By raising OWASP Top 10-related security vulnerability issues to developers early in the process, Sonar helps you protect your systems, your data and your users.
Open Worldwide Application Security Project
OWASP security vulnerabilities covered
Thoroughly convey the OWASP most critical security risks facing organizations to improve security software posture for designing, developing and deploying software securely. See issues in the OWASP Top 10 and ASVS 4.0 most critical security risk categories in your applications and start detecting security issues.
OWASP/CWE Top 25 Security Reports in Projects and Portfolios
- Dedicated reports to track application security against categories of the OWASP and CWE Top 25 standards
- Shortens the Security Vulnerability feedback loop and helps developers fix security holes faster
- Export a PDF of the top reports
use OWASP standards to empower developers to own Code Security
Application security starts with code; Sonar helps you own it.
get early SAST feedback and a guided developer experience
SAST analysis of Pull Requests helps empower developers by shifting security left and presenting OWASP Security Vulnerabilities as early as possible in your process - when the code is fresh in mind and the fix is still easy.
The issue visualizer is crafted for clarity so developers easily understand the problem flow across methods and from file to file.
In-app guidance helps developers really understand the problem so they can craft the most secure fix.
use taint analysis to chase down the bad actors
Application security comes from making sure that data is sanitized before hitting critical system parts (Database, File System, OS, etc.)
Taint analysis - it's the ability to track untrusted user input throughout the execution flow from the vulnerability source to the code location (‘sink’) where the compromise occurs.
Configure your taint analysis by declaring the custom frameworks you use to capture user input and/or to persist it.
track OWASP compliance across security standards
Dedicated reports track project security against the OWASP Top 10, ASVS 4.0 and CWE Top 25 standards.
The Sonar Security Report facilitates communication by categorizing vulnerabilities in terms developers understand.
Track compliance at Project or Portfolio level and differentiate Vulnerability fixes from Security Hotspot Reviews.
PDF downloads for reporting
The security reports' PDF export includes the project security overview and the top security reports.
SONAR OWASP FEATURES
Achieve OWASP Top 10 standards
Enable developers to produce software that is secure, reliable, and maintainable through Sonar’s comprehensive suite of tools and features to help developers and organizations ensure that their applications are secure against common vulnerabilities.
SAST analysis
The SAST analysis is capable of identifying patterns in the source code that may lead to access control issues, such as missing authentication checks or improper configuration of role-based access controls.
custom rules and configurations
Create custom rules and configurations that can be tailored to the specific security standard requirements of a project. This flexibility ensures that the analysis can be as precise and relevant as possible, aiding in the accurate detection and remediation of coding issues.
secure code review
Execute secure code review processes by analyzing pull requests for potential security issues. Identifying these issues early in the development cycle helps in maintaining a high level of application security and adherence to the OWASP standards.
continuous inspection
Continuous inspection of code quality helps in early detection and remediation of security issues. Sonar’s continuous analysis and monitoring feature ensures that the codebase remains compliant with security standards including OWASP Top 10, and any new code that introduces potential code issues is promptly identified.
What is the OWASP Top 10 and why is it important for application security?
The OWASP Top 10 is a globally recognized consensus of the ten most critical security risks to web applications. Published by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), this list serves as the industry standard for identifying the most prevalent and impactful vulnerabilities facing modern software. For organizations, it provides a strategic framework to prioritize security efforts where they matter most.
Addressing the risks outlined by OWASP is essential for maintaining a robust security posture and ensuring long-term code health. It is important for several key reasons:
- Strategic risk prioritization: By focusing on the most critical threats—such as injection flaws, broken access control, and cryptographic failures—teams can reduce their attack surface more effectively than by chasing thousands of low-impact alerts.
- Regulatory compliance and governance: Many industry standards, including PCI DSS and various data protection regulations, require organizations to demonstrate that they are actively defending against the vulnerabilities identified by OWASP.
By adopting a developer-centric approach to the OWASP Top 10, organizations move beyond simple bug hunting. Instead, they build security into the foundation of their code, ensuring that every release is production-ready and trustworthy.
