CISOs and security leaders worldwide are losing sleep over the expanding threat landscape. Well, not only losing sleep, but also their jobs! (sigh)
The Need to Curb Rising Application Security Threats
Gartner predicts that by 2025, nearly half (45%) of organizations worldwide will experience attacks on their software supply chains. This highlights the urgent need for security measures across the application lifecycle.
In addition, a recent study by Synopsys found that 84% of codebases contain at least one open-source vulnerability, with an average of 158 vulnerabilities per application. This demonstrates the risks associated with using open-source components and why we need effective Application Security tools more than ever.
Open Source AppSec Tools: Flexible, Cost-Effective & Strong Support
Open source security tools have emerged as a popular choice for application teams looking to enhance their security posture. Why? Because they come at a reduced cost compared to proprietary and vendor-backed solutions. And they’re incredibly flexible to implement. Needless to mention the strong backing they receive from the open source community.
While these tools offer critical security features like vulnerability scanning, misconfiguration detection, and secrets management, there is one major drawback—they introduce complexity. This complexity arises from having to manage configurations, interpret reports coming from disparate sources, and enforce policies effectively.
OpsMx Delivery Shield: Streamlining Application Security for Large Teams
This is where OpsMx Delivery Shield comes in—offering a unified security solution for modern enterprises. It’s a centralized Security platform to help you streamline security enforcement and manage risks while integrating seamlessly with popular open-source application security tools.
OpsMx Delivery Shield offers a simpler, cheaper path to complete enterprise-grade application security. In this blog, we’re covering the top open-source application security tools, their use cases, benefits, and best practices for getting the most out of them.
Top Open Source Application Security Tools For Comprehensive AppSec
- Grype – SCA, Image/Binary/Artifact Scanning
- KubeScape – IaC Security, CSPM, Container Scanning
- Scout Suite – CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management)
- MobSF – Mobile Application Protection (MAP)
- OpenSSF – Git Posture Scanning
- Semgrep – SAST (Static Application Security Testing)
- Syft – SBOM (Software Bill of Materials)
- SonarQube – SAST (Static Application Security Testing)
- Terrascan – IaC Security (Infrastructure-as-Code)
- Trivy – SCA, Secrets Scanning, Image/Binary/Artifact Scanning
- OWASP ZAP – DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)
1. Grype - SCA, Image/Binary/Artifact Scanning
Grype is a vulnerability scanner that scans container images, binaries, artifacts and filesystems—identifying known vulnerabilities. OpsMx integrates with Grype to scan container artifacts after the build process. This project has over 90 open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Detects vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies (libraries, frameworks, packages).
- Scans container images, binaries, and software artifacts before and after deployment.
- Integrates with CI/CD pipelines to automatically block vulnerable builds.
Benefits
✅ Lightweight and fast scanning for DevSecOps.
✅ Supports multiple formats (Docker, OCI, RPM, DEB, Alpine, etc.).
✅ Accurate detection thanks to regularly updated vulnerability database.
Best Practices
✔️ ️ Integrate with OpsMx to automate Grype scans and block vulnerable deployments.
✔️ Combine with Syft (SBOM) to improve dependency visibility.
2. KubeScape - IaC Security, CSPM, Container Scanning
Kubescape is an open-source Kubernetes security platform that integrates seamlessly with IDEs, CI/CD pipelines, and Kubernetes clusters. It includes risk analysis, security, compliance, and misconfiguration scanning, saving Kubernetes users and administrators precious time, effort, and resources. OpsMx integrates with KubeScape to scan IaC and containers pre-deployment. This project has over 130 open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Scan Kubernetes clusters for misconfigurations and security risks.
- Ensure compliance with CIS Kubernetes Benchmarks.
- Monitor Kubernetes workloads for security violations.
Benefits
✅ Identifies misconfigurations that could lead to security breaches.
✅ Helps enforce security best practices in Kubernetes environments.
✅ Provides CSPM insights to ensure compliance with security policies.
Best Practices
✔️ Regularly scan Kubernetes clusters for new security misconfigurations.
✔️ Integrate with OpsMx to enforce policies and block out-of-compliance deployments.
✔️ Integrate with GitOps workflows to secure Kubernetes from code to production.
3. Scout Suite - CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management)
Scout Suite is an open source multi-cloud security-auditing tool, which enables security posture assessment of cloud environments. Scout Suite leverages cloud provider APIs to collect configuration data, enabling teams to identify and mitigate security risks proactively. OpsMx integrates with ScoutSuite to get visibility into the security posture of your cloud environment(s). This project has over 75 open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Detect misconfigurations in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Ensure compliance with cloud security frameworks (CIS, NIST, PCI-DSS).
- Monitor cloud assets continuously for security risks.
