performing-sca-dependency-scanning-with-snyk

name	performing-sca-dependency-scanning-with-snyk
description	This skill covers implementing Software Composition Analysis (SCA) using Snyk to detect vulnerable open-source dependencies in CI/CD pipelines. It addresses scanning package manifests and lockfiles, automated fix pull request generation, license compliance checking, continuous monitoring of deployed applications, and integration with GitHub, GitLab, and Jenkins pipelines.
domain	cybersecurity
subdomain	devsecops
tags	["devsecops","cicd","sca","snyk","dependency-scanning","secure-sdlc"]
version	1.0.0
author	mahipal
license	Apache-2.0
nist_csf	["PR.PS-01","GV.SC-07","ID.IM-04","PR.PS-04"]
mitre_attack	["T1195","T1554","T1059.004"]

Performing SCA Dependency Scanning with Snyk

When to Use

• When applications use open-source packages that may contain known vulnerabilities
• When compliance requires tracking and remediating vulnerable dependencies (PCI DSS, SOC 2)
• When needing automated fix PRs for vulnerable dependencies in CI/CD
• When license compliance requires visibility into open-source license obligations
• When continuous monitoring is needed for newly disclosed vulnerabilities in deployed dependencies

Do not use for scanning proprietary application code for logic vulnerabilities (use SAST), for runtime vulnerability detection (use DAST), or for container OS package scanning alone (use Trivy for a free alternative).

Prerequisites

• Snyk account (free tier covers up to 200 tests per month for open source)
• Snyk CLI installed or Snyk GitHub/GitLab integration configured
• SNYK_TOKEN environment variable set with API authentication token
• Project with supported package manifests: package.json, requirements.txt, pom.xml, go.mod, Gemfile, etc.

Workflow

Step 1: Install and Authenticate Snyk CLI

# Install Snyk CLI
npm install -g snyk

# Authenticate with Snyk
snyk auth $SNYK_TOKEN

# Test the connection
snyk test --json | jq '.summary'

Step 2: Scan Dependencies in CI/CD Pipeline

# .github/workflows/dependency-scan.yml
name: Dependency Security Scan

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 8 * * 1'  # Weekly Monday 8am

jobs:
  snyk-scan:
    runs-on: