As technology advances and software applications embed deeper into everyday business functions, securing these applications becomes essential. DevSecOps - A transformative methodology that weaves security into the fabric of the development process. This post aims to explore the essential types of security testing used in DevSecOps, namely SAST, DAST, IAST, SCA, and RASP. By understanding these methodologies, organizations can enhance the security of their applications while creating a culture that prioritizes security at every stage of development.
Overview Of Types of Testing -
SAST (Static Application Security Testing): This type of testing analyzes source code, bytecode, or binary code to identify vulnerabilities without executing the program. It helps in finding security flaws early in the development process.
DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing): DAST tests running applications to identify vulnerabilities that may be exploited in a live environment. It simulates attacks on the application from an external perspective.
IAST (Interactive Application Security Testing): IAST combines elements of both SAST and DAST. It operates within the application during runtime and provides real-time analysis of vulnerabilities while the application is being tested.
SCA (Software Composition Analysis): SCA focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in third-party libraries and open-source components used in applications. It helps in managing risks associated with software dependencies.
RASP (Runtime Application Self-Protection): RASP is a security technology that is integrated into an application and can detect and prevent real-time attacks. It monitors the application’s behavior and can respond to threats as they occur.
SAST (Static Application Security Testing)
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) scans source code for security vulnerabilities without executing the application. This proactive method occurs early in development, allowing developers to pinpoint potential security issues before they become bigger problems.
The power of SAST lies in its ability to catch coding vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) at their source. For instance, organizations that adopt SAST can reduce the cost of fixing vulnerabilities by up to 30%, according to reports from cybersecurity firms. Integrating SAST tools into Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines helps developers receive immediate feedback, encouraging secure coding habits.
While SAST is crucial for identifying code-level vulnerabilities, it cannot detect runtime issues. Thus, it’s vital to use SAST alongside other testing methods to form a comprehensive security strategy.
Example: Detecting SQL Injection with SAST in a CI/CD Pipeline
Scenario
A financial services company is developing a web-based loan application platform. The application uses SQL queries to retrieve user data, and the team runs Static Application Security Testing (SAST) to analyze the source code for security vulnerabilities early in the development cycle.
Step 1: Identifying Vulnerable Code Using SAST
During the SAST scan, the tool (e.g., SonarQube, Checkmarx, or Fortify) flags a SQL Injection (SQLi) vulnerability in the code due to improper handling of user input.
Vulnerable Code Example
import sqlite3
def get_user_data(user_id):
conn = sqlite3.connect("database.db")
cursor = conn.cursor()
query = f"SELECT * FROM users WHERE user_id = {user_id}" # UNSAFE: User input is directly used in SQL query
cursor.execute(query)
return cursor.fetchall()Exploit Breakdown
Risk: The user input (user_id) is directly inserted into the SQL query string without proper sanitization or parameterization. An attacker can inject malicious SQL code, such as:
1 OR 1=1 --This results in the query being: This will return all rows from the users table, potentially exposing sensitive user information.
SELECT * FROM users WHERE user_id = 1 OR 1=1 -- Step 2: How SAST Detects the Vulnerability
SAST scans the source code for patterns that could lead to common vulnerabilities. It detects the use of string concatenation to build SQL queries, which is a high-risk practice for SQL injection attacks. SAST also provides a detailed report, including the line of code, the type of vulnerability, and suggestions for remediation.
Step 3: Secure Fix – Remediating the Vulnerability with Parameterized Queries
The development team, based on the SAST findings, refactors the code to prevent SQL injection by using parameterized queries, which safely handle user input.
Secure Code Example
import sqlite3
def get_user_data(user_id):
conn = sqlite3.connect("database.db")
cursor = conn.cursor()
query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE user_id = ?" # SAFE: Use parameterized query
cursor.execute(query, (user_id,)) # The user input is passed as a parameter
return cursor.fetchall()Why is this secure?
The SQL query is precompiled by the database engine, and the user input is safely passed as a parameter rather than concatenated into the query string.
This prevents attackers from injecting malicious SQL code because the input is treated as data, not executable code.
Step 4: Impact of SAST on Security
Without SAST: The vulnerability remains undetected during the development process, leaving the application open to SQL injection attacks that could lead to data breaches.
With SAST:
✅ Identifies vulnerabilities early in the development cycle.
✅ Provides remediation guidance to secure code and reduce risk.
✅Prevents costly post-deployment security incidents by addressing security issues before production.