Benefits
✅ Reduces risk of cloud-based attacks from misconfigurations.
✅ Provides real-time security insights across multi-cloud environments.
✅ Helps organizations meet compliance requirements.
Best Practices
✔️ Automate CSPM scanning in DevSecOps workflows.
✔️ ️Enforce least privilege access to reduce attack surfaces.
✔️ Monitor cloud infrastructure continuously to detect new threats.
4. MobSF - Mobile Application Protection (MAP)
Mobile Security Framework (MobSF) is an open-source security tool for mobile application security testing. OpsMx integrates with MobSF to test mobile application security pre-deployment. This project has 90+ open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Analyze Android & iOS applications for vulnerabilities, insecure permissions, and hardcoded secrets.
- Perform static & dynamic security testing on mobile apps.
- Detects insecure API calls and misconfigurations in mobile codebases.
Benefits
✅ Secures mobile applications before release.
✅ Provides in-depth static & dynamic analysis of mobile security risks.
✅ Open-source and extensible for custom security rules.
Best Practices
✔️ Run MobSF scans before publishing mobile apps to app stores.
✔️ ️Integrate with OpsMx to monitor for hardcoded credentials and insecure API calls.
✔️ Regularly update MobSF rulesets to detect new mobile threats.
5. OpenSSF - Git Posture Scanning
OpenSSF is a foundation that provides open-source security guidance and tooling for software supply chain security. OpsMx integrates with OpenSSF to scan Git repos during development for supply chain security. This project has over 20 open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Analyze Git repositories for security risks—exposed secrets, weak permissions, and outdated dependencies.
- Ensure open-source contributions meet security standards.
- Prevent supply chain attacks by identifying malicious commits.
Benefits
- ✅ Helps secure open-source repositories against supply chain threats.
- ✅ Detects vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle.
- ✅ Provides visibility into Git security posture.
Best Practices
✔️ Regularly scan Git repositories for exposed credentials and vulnerabilities.
✔️ Integrate with OpsMx to automate Git security checks before merging pull requests.
✔️ Enforce secure coding practices using OpenSSF insights.
6. Semgrep - SAST (Static Application Security Testing)
Semgrep is an open-source static code analysis tool that scans the source code for vulnerabilities and enforces security policies. OpsMx integrates with Semgrep and detects code vulnerabilities during development. This project has over 170 open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Scan source code for security vulnerabilities in real time.
- Enforce secure coding practices using custom rulesets.
- Detect insecure coding patterns before deployment.
Benefits
✅ Lightweight and faster than traditional SAST tools.
✅ Customizable security rules for different programming languages.
✅ Ideal for shift-left security in DevSecOps.
Best Practices
✔️ Integrate OpsMx and Semgrep in your CI/CD to automate security checks.
✔️ Customize rulesets to match your application’s security needs.
✔️ Run scans frequently to prevent security drift.
7. Syft - SBOM (Software Bill of Materials)
Syft is a forensic toolkit for file and system analysis, often used in incident response. It helps in maintaining a Software Bill of Materials–an inventory about software components/packages used across the SDLC. This makes investigations into the origin of a software code possible. This project has 90+ open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Generate an inventory of software components in applications.
- Ensure transparency in software dependencies to manage supply chain risks.
- Enhance compliance with SBOM regulations (e.g., U.S. Executive Order on Cybersecurity).
Benefits
✅ Improves software supply chain security.
✅ Helps organizations track dependencies and identify risks.
✅ Lightweight and fast SBOM generation.
Best Practices
✔️ Automate SBOM generation during builds
✔️ ️Integrate with OpsMx’s DeliveryBOM to extend the SBOM to software delivery.
✔️ Combine with Grype for vulnerability scanning.
8. SonarQube - SAST (Static Application Security Testing)
SonarQube is an open-source platform for continuous inspection of code quality and security. It is used as a SAST tool to identify vulnerabilities and design flaws in application source code. OpsMx integrates with SonarQube to automate SAST and monitor code quality. This project has 240+ open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Analyze source code for vulnerabilities and code quality related issues.
- Detect security flaws across multiple languages (Java, Python, JavaScript, etc.).
- Ensure compliance with coding standards (OWASP Top 10, CWE, etc.).
Benefits
✅ Provides deep code analysis for security and quality.
✅ Detects bugs, vulnerabilities, and code smells.
✅ Supports custom security policies.
Best Practices
✔️ ️Integrate OpsMx and SonarQube to automate scans in the CI/CD pipeline.
✔️ Integrate with code review workflows to enforce security policies.
✔️ Regularly update SonarQube rulesets to detect new vulnerabilities.
