Before an application is deployed, Checkmarx is already hard at work. Its role isto embed security at the heart of the development process.
In a nutshell:
What is Checkmarx, and how does it work?
Overview
Checkmarx is a security analysis platform for software applications. In other words, it helps detect potential security vulnerabilities in:
- the code,
- software dependencies,
- applications.
This solution helps developers to identify and fix vulnerabilities right from the start of the development process, thereby ensuring the application’s security even it goes live.
💡 The solution has been recognized by several market research firms, including Gartner and Forrester, and meets security standards such as SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
Feel free to check out our articles on cybersecurity in the workplace.
How It Works
In particular, the platform scans source code, open-source components, and running applications to detect potential security vulnerabilities.
The results are then consolidated and prioritized based on their severity level, allowing development and security teams to prioritize corrective actions. Thanks to its integration with CI/CD pipelines, Checkmarx automates security checks and promotes a DevSecOps, where security is taken into account from the earliest stages of software development. Read our full article on the best DevSecOps tools.
💡Tips from Qim Info:
- As your technical environment evolves, you will need to regularly update your detection rules.
- Ideally, to integrate the tool into the development pipeline, so that it runs, for example, with every commit or at least before every merge. However, this requires that the tool run quickly (< 3 minutes) so as not to significantly increase the development feedback loop (it is generally possible to run it in parallel). This integration has the advantage of being turnkey and capable of running on modified lines of code, thereby gradually improving the security of your code.
- If the tool is slow, we can always schedule its execution (once a day or once a week), but the risk here is that the development team will lose track of it.
Checkmarx's Key Security Capabilities
Checkmarx has evolved to offer a variety of features, including the following:
- Scan the source code to detect security vulnerabilities without execution.
- Identifyvulnerabilities in the open-source libraries being used.
- Integration into development pipelines for continuous analysis.
- Provides vulnerability reports with recommendations for remediation.
- Classify vulnerabilities by severity to prioritize fixes.
- Helps ensure compliance with security standards (OWASP, PCI-DSS, etc.).
Let’s take a closer look at some of its features.
| Capacity | What is analyzed | When? | Main objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAST | Source code | Before execution | Identify vulnerabilities in the code |
| SCA | Open-source dependencies and components | During development | Detecting vulnerabilities and licensing risks |
| DAST | Application in operation | During testing | Identify exploitable vulnerabilities |
| IAST | Application in operation + execution context | During testing | Put vulnerabilities into context and facilitate their remediation |
Static code analysis (SAST)
SAST has historically been the core of Checkmarx.
Static code analysis, or Static Application Security Testing (SAST), is a technique that evaluates source code without executing it. It is used to identify errors, security vulnerabilities, and issues with compliance with coding standards.
Using automated tools, this method identifies potential vulnerabilities—such as SQL injections or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities—and suggests solutions to address them. It is a key process for enhancing software quality and security from the very beginning of development.
💡 What sets Checkmarx apart from a basic scanning tool is its ability to identify the exploitation path of a vulnerability in the code; in other words, the tool analyzes the data flows within the application to better contextualize vulnerabilities and reduce the number of false positives.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) helps identify risks associated with open-source components used in an application. These dependencies speed up development, but can also introduce security vulnerabilities or licensing restrictions.
With Checkmarx SCA, dependencies are automatically analyzed to detect known vulnerabilities, obsolete components, and potential compliance risks. This gives teams greater visibility into their software chain and enables them to prioritize the necessary updates to reduce their attack surface.
This approach is particularly useful in DevSecOps environments where applications rely on a large number of open-source libraries and frameworks.
💡 One of the main benefits of an SCA solution is its ability to identify transitive dependencies—that is, components used indirectly by the application and often unknown to development teams.
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) involves assessing the security of an application while it is running. Unlike SAST, which analyzes source code, DAST takes the perspective of an attacker by directly testing the deployed application to identify exploitable vulnerabilities.
Within the Checkmarx platform, DAST complements the analyses performed on code and open-source components.
Interactive Security Testing (IAST)
Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) analyzes applications while they are running to identify vulnerabilities in their actual usage context. This approach is based on a application instrumentation that allows you to monitor data flows, component calls, and code behavior in real time.
Thanks to this visibility, IAST helps identify certain vulnerabilities with more context than a static or dynamic analysis performed in isolation. This provides development teams with more accurate information to understand the root causes of vulnerabilities and prioritize corrective actions.
💡 By providing information directly related to the code and the execution context, IAST also helps reduce the time required to reproduce and fix certain vulnerabilities.
The Checkmarx advantage
Detect vulnerabilities early in the development process and reduce the cost of fixing them
Today, many organizations still operate using a sequential approach:
Development → Testing → Security.
The problem? Vulnerabilities are often discovered too late, when fixing them is more complex and costly. That is precisely what this approach seeks to avoid Shift Left Security, which involves integrating security controls from the earliest stages of development:
Security + Development → Testing.
To do this, SAST, SCA, and, in some cases, IAST modules can be integrated directly into development environments and CI/CD pipelines such as GitHub, GitLab, and Azure DevOps or Jenkins.
As a result, developers are alerted as soon as a vulnerability, a risky dependency, or a poor security practice is introduced. They no longer need to wait for an audit or an advanced testing phase to identify issues. This continuous integration of security is one of the fundamental principles of DevSecOps and directly helps to reduce remediation costs.
Facilitate compliance and risk management
Companies must not only identify vulnerabilities in their applications, but also demonstrate that they are implementing appropriate security measures.