How does SonarQube support detection and remediation of OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities?
SonarQube supports the detection and remediation of OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities through a continuous, developer-centric verification layer. By unifying deep automated security analysis with real-time feedback, it ensures that critical risks are identified and resolved long before they reach production.
Expert-driven detection of OWASP risks
SonarQube simplifies the complexity of the OWASP Top 10 by converting abstract security risks into actionable code intelligence. Our engine is purpose-built to identify the most critical web application risks—including injection flaws, broken access control, and cryptographic failures—across 40+ languages and frameworks.
- Deep Static Analysis (SAST): The SAST engine inspects source code to uncover critical OWASP risks like cross-site scripting (XSS) and insecure deserialization. The rules are continuously updated to reflect the latest OWASP guidelines, ensuring your "verify" layer is always current.
- Advanced Taint Analysis: To address high-priority injection attacks, Sonar traces untrusted user inputs as it flows through the codebase. This identifies unsafe data flows and potential exploit paths that other tools miss.
- Continuous Inspection: By integrating seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, Sonar automates security scans on every commit or pull request. This ongoing vigilance catches security weaknesses early.
Empowering developers to remediate at speed
SonarQube doesn't just identify problems; it helps developers verify at scale and reduce toil.
- Contextual, Actionable Feedback: For every detected OWASP vulnerability, SonarQube provides targeted guidance that explains the underlying risk, illustrates the potential exploit scenario, and offers step-by-step remediation instructions. This helps developers fix issues quickly without needing deep security expertise.
- Industry-Leading Precision: To prevent alert fatigue and "noise," Sonar employs advanced filtering and prioritization algorithms to minimize false positives. This ensures your team stays focused on actionable, production-ready code rather than chasing ghost issues.
By integrating these checks into your quality gates, Sonar provides the strategic confidence that your software is built on a foundation of long-term health, integrity, and compliance.
What is static application security testing (SAST) and how does it help with OWASP compliance?
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) provides a critical verification layer by analyzing first-party and AI generated code to uncover security flaws without the need for program execution. By integrating SAST directly into your CI/CD pipelines, your organization can automatically scan for critical OWASP Top 10 risks—such as cross-site scripting (XSS), insecure deserialization, and injection flaws—at the exact moment they are introduced.
This proactive, developer-led approach ensures that vulnerabilities are identified and remediated early in the software development lifecycle, long before code ever reaches production. By providing actionable code intelligence within the existing workflow, Sonar reduces the cost and complexity of security remediation while seamlessly building OWASP compliance into daily development. The result is a consistent, automated defense against modern threats that maintains high-velocity innovation without sacrificing code health.
Can SonarQube produce compliance reports covering OWASP vulnerability status?
Sonar provides the strategic visibility required to manage and attest to your organization’s security posture. Through automated reporting, the platform serves as a single source of truth for your OWASP vulnerability status, transforming complex security data into actionable code intelligence for stakeholders and auditors alike.
Strategic visibility and systematic oversight
Sonar’s reporting capabilities are designed to support continuous governance and rigorous regulatory assessments. These reports provide deep insights into:
- Risk and remediation tracking: Monitor the real-time status of detected vulnerabilities and track the effectiveness of remediation efforts across the entire organization.
- Vulnerability trends: Visualize the progression of security issues across different versions and releases, identifying systemic risks before they become enterprise liabilities.
- Audit-ready documentation: Utilize tailored dashboards and exportable summaries to meet the requirements of internal security reviews and external audits.
What programming languages and frameworks does SonarQube support for OWASP security coverage?
SonarQube offers extensive language coverage for OWASP vulnerability detection, supporting popular frameworks like Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C#, C++, and more. Its rule engine is regularly updated to address security risks specific to each language and framework, enabling comprehensive application security for diverse technology stacks.
Developers can leverage SonarQube across monoliths, microservices, web, and mobile applications, extending OWASP-aligned security inspection throughout their entire development landscape. This broad coverage ensures teams can maintain industry best practices and defend against emerging threats regardless of their technology environment.