9. Terrascan - IaC Security (Infrastructure-as-Code)
Terrascan is an open-source IaC security analyzer that detects compliance and security violations in Terraform. OpsMx integrates with Terrascan to scan Terraform configurations for security issues before deployment. This project has 80+ open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Scan Terraform, CloudFormation, and Kubernetes manifests for security misconfigurations.
- Prevent insecure infrastructure deployments.
- Enforce compliance with industry standards (CIS, NIST, SOC2).
Benefits
✅ Prevents misconfigured infrastructure from being deployed.
✅ Helps enforce security policies automatically.
✅ Works across AWS, Azure, GCP, and Kubernetes.
Best Practices
✔️ ️Integrate OpsMx and Terrascan in CI/CD to automate IaC scans before deployment.
✔️ Use custom policies to align with organizational security standards.
✔️ Monitor infrastructure drift to detect unexpected changes.
10. Trivy - SCA, Secrets Scanning, Image/Binary/Artifact Scanning
Trivy is primarily an open-source tool that finds vulnerabilities in open source libraries, packages, etc. It also serves as a tool to detect misconfigurations, secrets, Kubernetes configurations, SBOM in containers, and more. OpsMx integrates with Trivy for image and artifact scanning and to ensure container security. This project has 400+ open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Scan container images, repositories, and filesystems for vulnerabilities.
- Detect hardcoded secrets in the source code.
- Ensure software artifacts are free from known security issues.
Benefits
✅ Lightweight and easy to integrate into DevOps workflows.
✅ Provides secrets scanning to prevent credential leaks.
✅ Fast vulnerability scanning across multiple environments.
Best Practices
✔️ Integrate OpsMx and Trivy to automate scans with every CI/CD build.
✔️ Use secrets detection to prevent exposed credentials.
✔️ Regularly update vulnerability databases.
11. OWASP ZAP - DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)
OWASP ZAP is a widely used web application security scanner that identifies vulnerabilities and security gaps in live web applications. It performs tests by interacting with live/running applications after they are deployed—either on prod or test or staging. OpsMx integrates with OWASP ZAP to automatically perform DAST scans and consolidate test results. This project has 200+ open source contributors.
Use Cases
- Simulate attacks on web applications to identify vulnerabilities.
- Test authentication, session management, and input validation.
- Perform automated and manual penetration testing.
Benefits
✅ One of the best free penetration testing tools.
✅ Supports automated & manual security testing.
✅ Helps detect runtime vulnerabilities in web apps.
Best Practices
✔️ Integrate with OpsMx and run ZAP scans before every major release.
✔️ Automate scans in staging environments.
✔️ Use authenticated scans to test user sessions.
OpsMx Delivery Shield: A Smarter Way to Manage Security
OpsMx Delivery Shield offers a simpler, cheaper path to complete enterprise-grade application security. By integrating with a suite of open source AppSec tools, DevSecOps teams can get visibility into the security risks, prioritize them effectively with guided remediation, and automated compliance monitoring.
OpsMx Delivery Shield Offerings
1. Centralized Security Management
- Unified DevSecOps dashboard for centralized security reporting
- Realtime visibility into risks before they impact production
2. Automated Security Enforcement in CI/CD Pipelines
- Automatically block vulnerable deployments
- Automate compliance checks against regulatory standards
3. Seamless Integration with DevOps Workflows
- Minimal manual intervention for security checks and workflow approvals
- Instant feedback to developers on security risks
4. Faster, More Secure Software Delivery
- Faster release cycles without compromising security
- Reduced false positives with intelligent risk assessment
- Better collaboration between DevOps and Security teams
Conclusion: Ensure Application Security with Open-Source Tools & OpsMx Delivery Shield
Combining open source application security tools with OpsMx Delivery Shield can help you establish cost-effective, transparent, and flexible DevSecOps programs. You can effortlessly detect vulnerabilities in source code, artifacts/binaries, container images, IaC, cloud environments—all across the application lifecycle.
Adding more security tools to your repertoire means added complexity in managing them. Costly tooling and limited expertise add to the burden and prevent companies from implementing a comprehensive application security program. If you’re struggling with such challenges, enquire how OpsMx Delivery Shield can alleviate your burden.
About OpsMx
OpsMx is a leading innovator and thought leader in the Application Security space. Leading technology companies such as Google, Cisco, Western Union, among others rely on OpsMx to secure their application lifecycle.
OpsMx Secure CD is the industry’s first CI/CD solution designed for software supply chain security. With built-in compliance controls, automated security assessment, and policy enforcement, OpsMx Secure CD can help you deliver software quickly without sacrificing security.
OpsMx Delivery Shield adds DevSecOps capabilities to enterprise deployments by providing Application Security Posture Management (ASPM), unified visibility, compliance automation, and security policy enforcement to your existing application lifecycle.
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