Best OSS application security tools for every need
In the last year alone, nearly 8 out of 10 organizations experienced a breach. This statistic indicates a distressing rise in the frequency of attacks and the number of vulnerable organizations. It also underscores the need for application security (AppSec) tools, especially open-source solutions, which are generally flexible, cost-effective, and extensible.
In this article, we’ll look at 14 open-source application security tools (listed in no particular order) —including SCA, secrets scanning, and application security testing tools – to help teams evaluate open-source options across common AppSec use cases.
Get a Wiz Code Demo
See how Wiz code unifies security across code, CI/CD, and cloud environments.
What are application security tools?
Application security tools are solutions that automate application security measures in order to protect software applications from vulnerabilities that could compromise their availability and confidentiality.
To empower developers to detect and mitigate software security risks fast, AppSec tools include specialized features that help teams fix potential code and OSS vulnerabilities right within their integrated development environment (IDE) and source code management (SCM) systems.
They also facilitate collaboration across development, operations, and security teams to consistently enforce security controls throughout the SDLC. By adopting AppSec tools, organizations can become more resilient in the face of evolving security risks.
Core features of a good OSS AppSec tool
There are many OSS AppSec tools on the market. So how do you know which are the best fit for your organization? Below are six key features to look out for in your ideal OSS application security tools.
1. Seamless deployment and customization
A tool that deploys slowly or is complex to set up and use will slow down software release cycles. Choose OSS AppSec tools with straightforward deployment processes and have user-friendly interfaces to improve usability.
Though OSS tools are generally customizable, extending the functionalities of some of these tools can be costly or introduce performance overheads. Instead, look out for tools that offer straightforward customization options to seamlessly incorporate all the functionalities you need.
2. Integration and multi-language support
For performance and extensibility reasons, many modern applications are developed using multiple languages. Be sure to choose a tool that supports all languages in your software, and check that the tool integrates easily into your development workflows. This will facilitate agile software development and shift-left security.
3. Real-time scanning and alerting
Real-time scanning and alerting involves continuously monitoring and reporting on your software and code files while they are being accessed and executed. This feature gives DevSecOps teams near-instantaneous visibility into code and patches, shortening the attack window if there are vulnerabilities present.
4. Comprehensive and accurate scan results
A security solution is only as good as its ability to correctly identify security issues in your software environment and provide you with actionable insights on how to resolve them. Select a tool that gives you detailed results with low false positives out of the box, which will speed up remediation and minimize alert fatigue.
5. Up-to-date vulnerability and compliance information
New Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVEs) and new regulatory standards—such as HIPAA, ISO, NIST, PCI DSS, and GDPR—keep emerging as the threat landscape evolves. Named vulnerabilities and new regulations share a common goal: to better protect sensitive data and IT infrastructure. Remember: A tool that keeps up with the most recent compliance and vulnerability data is much more likely to detect security risks as they unfold, helping teams stay aligned with evolving standards.
6. Maintenance and community support
OSS projects are driven by community contributions; be sure that the tool you choose has an active user community to offer you timely support. It should also provide you with regular updates and recommendations for configuration fixes.
Secure Coding Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]
Your comprehensive, go-to resource for embedding security into every stage of your code development.
OSS application security tools
AppSec tools cut across various aspects of application security, covering use cases like code and secrets scanning, application security testing, software composition analysis, runtime vulnerability management, and compliance management. Below is a list of 14 tools, listed in no particular order and classified by use case.
Top OSS software composition analysis tools
Software composition analysis (SCA) tools help in the detection of known vulnerabilities and license compliance issues in open-source components. Below are our top picks.
1. OWASP Dependency-Check
This tool is optimized to detect common vulnerabilities in software dependencies, including the OWASP Top 10. Once Dependency-Check finds a dependency in your software environment, it scans for the dependecy’s Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) identifier and links to its associated CVE entries, helping teams identify third-party vulnerabilities during analysis.
Highlights:
Multiple output formats: Outputs results in JSON, HTML, XML, and other formats
Integration: Supports build systems like Maven, npm, and Gradle
2. Retire.js
Retire.js detects outdated and vulnerable JavaScript libraries in software apps and recommends up-to-date or more secure alternatives to support timely vulnerability remediation.
Highlights:
Deployment options: Can be deployed via a Grunt plugin, CLI, or browser extension, ensuring flexibility
Real-time scanning: Automatically scans for vulnerabilities every time it detects new code changes
Secrets scanning tools
Secrets Scanning tools scan code repositories to prevent the accidental release of secrets like API keys, tokens, and passwords into codebases, commit histories, and config files. The top three are:
1. GitHub secret scanning
GitHub secret scanning automatically scans GitHub code repositories and commits histories for known types of secrets. It uses pattern recognition techniques and alerts repository administrators when leaked secrets are detected.
Highlights:
Alerting and auditing: Alerts on leaked secrets and allows administrators to monitor remediation efforts
Collaboration with service providers: Works closely with service providers to validate and revoke leaked secrets
2. GitGuardian
GitGuardian scans public and private repositories for exposed secrets. Among other features, It has an alerting function and seamlessly integrates with CI/CD pipelines.
Highlights:
- Cross-platform support: Integrates with GitLab, GitHub, and Bitbucket
- Customization: Lets users define custom rules for secrets detection
- Reporting and alerting: Offers a centralized dashboard for interacting with scan results
3. TruffleHog
TruffleHog runs high-entropy scans on Git repositories and other version control systems to detect various types of secrets, and is widely adopted in many engineering and security teams.