By integrating SAST into the CI/CD pipeline, the development team can ensure secure coding practices and protect sensitive data from attacks like SQL injection. SAST's early-stage scanning helps catch vulnerabilities in the code before deployment, making it a crucial part of the overall secure software development lifecycle (SDLC).
DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) takes a different approach by evaluating applications during runtime. This method simulates attacks on a live application to discover vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
Conducted in the later stages of development or during testing phases, DAST helps identify issues related to application configuration and runtime behavior - For example, weaknesses in user authentication systems. A study by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) found that organizations using DAST reported a 50% increase in their ability to detect vulnerabilities compared to those who relied only on SAST.
However, it's important to note that DAST may miss vulnerabilities within the underlying code and can produce false positives. To maximize effectiveness, pairing DAST with both SAST and other testing methodologies is necessary.
Example: Detecting Authentication Weakness with DAST in a Web Application
Scenario
A company is developing an e-commerce web application. Before deployment, the security team runs DAST to test for vulnerabilities in the authentication system.
Step 1: Identifying Authentication Weaknesses
A DAST tool (e.g., OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, Acunetix) scans the login page and detects multiple vulnerabilities:
Brute-force attack susceptibility – No account lockout after repeated failed login attempts.
Session Fixation – The session ID remains the same after login, allowing attackers to hijack sessions.
Step 2: Exploiting the Vulnerability
Using Burp Suite Intruder, an attacker brute-forces credentials due to the lack of rate limiting:
Attack Script (Python using Hydra)
hydra -l admin -P common-passwords.txt https://example.com/login -V💥 Result: The attacker guesses a weak password and gains access to the account.
Additionally, the Session Fixation vulnerability allows an attacker to fix a session ID before login:
Vulnerable Code (Session Fixation): 💥 Risk: An attacker can trick a user into logging in with a pre-set session ID, then hijack the session.
from flask import Flask, session
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.route('/login', methods=['POST'])
def login():
session['user'] = request.form['username'] # ❌ UNSAFE: Session ID remains unchanged
return "Logged in"Step 3: Secure Fix – Strengthening Authentication
Based on DAST reports, the development team fixes the vulnerabilities:
✅ Implement account lockout after multiple failed attempts
✅ Enforce session regeneration upon login
✅ Add rate limiting and CAPTCHA to prevent brute-force attacks
Secure Code Example (Fixing Session Fixation)
from flask import Flask, session
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.route('/login', methods=['POST'])
def login():
session.clear() #✅ Clears old session
session['user'] = request.form['username']
session.modified = True #✅ Regenerates session ID
return "Logged in"💡 With session regeneration, an attacker cannot hijack user sessions anymore.
Step 4: Impact of DAST on Security
Without DAST: The vulnerabilities would remain undetected, making the app prone to account takeovers.
With DAST:
✅ Finds authentication and session flaws before deployment
✅ Helps prevent brute-force and session hijacking
✅ Improves security posture with real-time vulnerability assessment
By integrating DAST into the CI/CD pipeline, organizations can detect and fix runtime vulnerabilities before hackers exploit them. 🚀
IAST (Interactive Application Security Testing)
Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) merges elements from both SAST and DAST. By monitoring applications during runtime, IAST tools can analyze code while the application is operational, identifying vulnerabilities in real-time.
IAST uses agents to observe application behavior and interactions. This continuous monitoring provides developers with immediate feedback on security issues. A survey by a leading software security firm revealed that teams using IAST could resolve vulnerabilities 40% faster than traditional methods.
A key benefit of IAST is its ability to provide context around vulnerabilities, including specifics on cause, severity, and remediation strategies. However, successful implementation requires thoughtful integration with the existing application architecture.
Example: Detecting and Fixing Insecure Deserialization with IAST
Scenario
A financial services company is developing a web-based loan application platform. The application stores and transmits serialized objects using Python's pickle module for efficiency. However, improper handling of deserialization can lead to remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities.
How IAST Helps
An IAST tool (e.g., HCL AppScan, Contrast Security, or Seeker) is integrated into the testing environment. During real-time monitoring, the tool detects that the application deserializes untrusted user input, making it vulnerable to remote code execution (RCE) attacks.
Step 1: Understanding the Vulnerability
Python’s pickle module allows serializing (saving) and deserializing (loading) objects. However, if untrusted user input is deserialized, an attacker can craft a malicious payload that executes arbitrary system commands.
