Chain-bench

Chain-bench addresses the critical security and compliance challenges in the software development life cycle (SDLC) by auditing the entire software supply chain stack against the CIS Software Supply Chain benchmark. This tool focuses on identifying risks from the code phase through to deployment, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and protecting sensitive data.

Technically, chain-bench operates as a standalone CLI tool or can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines using Docker, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI. It requires an access token and the repository URL to scan the source code management (SCM) system. The tool supports major SCM platforms like GitHub and GitLab, with the latter still in beta. The scanning process involves running commands such as chain-bench scan --repository-url <REPOSITORY_URL> --access-token <TOKEN> -o <OUTPUT_PATH>, which generates output in JSON format that can be further processed or integrated into vulnerability reports.

Operationally, chain-bench updates its checks nightly based on the CIS benchmark, ensuring it stays aligned with the latest security standards. However, this frequent updating can introduce minor inconsistencies if not properly managed. The tool's performance is generally robust, but it may encounter limitations in very large repositories due to the extensive nature of the checks. For instance, the tool's metadata.json files are updated daily, which can impact the tool's responsiveness if not properly cached or managed.

From a technical standpoint, chain-bench implements a comprehensive set of checks defined in the CIS Software Supply Chain Security Guide v1.0. This includes various metrics and compliance checks that are continuously expanded to cover more aspects of the software supply chain. While it is highly effective in identifying compliance gaps, it requires careful configuration and integration to avoid false positives and ensure seamless operation within the existing development workflow.