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What is software composition analysis?

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Overview

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Software composition analysis (SCA) is an application security practice that identifies, tracks, and manages open-source and third-party components used within modern applications. By analyzing software dependencies, SCA helps organizations detect vulnerabilities, enforce license compliance, and manage software supply chain security.

Software composition analysis

Why is SCA important?

Today’s applications are built from thousands of open-source libraries and third-party components, often making up 70–90% of the codebase. While this accelerates development, it also expands the attack surface. Vulnerabilities like Log4Shell (Log4j) demonstrated how a single flaw in a widely used dependency can create a global security crisis.

Without visibility into these components, organizations risk:

  • Exposing applications to known vulnerabilities
  • Violating open-source license terms
  • Running outdated or abandoned components
  • Failing to comply with emerging regulations (e.g., SBOM requirements)

SCA provides the visibility and control needed to manage these risks proactively.

How does Software Composition Analysis work?

SCA tools integrate with source code repositories, CI/CD pipelines, and package managers to automatically identify the open-source and third-party components within an application.

Key capabilities typically include:

  • Component identification: Build a full software bill of materials (SBOM).
  • Vulnerability detection: Flag known flaws using databases like NVD and threat intelligence feeds.
  • Open-source license compliance: Monitor open-source license types to prevent legal and operational risks.
  • Remediation guidance: Recommend safe versions or alternatives to fix issues.
  • Continuous monitoring: Alert teams when new vulnerabilities affect existing dependencies.

Benefits of SCA

  • Visibility: Complete understanding of your open-source and third-party dependencies.
  • Risk reduction: Proactive detection and remediation of vulnerabilities.
  • Compliance support: Ensure adherence to license obligations and regulatory standards.
  • Developer empowerment: Integrate into developer workflows for faster, more secure code.
  • Supply chain resilience: Protect against risks across the entire application ecosystem.

Software composition analysis with OpenText™ Application Security

OpenText offers comprehensive SCA capabilities as part of its Application Security Testing (AST) platform, including:

  • Deep scanning of open-source and third-party libraries.
  • Continuous SBOM management for compliance and transparency.
  • Integration with developer workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and governance tools.
  • Support for cloud-native, API, mobile, and containerized applications.
  • AI-augmented guidance to reduce false positives and accelerate remediation.

Key takeaway

SCA is essential for securing today’s software supply chains by providing visibility, compliance, and risk management for open-source and third-party components.

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