Security scanning that only runs in CI is too late. Developers have already committed the code, opened the PR, and context-switched to another task. Snyk shifts security left by scanning in the IDE, in the CLI, and in CI ā catching vulnerabilities where they are cheapest to fix.
Four Scanning Surfaces
1. Open Source Dependencies
# Scan project dependencies
snyk test
Testing /app...
ā High severity vulnerability found in lodash
Description: Prototype Pollution
Introduced through: lodash@4.17.20
Fix: Upgrade to lodash@4.17.21Snyk scans package.json, requirements.txt, pom.xml, go.mod, Gemfile, and 30+ other manifest formats.
2. Container Images
snyk container test myorg/app:latest
ā Critical vulnerability in openssl (CVE-2024-XXXX)
Base image: node:20-slim
Fix: Rebuild with node:20.11.1-slimSnyk recommends specific base image upgrades ā not just "update openssl" but "use this exact image tag."
3. Infrastructure as Code
snyk iac test ./terraform/
Issue: S3 bucket without encryption
Path: terraform/storage.tf > aws_s3_bucket.data
Fix: Add server_side_encryption_configuration blockScans Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes manifests, and Helm charts.
4. Code (SAST)
snyk code test
ā High: SQL Injection
Path: src/db/queries.ts, line 42
Fix: Use parameterized queries instead of string concatenationStatic analysis that finds security issues in your application code.
IDE Integration
Install the Snyk extension for VS Code, IntelliJ, or WebStorm. Vulnerabilities appear as you type:
// VS Code shows inline warning:
// ā ļø SQL Injection: User input used directly in query
const result = await db.query(`SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = '${userId}'`);
// Suggested fix:
const result = await db.query('SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = $1', [userId]);Master this topic with hands-on labs
Go beyond reading ā build real projects in sandboxed environments with expert video guidance.
Browse Courses āCI/CD Integration
GitHub Actions
jobs:
security:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Snyk Open Source
uses: snyk/actions/node@master
env:
SNYK_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SNYK_TOKEN }}
- name: Snyk Container
uses: snyk/actions/docker@master
env:
SNYK_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SNYK_TOKEN }}
with:
image: myorg/app:${{ github.sha }}
- name: Snyk IaC
uses: snyk/actions/iac@master
env:
SNYK_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SNYK_TOKEN }}
with:
args: --reportPR Comments
Snyk comments directly on PRs with vulnerability details:
## Snyk Security Report
### New Issues
š“ **High**: Prototype Pollution in `lodash@4.17.20`
Fix: `npm install lodash@4.17.21`
### Fixed Issues
ā
Removed vulnerable `minimist@1.2.5`Monitoring and Alerting
# Monitor a project for new vulnerabilities
snyk monitor
# Snyk will email you when new CVEs affect your dependenciesSnyk continuously monitors your project against new CVE disclosures. A dependency that was safe yesterday might be vulnerable today.
Get weekly IT automation tips
Docker, Ansible, Terraform, MLOps ā curated insights delivered to your inbox. No spam.
Subscribe Free āFix PRs
Snyk can automatically open PRs that fix vulnerabilities:
- New CVE discovered in
express@4.18.2 - Snyk opens a PR: "Upgrade express from 4.18.2 to 4.18.3"
- PR includes changelog and test results
- You review and merge
No manual dependency hunting.
Snyk vs Trivy
| Feature | Snyk | Trivy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier + paid | Free |
| IDE integration | Yes | No |
| Auto-fix PRs | Yes | No |
| SAST (code) | Yes | Limited |
| Monitoring | Continuous | On-demand |
| IaC scanning | Yes | Yes |
| Container scanning | Yes | Yes |
| Developer experience | Polished | CLI-focused |
Use Snyk for developer-facing security with IDE integration, auto-fix PRs, and continuous monitoring. Use Trivy for CI-only scanning where cost matters and CLI is sufficient.
Many organizations use both: Trivy in CI as a gate, Snyk in developer workflows for the developer experience.
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