Comparison of SAST, DAST, and SCA

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Here’s a clear comparison of SAST, DAST, and SCA — the three core application security testing types in DevSecOps:

🔐 SAST (Static Application Security Testing)

Feature	Details
🔍 What it is	Analyzes source code or bytecode for vulnerabilities without executing it
🛠️ When it runs	Early in development (pre-build, pre-deploy)
🔧 How it works	Scans code repositories, looks for known patterns and insecure coding practices
⚠️ Finds issues like	SQL injection, XSS, hardcoded secrets, insecure functions
✅ Pros	Early feedback, fast scans, language-aware, shift-left security
❌ Cons	False positives, lacks runtime context
🧰 Tools	GitLab SAST, SonarQube, Checkmarx, Fortify, CodeQL

🌐 DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)

Feature	Details
🔍 What it is	Scans a running application by simulating external attacks
🛠️ When it runs	After deployment (in staging or test environments)
🔧 How it works	Sends requests to web endpoints and analyzes responses
⚠️ Finds issues like	Broken auth, exposed APIs, missing headers, server misconfigurations
✅ Pros	Real-world simulation, no source code needed
❌ Cons	Slower, can miss hidden paths, needs test environment
🧰 Tools	GitLab DAST, OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, AppSpider

📦 SCA (Software Composition Analysis)

Feature	Details
🔍 What it is	Analyzes open-source libraries and dependencies for known vulnerabilities
🛠️ When it runs	During dependency resolution or in CI pipelines
🔧 How it works	Checks versions in `package.json`, `pom.xml`, etc., against CVE databases
⚠️ Finds issues like	Known CVEs in open-source packages, license risks
✅ Pros	Easy to integrate, real CVE data, license checks
❌ Cons	Doesn’t scan your code, only 3rd-party dependencies
🧰 Tools	GitLab Dependency Scanning, Snyk, WhiteSource, OWASP Dependency-Check

🧠 TL;DR — Summary

Metric	SAST	DAST	SCA
Code access	Required (source/static)	Not required	Required (dependencies only)
App state	Source code	Running app	Dependency list
Vulnerability	Code-level bugs	Runtime/web issues	Open-source CVEs
Best time	Early in CI	After deployment	Any time in CI
GitLab Tool	GitLab SAST	GitLab DAST	GitLab Dependency Scanning

Rajesh Kumar

I’m a DevOps/SRE/DevSecOps/Cloud Expert passionate about sharing knowledge and experiences. I have worked at Cotocus. I share tech blog at DevOps School, travel stories at Holiday Landmark, stock market tips at Stocks Mantra, health and fitness guidance at My Medic Plus, product reviews at TrueReviewNow , and SEO strategies at Wizbrand.

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