Policies, Processes, and Tools For Managing Software Dependency Security

In 2024, technology is the backbone of many parts of society.  The technology landscape depends on complex software dependencies consisting of open-source libraries and third-party components and includes numerous vendors known as the "Software Supply Chain". Supply Chain Risk refers to the potential for vulnerabilities in these products to offer an open door that attackers can exploit to compromise an application and subsequently an organization's network and execute cyber attacks such as ransomware, crippling an organization.

Reliance on a Software Supply Chain is therefore a double-edged sword: while they can accelerate development and innovation, they also open doors to security vulnerabilities. The responsibility to secure software lies squarely on the shoulders of software developers, but consumers and governments need to place a pressure on vendors to ensure their products are Secure By Design.

Let's examine some processes and tools that software vendors can use to increase the security of their software development operations and ensure that their products are less likely to be vulnerable to exploitation.

Policies and Processes For Mitigating Software Dependency Risk

It's important for organizations to have processes and policies in place for managing software dependency risks as part of secure development operations (DevSecOps). By implementing these strategies, organizations can enhance their overall security posture and better protect their software applications from the inherent risks associated with software dependencies. 

Here are some essential processes for managing software dependency risk:

• Build A Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM): An SBOM is a formal document that inventories the dependencies of a software application. This inventory can allow more efficient and reliable automated tools to quickly identify vulnerable dependencies and scan a complex environment of multiple software products to identify where newly disclosed vulnerabilities may have an impact. 

• Regular Dependency Reviews: Conduct regular reviews of project dependencies to identify outdated or unmaintained packages that may pose security risks. Prioritize updating dependencies with known vulnerabilities and consider alternatives for high-risk packages.

• Dependency Whitelisting: Implement a dependency whitelisting policy to restrict the use of third-party libraries and components to approved sources or repositories. This helps control the introduction of new dependencies and reduces the likelihood of incorporating vulnerable or malicious code into projects by only allowing those from trusted sources or ones that have been vetted with static or dynamic code analysis.

• Employ Application Security Testing: Integrate Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) to identify insecure coding practices, and common software security flaws, and dependency analysis tools into the development workflow to identify potential security vulnerabilities in both their party-software libraries and code generated within the organization itself. This can help identify software vulnerabilities products are released to customers.

• Vendor and Supply Chain Risk Management: Assess the security posture of third-party vendors and suppliers involved in the software supply chain. Evaluate their security practices, compliance with industry standards, and incident response capabilities to mitigate supply chain risks and ensure the integrity of software dependencies.

• Security Training and Awareness: Provide security training and awareness programs for developers and stakeholders involved in the software development lifecycle. Educate teams about common security vulnerabilities, best practices for secure coding, and the importance of securely managing dependencies to minimize risks.

Best Tools For Managing Dependency Security 

Tools such as Snyk, GoLang native package security, Deps.dev, GitHub Dependabot, OSSF scorecard can be used to assess the security of dependencies. Let's review each of these tools and how they help developers ensure their software is free from vulnerabilities. 

• Snyk: Snyk is a popular open-source security platform designed to help software developers find and fix vulnerabilities in their dependencies. It integrates seamlessly with a variety of development environments and supports multiple programming languages and frameworks. Snyk continuously monitors for new vulnerabilities and provides actionable insights and automated fix suggestions to maintain the security integrity of the software. Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive database make it a go-to choice for developers concerned with securing their application dependencies.

• Deps.dev (deps.dev): Deps.dev is an open-source tool that provides comprehensive insights into the dependencies of a project. It offers detailed information about package health, including version history, licensing issues, and security vulnerabilities. This tool is particularly useful for gaining a deeper understanding of the dependency graph and the potential risks associated with each dependency. It's a valuable resource for developers looking to ensure that their software dependencies are up-to-date and secure.

• GitHub Dependabot (GitHub Dependabot): GitHub Dependabot is an automated tool that helps developers maintain their project dependencies. It periodically checks for updates in dependencies and opens pull requests to update them to the latest versions. This not only ensures that projects are using the most current versions of dependencies but also helps in identifying and fixing vulnerable dependencies. Dependabot is deeply integrated into GitHub, making it a convenient and efficient solution for GitHub users.

• OSSF Scorecard (OSSF Scorecard): The Open Source Security Foundation (OSSF) Scorecard is a tool that provides a security "score" for open-source projects. It evaluates various security practices like dependency management, code review standards, and vulnerability management. This tool is particularly useful for organizations and developers in assessing the security posture of open-source projects they depend on or contribute to. The scorecard offers a quick, automated way to gauge the overall security health of a project.

Software Language Specific Tools For Managing Dependency Security

• GoLang Native Package Security (govulncheck): govulncheck is a tool specifically designed for the Go programming language. It scans Go projects for known vulnerabilities in their dependencies, focusing on packages used directly or indirectly. The tool leverages the Go Vulnerability Database, providing developers with accurate and timely information about security issues in Go packages. This native integration with the Go ecosystem makes govulncheck an essential tool for developers working with Go to maintain the security of their applications.

• Ruby Bundler Audit: A tool integrated with Ruby's Bundler dependency manager that checks for vulnerable dependencies by querying the Ruby Advisory Database (Radb) and other sources.

• Python Safety: A command-line tool and Python library that checks for known security vulnerabilities in Python dependencies listed in requirements files or lock files using the Safety DB.

• JavaScript/Node.js npm Audit: Integrated with npm, Node.js's package manager, npm audit scans dependencies for known security vulnerabilities and provides remediation advice.

• .NET NuGet Security Vulnerability Detection: Integrated with NuGet, the package manager for .NET, this feature checks for known security vulnerabilities in .NET packages by querying the NVD and other sources.

• Rust cargo-audit: A Cargo subcommand for Rust projects that checks for known security vulnerabilities in dependencies by querying the RustSec advisory database.

Conclusion

The ever-evolving technology landscape relies heavily on complex software dependencies and managing software dependency risks effectively requires policies, processes, and tools to ensure software is released in a secure state, and vulnerabilities in dependencies can be identified quickly.

Effective processes for mitigating software dependency risk include building a comprehensive Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), conducting regular dependency reviews, implementing dependency whitelisting policies, employing application security testing, and conducting vendor and supply chain risk management. Fostering security awareness is also crucial in cultivating a security-focused culture within organizations. Automated tools offer efficient and valuable insights to identify vulnerabilities in software dependencies and many languages also have their own reliable tools for the identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities in language-specific ecosystems.