Vulnerability scanning is the automated process of identifying known security vulnerabilities in applications, dependencies, containers, and infrastructure. It helps detect risks early so they can be remediated before exploitation. Also known as security vulnerability scanning, it is a core DevSecOps practice.
Unpatched vulnerabilities are one of the most common attack vectors. Regular vulnerability scanning reduces exposure, improves security posture, and ensures organisations can respond quickly when new threats are discovered.
Automated scanners analyse artifacts, images, or environments and generate reports detailing detected vulnerabilities, severity, and remediation guidance. These scans are often embedded directly into CI/CD pipelines and release workflows.
BuildPiper integrates vulnerability scanning into secure release pipelines, correlating findings with builds, deployments, and environments. This allows teams to enforce security gates and prevent vulnerable artifacts from reaching production.
Vulnerability scanning is automated and continuous, while penetration testing is typically manual and point-in-time.
Scanning should be performed continuously during development, builds, container creation, and before deployment.
BuildPiper embeds scanning into CI/CD and release workflows, providing visibility and enforcement across the delivery lifecycle.