnerability is actually executed in the context of the application. Conventional SCAs typically alert users about all known vulnerabilities in their dependency packages, leading to a high rate of false positives and an overwhelming amount of alarms for developers to sift through. This is where reachability analysis makes a difference. By focusing on vulnerabilities that are actually reachable and therefore likely exploitable in a given application, developers can prioritize their efforts more effectively.

The Maze Case Study: Streamlining Vulnerability Management

Maze's struggle with managing a large volume of vulnerabilities in their extensive TypeScript codebase is a common story. The introduction of Coana’s reachability analysis enabled Maze to focus on vulnerabilities that truly mattered. As their Engineering Manager states, “Coana has been instrumental in identifying which vulnerabilities are reachable, allowing us to concentrate on those that truly matter. This not only streamlined our security operations but also reduced the burden on our engineering teams.”

Read the Maze case study

GAN Integrity: Enhancing Operational Efficiency

Similar to Maze, GAN Integrity was faced with the challenge of differentiating between real threats and false alarms in their vulnerability management process. The implementation of Coana's reachability analysis allowed them to reduce the noise of vulnerability scanning significantly. The VP of Engineering from GAN Integrity reflects, “Coana has automated a critical part of our security process, allowing us to confidently ignore a large number of false positives. This shift has streamlined our operations allowing us to stay secure while diverting less resources from generating value for customers.”

Read the GAN Integrity case study

Key Benefits of Reachability Analysis

1. Reduction in False Positives: Reachability analysis significantly cuts down on false positives, reducing the burden on engineering teams and saving valuable time and resources.
2. Improved Focus on Actual Threats: By identifying which parts of the code are actually at risk, teams can concentrate their efforts on vulnerabilities that pose a real threat to their application.
3. Boosted Developer Morale and Productivity: Reducing the noise of irrelevant alerts can lead to a less stressful and more motivating work environment for developers.

Conclusion

The integration of reachability analysis in SCA tools represents a significant advancement in the way vulnerabilities in software dependencies are managed. As demonstrated by Maze and GAN Integrity, this approach not only streamlines the vulnerability management process but also ensures that security efforts are directed where they are most needed. For any organization overwhelmed by the volume of security alerts or looking to enhance their application security, adopting an SCA tool with reachability analysis like Coana could be a game-changer.

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