Highlights:
- Historical scanning: Scans commit histories to identify leaked secrets in previous versions; can be helpful if the secrets are still in use
- User friendly: Is easy to use and integrate, which is critical in agile workflows
Top SAST tools
Static application security testing tools assess application source code and binaries for coding errors and vulnerabilities that can be exploited in attacks. Here are the top three OSS SAST tools:
1. SonarQube
SonarQube performs code security and quality assurance checks on application source code. During every merge or pull request, SonarQube checks your code against an expansive ruleset, providing DevSecOps teams with timely feedback on potential bugs and vulnerabilities.
Highlights:
Historical analysis: Lets you track resolved and unresolved vulnerabilities from previous scans
Integration: Integrates with CI/CD pipelines and a number of DevOps platforms, including GitHub Actions, CircleCI, Jenkins, and Azure DevOps
Language support: Supports 29+ programming languages and frameworks
2. Bearer
Bearer CLI provides a set of tools for assessing software source code, analyzing data flows, and managing API risks. It enables real-time vulnerability scanning and generates compliance reports.
Highlights:
Multi-language support: Supports JavaScript, Ruby, Java, and TypeScript
API security: Assesses apps for API for authentication and authorization failures
3. Brakeman
Brakeman is a static scanner for Ruby on Rails apps. Brakeman runs at all stages of the SDLC, can scan web pages before they go live, and discovers potential security risks before they are exploitable.
Highlights:
Actively maintained: Frequent new releases, including in the last few months
Rails-focused scanners: Detects Rails-specific vulnerabilities such as improper configuration, making its results more accurate
Top DAST tools
Dynamic application security testing tools interact with software apps as end users and attackers would, providing timely insights into potential runtime vulnerabilities. The top three OSS DAST tools include:
1. Wapiti
Wapiti is a web application crawler that injects payloads into software to detect file disclosure issues, XPath injections, subdomain takeovers, and other common vulnerabilities.
Highlights:
Multi-protocol support: Performs scans using HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5, and more
Integration: Provides a command-line interface that integrates easily into various pipelines.
Community support: Has an active community that keeps the tool up-to-date and provides usage guidance
2. ZAP
Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is an actively maintained project that uses crawlers, dictionary lists, and passive scanning methods to detect OS vulnerabilities.
Highlights:
Multiple scanning options: Offers GitHub Actions, Docker package, and command-line scans
Extensibility: Has API and daemon modes that help access and extend the tool’s key features
Severity ranking: Sorts risks by CVE score and severity level
3. Nikto
Nikto scans web servers for common vulnerabilities, including dangerous files, outdated server software, Common Gateway Interface (CGI) vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations.
Highlights:
Comprehensive vulnerability database: Has a regularly updated vulnerability database containing 6,700+ known vulnerabilities
Integration: Supports NGINX, Apache, Lighttpd, LiteSpeed, and other web servers
Catch code risks before you deploy
Learn how Wiz Code scans IaC, containers, and pipelines to stop misconfigurations and vulnerabilities before they hit your cloud.
Top pen testing tools
Penetration testing tools look for vulnerabilities in software apps, networks, and IT systems. Unlike DAST tools, which simulate attacks to discover security risks but do not exploit them, pen testers act like actual attackers.
1. sqlmap
sqlmap exploits SQL injection vulnerabilities in web apps by executing arbitrary SQL commands. It tests for vulnerabilities by attempting to gain unauthorized system access, extract sensitive data, take over databases, and more.
Highlights:
Multi-DBMS support: Supports various database management systems (DBMS), including PostgreSQL, SQLite, and MySQL
Swift scans: Supports multi-threading for faster vulnerability exploitation
Powerful detection engine: Has pre- and post-exploitation capabilities, including database fingerprinting, OS command execution, and detection of data over-fetching issues
2. Metasploit
Metasploit is a powerful pen tester that offers a suite of tools, including scanners, payloads, exploits, and evasion modules. It is also ideal for developing intrusion detection systems (IDSs), scanning user-supplied input fields, and detecting vulnerable files.
Highlights:
Exploit and payload framework: Has a large database of known exploits and payloads, including privilege escalation, reverse shells, and more
Multiple interfaces: Offers both GUI and CLI
3. w3af
Web Application Attack and Audit Framework (w3af) audits and exploits common vulnerabilities in web apps, including OS commanding, cross-site request forgery (CSRF), XSS, and SQL injection.
Highlights:
User-friendly interface: Has an intuitive GUI
Scanning options: Uses both active scanning methods (injecting payloads) and passive scanning methods (assessing responses)
The State of Code Security Report [2025]
Open-source security tools are essential, but misconfigured repositories and exposed secrets remain some of the biggest threats. The State of Code Security Report 2025 found that secrets exposure in public repos affects 61% of organizations.
Download report
OSS AppSec tools as part of a broader security strategy
Open-source AppSec tools continue to play an important role in helping developers and security teams identify and remediate risks throughout the software development lifecycle. Their flexibility, transparency, and community-driven innovation make them valuable building blocks in modern security programs.
At the same time, open-source tools often focus on specific use cases or stages of the pipeline. Wiz’s point of view is that organizations achieve the most effective protection when these tools are combined with a unified security platform that provides visibility across code, cloud, and runtime environments. Together, open-source and unified platforms can give teams both depth and breadth—empowering them to detect vulnerabilities early, understand their impact in production, and prioritize remediation based on real risk.
Many organizations use both OSS and commercial solutions side by side: open-source tools to address targeted development or scanning needs, and platforms like Wiz to connect those findings to cloud configurations, entitlements, and data exposure risks. This complementary approach helps security and DevOps teams maintain agility while building consistent, risk-based coverage across the full application and cloud stack.
Schedule a demo to learn how Wiz approaches unified application and cloud security to extend visibility from code to runtime and complement the OSS tools your teams already rely on.
Catch code risks before you deploy
Learn how Wiz Code scans IaC, containers, and pipelines to stop misconfigurations and vulnerabilities before they hit your cloud.
Related Tool Roundups