Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

What Is Software Composition Analysis (SCA)?

Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is a method used to identify and manage the open source components within a software application. It helps development and security teams gain visibility into third-party libraries, frameworks, and packages, so they can detect vulnerabilities, license compliance issues, and outdated dependencies.

Modern applications often rely heavily on open source code, with some estimates suggesting that 70–90% of a typical codebase originates from external sources. 

SCA tools scan your codebase, including package manifests and transitive dependencies, to produce an inventory and assess known risks.

Why It’s Essential

Without clear visibility into open source components, teams can unknowingly introduce known vulnerabilities or licensing conflicts. 

SCA software tools help automate this visibility, enabling the proactive identification of risks early in the development lifecycle.

SCA has become a critical part of application security programs, particularly as software supply chain attacks and dependency-based vulnerabilities continue to rise.

The Risks of Open Source Components

Open source software brings flexibility and speed to development, but it also introduces specific security and compliance risks.

Without proper oversight, third-party components can become a hidden source of exposure, especially when they go untracked or unpatched.

Here are a few common risks to consider when incorporating open source software in your codebase.

1. Known Vulnerabilities in Dependencies

Many open source libraries contain published vulnerabilities (CVEs). These flaws are often well-documented and actively exploited in the wild. 

If a vulnerable component is included in your codebase, and especially if it’s reachable or internet-facing, it becomes a liability.

SCA vulnerabilities are often introduced unintentionally, as developers may install a package for a single function without realizing it brings transitive dependencies with known risks.

2. License Compliance and Legal Risk

Not all open source licenses are permissive. Components under restrictive licenses, such as GPL or AGPL, may require your organization to disclose source code or conform to other obligations. Failing to track these requirements can result in legal exposure or loss of IP protection.

SCA tools help flag incompatible licenses, allowing teams to take corrective action early before a component is embedded in production workflows.

3. Outdated or Abandoned Projects

Even if a package has no current CVEs, it may still pose risk if it’s no longer maintained. 

Projects that lack updates or community support are unlikely to receive security patches, making them vulnerable as new attack techniques emerge.

4. Trust and Integrity in the Supply Chain

Recent high-profile attacks have demonstrated that malicious actors can intentionally compromise open source packages, such as typosquatting or malicious maintainers. 

Without strong visibility, these risks can slip into production unnoticed.

Benefits of Implementing SCA

Software composition analysis helps teams secure their applications by making third-party code risks visible and manageable across the SDLC. Key benefits include:

• Early detection of known vulnerabilities: SCA tools scan both direct and transitive dependencies to flag components with published CVEs before they reach production.
• Automated license compliance: SCA identifies license types (e.g., MIT, GPL, Apache) and flags any conflicts with your organization’s licensing policies—reducing legal and operational risk.
• Improved supply chain transparency: By generating a software bill of materials (SBOM), SCA provides a complete inventory of third-party components and where they appear in your environment.
• Prioritized remediation: Some platforms enrich findings with exploitability, reachability, or usage context, enabling teams to focus on SCA vulnerabilities that pose the greatest real-world risk.
• Shift-left enablement: Integrated SCA feedback in CI/CD pipelines gives developers timely insight into dependency issues without slowing delivery.

Looking for ways to improve your application vulnerability scanning? Learn how to run an application vulnerability scan.

Best Practices for Software Composition Analysis

To get the most value from software composition analysis, teams should go beyond one-time scans and focus on integrating SCA into their daily workflows. 

These best practices help ensure comprehensive coverage and actionable insights.

1. Integrate SCA Early in the SDLC

Embed SCA checks into developer workflows, including IDEs and CI/CD pipelines. This enables early feedback on risky or non-compliant dependencies, so issues can be addressed before they block releases.

2. Monitor Both Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Many vulnerabilities are found in nested or transitive dependencies, not just top-level libraries. Choose tools that go deep enough to identify hidden risks and provide remediation paths across the full dependency graph.

3. Define Risk-Based Policies

Set clear thresholds for severity, license types, or project activity (e.g., flagged if unmaintained for >12 months). Risk-based policies make it easier to enforce standards without overburdening developers or introducing unnecessary delays.

4. Maintain an Accurate SBOM

A software bill of materials isn’t just a snapshot. It should be continuously updated to reflect changes across branches, builds, and environments. Accurate SBOMs improve supply chain visibility, compliance, and incident response readiness.

5. Prioritize Fixes with Context

Not all SCA security issues require immediate action. Tools that provide reachability, usage frequency, or exploit availability help teams prioritize what actually matters to the business.

Want to go deeper into runtime-focused security testing? Explore Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST).

Frequently Asked Questions

What vulnerabilities does SCA commonly detect?

SCA identifies known vulnerabilities in open source libraries and packages, often using public CVE databases. These include issues like remote code execution, privilege escalation, and injection flaws. It also flags vulnerabilities in transitive dependencies that may not be obvious from top-level packages.

How can SCA improve compliance with licensing?

SCA tools scan open source components and detect their associated licenses, such as MIT, Apache, or GPL. This helps organizations avoid legal conflicts, fulfill attribution requirements, and ensure that licensing terms align with business and distribution models.

Can SCA replace manual security audits?

SCA enhances visibility and reduces audit burden, but shouldn’t replace manual security reviews entirely. It’s best used in combination with other practices, such as static code analysis and threat modeling, to cover both third-party and custom code risk.