Image Scanning for Vulnerabilities¶
Introduction¶
Vulnerability scanning tools are essential for identifying security risks in software applications and their underlying infrastructure. This summary examines seven prominent tools: Trivy, Clair, Anchore, Snyk, Grype, Aqua Security, and Qualys. These tools vary in their focus, coverage, and features, catering to different needs from simple open-source solutions to comprehensive enterprise-grade offerings. We can better select the tool(s) that aligns with our security requirements and expectations, by understanding their key differences.
Selection Criteria¶
To comparatively evaluate the vulnerability scanning tools, the following selection criteria were considered:
- Vulnerability Coverage: The extent to which the tool identifies vulnerabilities across OS, application dependencies, and compliance requirements.
- Features: Additional capabilities, such as real-time monitoring, customizable policies, and secrets detection.
- Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of the tool and the complexity of its setup and configuration.
- Integration: Compatibility with CI/CD pipelines, Kubernetes, and other development tools.
- Cost: Pricing models, including free versions, basic features, and enterprise-grade options.
Comparative Analysis¶
This table below provides a clear comparison of the tools based the above selection criteria.
| Tool | Type | Vulnerability Coverage | Features | Ease of Use | Integration | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trivy | Open-source | High (OS + app dependencies) | Simple, fast, secrets detection | High | CI/CD, Kubernetes | Free |
| Clair | Open-source | OS-level vulnerabilities | Layered image scanning | Moderate | Quay, Kubernetes | Free |
| Anchore | Open-source/Enterprise | High (OS + app + compliance) | Customizable policies, compliance | Moderate | Jenkins, CircleCI, K8s | Free (basic), Paid |
| Snyk | Open-source/Commercial | High (OS + app + IaC) | Real-time monitoring, open-source focus | High | CI/CD, GitHub, Registries | Free (basic), Paid |
| Grype | Open-source | High (OS + app dependencies) | Basic vulnerability scanning | High | CI/CD, Kubernetes | Free |
| Aqua Security | Enterprise | Comprehensive | Runtime protection, compliance | Moderate | CI/CD, Kubernetes, Docker | Paid (enterprise-grade) |
| Qualys | Enterprise | Comprehensive | Real-time, continuous monitoring | Moderate | CI/CD, Kubernetes, Docker | Paid (enterprise-grade) |
Given our team's emphasis on open-source solutions, we have streamlined our selection to Trivy, Clair, Anchore, Snyk, and Grype. We also prioritize ease of use, implementation speed, and execution speed as essential features in our technical decisions. Additionally, we strive to minimize costs wherever possible. Based on the table, Trivy meets all these selection criteria and will be used to implement image scanning in our GitHub workflows.