Is it possible that a vendor can find 100% of software vulnerabilities?

It is highly unlikely that any vendor or organization can find 100% of software vulnerabilities, especially in complex software systems. There are several reasons for this:

1. Complexity: Modern software systems are incredibly complex, often comprising millions of lines of code and involving intricate interactions between different components. It’s virtually impossible for humans to thoroughly review every aspect of such systems to uncover all potential vulnerabilities.
2. Human Error: Despite best efforts, humans can make mistakes in the development, testing, and review processes, leading to overlooked vulnerabilities. Additionally, software development often involves multiple individuals or teams, each with their own perspectives and expertise, which can contribute to oversight.
3. Evolution of Threats: Cyber threats are constantly evolving, with attackers employing sophisticated techniques to find and exploit vulnerabilities. As new attack vectors emerge, previously unknown vulnerabilities may come to light.
4. Limited Resources: Organizations may have limited resources, including time, budget, and skilled personnel, to dedicate to vulnerability discovery and remediation. This can result in prioritization of certain areas or reliance on automated tools, which may not catch all vulnerabilities.
5. Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: Some vulnerabilities, known as zero-day vulnerabilities, are discovered and exploited by attackers before the vendor or organization is even aware of their existence. These vulnerabilities can pose significant risks as there are no patches or mitigations available until they are disclosed and addressed.

While vendors and organizations strive to identify and patch vulnerabilities through rigorous testing, code reviews, vulnerability scanning, and other security measures, achieving 100% coverage is an unattainable goal in practice. Instead, the focus is typically on minimizing risk by prioritizing the discovery and remediation of the most critical vulnerabilities based on their potential impact and likelihood of exploitation.

Which programs scan software code for vulnerabilities?

There are several types of programs and tools designed to scan software code for vulnerabilities. These tools help identify security flaws, coding errors, and potential weaknesses in software applications. Some popular types of tools include:

1. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Tools: These tools analyze the source code or binary of an application without executing it. They can identify vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows, injection flaws, insecure coding practices, and other security issues by examining the code structure, data flows, and control flows. Examples of SAST tools include Fortify, Veracode, Checkmarx, and SonarQube.
2. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Tools: DAST tools analyze running applications from the outside, simulating attacks to identify vulnerabilities that may be present in the deployed software. They typically send various types of requests to the application and analyze the responses for indications of vulnerabilities such as injection flaws, broken authentication, and insecure configurations. Examples of DAST tools include OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, Acunetix, and Netsparker.
3. Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) Tools: IAST tools combine elements of both SAST and DAST by analyzing the application during runtime, but within the context of the code. They instrument the application code to monitor its behavior and detect vulnerabilities as they occur. IAST tools can provide more accurate results compared to SAST or DAST alone, as they have access to runtime data. Examples of IAST tools include Contrast Security, Synopsys Seeker, and Hdiv Security.
4. Software Composition Analysis (SCA) Tools: SCA tools focus on identifying vulnerabilities and license compliance issues in third-party and open-source components used within an application. They analyze dependencies and libraries to identify known vulnerabilities and outdated components. Examples of SCA tools include Black Duck, Snyk, WhiteSource, and Nexus Lifecycle.
5. Fuzzing Tools: Fuzzing tools automate the process of providing invalid, unexpected, or random data as inputs to a program to uncover vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows, memory leaks, and other unexpected behaviors. Examples of fuzzing tools include American Fuzzy Lop (AFL), Peach Fuzzer, and AFL++.

These tools can be used individually or in combination as part of a comprehensive application security testing program to identify and remediate vulnerabilities throughout the software development lifecycle.