Vulnerable Code (Deserializing Untrusted Data)
An attacker could submit a malicious serialized object that executes arbitrary code when deserialized:
import pickle
def deserialize_user_input(data):
return pickle.loads(data) # UNSAFE: Loading untrusted serialized data
# Simulating an attacker sending a malicious payload
malicious_payload = b"cos\nsystem\n(S'echo Hacked!'\ntR."
deserialize_user_input(malicious_payload) # Executes 'echo Hacked!'Exploit Breakdown
The attacker crafts a serialized payload containing system('echo Hacked!'), which executes a system command.
The application blindly deserializes the user input using pickle.loads(), leading to arbitrary command execution.
This can escalate to full server compromise if the attacker executes harmful commands like rm -rf / or installs malware.
If the application blindly deserializes such input, it could lead to server compromise.
Step 2: Detecting the Vulnerability with IAST
An IAST tool (e.g., Contrast Security, HCL AppScan, Seeker) monitors runtime behavior and detects that untrusted input is being deserialized. It alerts developers that pickle.loads(data) is handling unvalidated external input, which is flagged as a critical security risk.
Step 3: Secure Fix - Safe Deserialization
Solution 1: Use JSON Instead of Pickle (Safe Alternative)
Instead of pickle, using json.loads() prevents code execution risks. Unlike pickle, JSON only supports basic data types and does not allow executing arbitrary Python objects.
import json
def safe_deserialize(data):
return json.loads(data) # SAFE: JSON does not allow arbitrary code execution
# Example of safe JSON data
user_data = '{"name": "Alice", "loan_amount": 5000}'
safe_deserialize(user_data) # Parses JSON safelySolution 2: Restrict Allowed Object Types
If pickle must be used, restrict deserialization to known safe classes using pickle.Unpickler.
Other Secure Fix: The development team implements:
✅ Whitelist-based deserialization: Allowing only known, safe object types.
✅ Digital signatures on serialized objects: Preventing tampering.
✅ Replacing unsafe formats: Using JSON or XML instead of binary serialization.
Step 4: Impact of IAST in Detection and Prevention
Without IAST: The application blindly loads untrusted data, making it vulnerable to remote code execution (RCE).
With IAST:
✅ Detects insecure deserialization at runtime.
✅ Provides real-time alerts on risky code execution paths.
✅ Helps prioritize and fix vulnerabilities before deployment.
Conclusion
Insecure deserialization is a critical risk that can lead to remote code execution.
IAST helps detect such issues dynamically by monitoring real-time application behavior.
Secure coding practices like using JSON or restricting object deserialization can prevent exploits.
By leveraging IAST, developers gain real-time insights into vulnerabilities, ensuring faster remediation and stronger application security.
SCA (Software Composition Analysis)
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) focuses specifically on third-party libraries and components integrated into applications. As organizations increasingly rely on open-source and proprietary libraries, SCA plays a crucial role in ensuring that these components do not introduce vulnerabilities.
SCA tools scan code repositories for known vulnerabilities and compliance with licensing terms. For example, according to a 2021 analysis, nearly 80% of applications utilize open-source components with known vulnerabilities. By actively monitoring these components, organizations can significantly reduce their risk exposure.
While SCA is a vital component of application security, it should be complemented by other testing methods like SAST and DAST for comprehensive protection.
Example: Detecting and Mitigating Vulnerabilities with SCA in a Python Project
Scenario
A fintech company is developing a web application that relies on several open-source Python libraries. One of the dependencies is requests, a widely used HTTP library. The development team uses Software Composition Analysis (SCA) to ensure their dependencies are secure.
Step 1: Identifying Vulnerable Dependencies
The team uses an SCA tool (e.g., Snyk, Trivy, or OWASP Dependency-Check) to scan their requirements.txt file:
Example requirements.txt File
Flask==2.0.1
requests==2.19.1 # Vulnerable version
numpy==1.21.0After scanning, the SCA tool detects that requests 2.19.1 has a known security vulnerability (CVE-2018-18074) that allows an attacker to leak sensitive authentication data.
Step 2: Understanding the Exploit
The vulnerability in requests 2.19.1 allows attackers to trick the application into sending credentials to untrusted domains.
Vulnerable Code Example
import requests
# The app fetches user data from an API using Basic Authentication
api_url = "http://trusted-api.com/userdata"
response = requests.get(api_url, auth=("user", "password")) # UNSAFE
print(response.text)Exploit Breakdown
If an attacker intercepts the request or tricks the application into redirecting to a malicious domain, user credentials could be exposed in plaintext over HTTP.