Thanks to itsanalysis and reporting, Checkmarx helps teams track detected vulnerabilities and prioritize their remediation. The results can also support compliance efforts by drawing on recognized standards such as the OWASP Top 10 or certain application security requirements associated with standards such as PCI-DSS.
Checkmarx vs. SonarQube: What Are the Differences?
Checkmarx and SonarQube are not necessarily competing solutions. In many organizations, they are used in a complementary manner.
Security Approach
SonarQube is particularly well-known for code quality analysis and the continuous improvement of development practices.
Checkmarx, on the other hand, takes an approach that is more focused on application security, with advanced vulnerability detection capabilities and integration with DevSecOps practices.
SAST Cover
SAST is an extension of SonarQube’s original mission, whereas it is at the core of Checkmarx’s product. Both solutions analyze source code without execution and detect:
- SQL injections;
- XSS;
- poor security practices;
- certain code errors.
One of Checkmarx’s key differentiators is its advanced data flow analysis capabilities (data flow analysis), which help put certain vulnerabilities into context and provide a better understanding of their potential for exploitation.
SonarQube Use Cases:
- Improve code quality.
- Standardize code reviews.
- Monitoring quality over time.
Checkmarx Use Cases:
- Secure critical applications.
- Implement a DevSecOps approach.
- Managing Open Source Risk.
- Meet safety requirements.
💡Qim Info Tip:
- If the main concern is: “Is our code of good quality?” ➡️ SonarQube.
- If your main concern is: “Is our application secure enough?” ➡️ Checkmarx.
Checkmarx compared with other AST solutions
Checkmarx, Veracode, and Fortify currently address similar application security needs: static code analysis (SAST), open-source dependency analysis (SCA), integration with CI/CD pipelines, and vulnerability management.
Checkmarx vs Veracode
In practice, both solutions meet certain needs AppSec advanced. Both platforms can detect vulnerabilities throughout the development cycle. The difference lies more in their historical positioning and their uses.
Checkmarx is valued for its ease of integration into development environments, its fast scanning speed, and its static analysis (SAST) and software composition analysis (SCA) capabilities. However, some users find its pricing and licensing models to be unclear. Veracode, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive range of testing capabilities, including SAST, DAST, and IAST, with detailed reports and more transparent pricing.
Choose Checkmarx if:
- you want to integrate security directly into your development workflows;
- Your DevSecOps teams want to detect and fix vulnerabilities as early as possible;
- Adoption by developers is an important criterion.
Choose Veracode if:
- You manage a large portfolio of applications;
- reporting, governance, and risk monitoring are top priorities;
- You are looking for a centralized view of application security across the entire organization.
Checkmarx vs Fortify
Historically, Fortify has often been adopted by large organizations with dedicated security teams, while Checkmarx has established a strong presence among organizations seeking to integrate security directly into their DevSecOps practices.
Checkmarx is valued for its ease of integration into modern development environments, its fast scanning speed, and its clear, actionable reports. Fortify, on the other hand, stands out for the depth of its analysis and its ability to handle complex environments, although it may be perceived as more resource-intensive and expensive.
Choose Checkmarx if:
- you want to improve security for development teams;
- you’re looking for tight integration with GitHub, GitLab, or Azure DevOps;
- Your priority is to speed up the resolution of vulnerabilities.
Choose Fortify if:
- you already have a mature AppSec program;
- You have high standards when it comes to customization and governance;
- You manage a large number of applications and teams.
Checkmarx use cases
Checkmarx is used in a variety of situations to strengthen application security throughout the development lifecycle. Here are some common use cases:
Your developers are discovering vulnerabilities too late
If security flaws are identified only during testing,auditing, or just before deployment, fixing them becomes more complex and costly. Checkmarx allows you to integrate security checks directly into the development cycle to detect vulnerabilities earlier.
You make extensive use of open-source components
Modern applications rely on numerous third-party libraries and dependencies. If left unmonitored, these components can introduce vulnerabilities or compliance risks. Checkmarx’s SCA capabilities enable you to quickly identify these risks and track their evolution.
Security audits slow down your projects
When security checks are performed only at the end of the development process, they can become a bottleneck. By automating some of the analyses, Checkmarx helps teams integrate security earlier in the process and reduce delays associated with audit phases.
Your organization is developing several applications
As the number of projects increases, it becomes more difficult to track vulnerabilities and prioritize corrective actions. Checkmarx provides a centralized view that enables development and security teams to better manage application risks across the organization.
Qim info helps you implement Checkmarx in your organization
Qim info offers its expertise in application security to help you integrate Checkmarx into the heart of your development cycle. Our teams support you every step of the way—from initial configuration to automating scans in your CI/CD pipelines, including developer training and optimization of analysis rules. The result: a seamless, sustainable implementation aligned with your DevSecOps goals.
FAQ
Is Checkmarx a SAST tool?
Yes. Checkmarx has long been recognized for its static code analysis (SAST) capabilities, which identify vulnerabilities directly in the source code without running the application.
Does Checkmarx offer IAST capabilities?
Yes. Checkmarx offers interactive security testing (IAST) capabilities that analyze applications while they are running to detect vulnerabilities in their actual usage context.
Is Checkmarx suitable for DevSecOps?
Yes. Checkmarx integrates with leading development environments, CI/CD tools, and DevOps platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, and Jenkins. This integration enables the automation of security checks and the detection of vulnerabilities early in the development process, in accordance with DevSecOps principles.
Does Checkmarx support cloud applications?
Yes. Checkmarx can be used to secure various types of applications, including web applications, APIs, microservices, and modern cloud environments.
