Checkov
Checkov is a static code analysis tool for infrastructure-as-code (IaC) configurations, ensuring security and compliance across various cloud platforms.
| Category | DevSecOps & Pipeline Security |
|---|---|
| Community Stars | 7272 |
| Last Commit | last week |
| Last page update | 19 days ago |
| Pricing Details | Free and open-source. |
| Target Audience | Developers and DevOps teams focusing on infrastructure-as-code security. |
Checkov, developed by Bridgecrew, addresses the critical security and compliance challenges inherent in infrastructure-as-code (IaC) configurations by performing static code analysis. Here’s a breakdown of its technical architecture and operational considerations:
Checkov integrates with various development environments, including IntelliJ, Visual Studio Code, and CI/CD pipelines like GitHub Actions and CircleCI. It leverages a comprehensive set of over 1,000 built-in policies to scan IaC files written in Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Helm, Serverless, and ARM templates, among others. This ensures adherence to security and compliance best practices across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms.
The tool's architecture relies on invoking the latest version of Checkov, which can be integrated directly into IDEs or CI/CD workflows. Activation requires a Prisma Cloud Access Key and API endpoint, enabling the tool to evaluate code and provide automated inline fixes. Checkov can detect misconfigurations, such as exposed AWS credentials in EC2 Userdata or Lambda environment variables, and offer step-by-step fix guidelines and inline suppression via comments.
Operationally, Checkov runs automatically whenever an IaC file is opened or saved in the IDE, providing real-time scan results and fix suggestions. In CI/CD environments, it can be configured to run as part of the build process, ensuring that security checks are integrated into the development lifecycle. However, it's important to note that the tool requires proper configuration, including setting up access keys and potentially custom CA certificates, and may have limitations related to file access permissions, especially in environments like MacOS where Docker permissions need to be managed.
From a technical standpoint, Checkov's performance is generally robust, but it may encounter issues such as parsing errors if the environment is not correctly set up. The tool supports continuous scanning of file modifications, highlighting errors in the editor and providing detailed reports on violating policies. This real-time feedback loop helps developers address security issues early in the development cycle, reducing the risk of deploying insecure configurations.