Step 3: Secure Fix – Upgrade to a Safe Version
The SCA tool recommends upgrading requests to a secure version (2.22.0 or later). The developer updates requirements.txt
Flask==2.0.1
requests==2.22.0 # Secure version
numpy==1.21.0Then, they reinstall dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txtSecure Code Example
import requests
# Always use HTTPS and verify SSL certificates
api_url = "https://trusted-api.com/userdata"
response = requests.get(api_url, auth=("user", "password"), verify=True) # SAFE
print(response.text)✅ Uses HTTPS to protect credentials
✅ Verifies SSL certificates to prevent MITM attacks
Step 4: Continuous Monitoring with SCA
Without SCA: The team could unknowingly deploy an application with vulnerable dependencies.
With SCA:
✅ Automated alerts for vulnerable packages.
✅ License compliance checks for open-source components.
✅ Integration with CI/CD pipelines to prevent vulnerable builds.
By integrating SCA into DevSecOps, the company ensures continuous security of third-party dependencies and reduces the risk of supply chain attacks. 🚀
RASP (Runtime Application Self-Protection)
Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) provides a proactive approach by embedding security directly within the application. This method continuously monitors applications at runtime, protecting against ongoing attacks in real time.
When RASP is in place, it can identify threats as they happen, blocking attacks or alerting security teams for immediate action. Studies show that organizations implementing RASP have reduced successful attacks by up to 30% due to its real-time capabilities.
Still, RASP should not be used as a standalone solution. Pairing it with SAST, DAST, and SCA creates a multi-layered security strategy, addressing various vulnerabilities both actively and passively.
Example: Preventing SQL Injection with RASP in a Web Application
Scenario
A company is running an e-commerce platform that allows users to search for products through a web interface. The application processes search queries via an SQL-based backend.
Despite implementing SAST and DAST, an attacker attempts a SQL Injection (SQLi) attack at runtime by entering:
' OR 1=1 -- This query bypasses authentication and exposes sensitive data.
Step 1: How RASP Detects and Blocks the Attack
The company integrates a RASP tool (e.g., Imperva RASP, Waratek, or Contrast Security) into the application. RASP continuously monitors how SQL queries are executed and detects unusual patterns.
Vulnerable Code Example (Before RASP)
import sqlite3
def search_products(user_input):
query = f"SELECT * FROM products WHERE name LIKE '%{user_input}%'"
conn = sqlite3.connect("store.db")
cursor = conn.cursor()
cursor.execute(query) # UNSAFE: Directly injecting user input
return cursor.fetchall()🚨 Risk: If an attacker inputs ' OR 1=1 --, it turns into:
SELECT * FROM products WHERE name LIKE '%' OR 1=1 -- '%'This bypasses filters, displaying all products in the database.
Step 2: RASP’s Real-Time Protection
When an attacker submits a malicious query, RASP immediately detects that the input contains SQL injection patterns and takes action:
✅ Blocks the request before execution
✅ Logs attack details for security teams
✅ Returns a safe error message instead of exposing database contents
Step 3: Secure Fix – Strengthening Security with RASP
RASP not only blocks attacks but also provides remediation suggestions.
The developer applies:
Parameterized queries (to eliminate SQL injection).
RASP-driven logging and alerts (for threat monitoring).
Secure Code Example (After RASP & Fixes)
import sqlite3
def search_products(user_input):
query = "SELECT * FROM products WHERE name LIKE ?"
conn = sqlite3.connect("store.db")
cursor = conn.cursor()
cursor.execute(query, (f"%{user_input}%",)) # SAFE: Uses parameterized query
return cursor.fetchall()✅ User input is sanitized before execution
✅ RASP blocks attacks dynamically
Step 4: Impact of RASP in Threat Mitigation
Without RASP: The vulnerability remains exploitable until detected in testing or after a breach.
With RASP:
✅ Blocks SQL Injection in real-time
✅ Provides immediate attack alerts
✅ Enhances DevSecOps by detecting runtime threats
RASP offers proactive security by monitoring real-time behavior and preventing attacks dynamically. While powerful, it should be used alongside SAST, DAST, and SCA for a comprehensive security strategy. 🚀
Conclusion
In today's fast-paced software development world, prioritizing security through effective testing methodologies is essential. Understanding SAST, DAST, IAST, SCA, and RASP equips organizations to build a robust defense against vulnerabilities.
By using these methodologies throughout the development lifecycle, teams can foster a proactive security culture. This not only protects applications from threats but also improves the overall quality and reliability of software products.
In conclusion, integrating these types of security testing into a DevSecOps framework leads to stronger applications, better compliance, and enhanced stakeholder trust. Making security an integral component of the development process is crucial for success in the modern digital landscape.
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