Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is the category name for tools that automatically identify all open source and third-party components in a codebase and assess their security, license compliance, and maintenance status. SCA tools scan your dependencies, map them to vulnerability databases, and report on risk. PackageFix is an SCA tool.
What SCA tools typically do
- Identify all open source components (direct and transitive)
- Map components to known vulnerabilities (CVEs, OSV, GHSA)
- Report CVSS severity scores
- Flag licenses that may conflict with your project's license
- Generate SBOMs (Software Bills of Materials)
- Integrate with CI/CD to block deploys on critical findings
SCA vs SAST vs DAST
These three categories together form the foundation of application security testing:
- SCA — checks what you use (open source components)
- SAST (Static Analysis) — checks what you write (your source code, statically)
- DAST (Dynamic Analysis) — checks how your app behaves when running (runtime testing)
The SCA tool landscape
SCA tools range from free CLI tools to enterprise platforms:
- Free / CLI — npm audit, pip-audit, OSV Scanner, bundle-audit
- Free / browser — PackageFix (also generates fixed manifests)
- Automated / GitHub — Dependabot, GitHub Dependency Review
- Paid / enterprise — Snyk, Mend, Black Duck, Sonatype Nexus IQ
The right choice depends on your needs. For individual developers and small teams, free tools cover most cases. PackageFix fills the gap between "run npm audit in CLI" and "pay for an enterprise SCA platform" — browser-based, no account, with fix output.
Check your dependencies for CVEs, CISA KEV entries, and supply chain risks.
Open PackageFix →Free · No signup · No CLI · Runs in your browser