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Securing Your Containerized Applications: Implementing Vulnerability Scanning with CI/CD

Writer's picture: KaterynaKateryna

Securing Your Containerized Applications: Implementing Vulnerability Scanning with CI/CD

Containerization has revolutionized software development and deployment, offering speed, portability, and scalability. However, the convenience of containers also introduces new security challenges. Vulnerabilities in container images can expose your applications to serious risks. This blog post explores how to implement container vulnerability scanning within your CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions, leveraging AWS ECR and Docker Hub's built-in scanning capabilities, and providing an overview of available vulnerability scanning options.


Understanding Container Vulnerability Scanning


Container vulnerability scanning is the process of identifying security flaws within container images. These flaws can range from outdated system libraries and operating system packages to vulnerabilities in application dependencies and misconfigurations in container settings. Regularly scanning your images helps you proactively address these issues before they can be exploited.


Available Container Vulnerability Scanning Options


Several tools and platforms offer container vulnerability scanning capabilities. Here's a breakdown of some popular options:


  • Integrated Registry Scanning:

    • Amazon ECR: Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR) provides built-in image scanning powered by Clair. It automatically scans images pushed to ECR repositories and provides vulnerability reports.

    • Docker Hub: Docker Hub also offers automated image scanning for official images and images in private repositories (available with paid plans).

    • Google Container Registry (GCR): GCR integrates with the Container Analysis API, offering vulnerability scanning and metadata management.


  • Standalone Vulnerability Scanners:

    • Trivy: An open-source, comprehensive, and easy-to-use vulnerability scanner for containers, suitable for CI/CD integration.

    • Clair: An open-source project for static analysis of vulnerabilities in application containers. It's used by ECR and other platforms.

    • Anchore Engine: An open-source policy-as-code platform for container security. It allows you to define policies for image security and compliance.

    • Snyk Container: A commercial tool offering vulnerability scanning, license compliance, and infrastructure-as-code security.

    • Aqua Security: A comprehensive cloud-native security platform offering vulnerability scanning, runtime protection, and compliance features.


  • Cloud Provider Security Scanners:

    • AWS Inspector: While not solely focused on containers, Inspector can assess EC2 instances running containers and identify vulnerabilities in the underlying operating system.

    • Google Cloud Security Command Center: Provides a centralized view of security and data risk across your Google Cloud resources, including container images.

    • Azure Security Center: Offers vulnerability assessment for container images stored in Azure Container Registry.


Implementing Container Vulnerability Scanning with GitHub Actions


This section focuses on integrating vulnerability scanning into your CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions and leveraging AWS ECR and Docker Hub scanning.

1. Using AWS ECR Scanning with GitHub Actions:

  • Push Image to ECR: Your GitHub Actions workflow should first build the Docker image and push it to your ECR repository.

  • Trigger ECR Scan: ECR automatically scans images upon push. You don't need to explicitly trigger it.

  • Retrieve Scan Results (Optional): You can use the AWS CLI within your GitHub Actions workflow to retrieve the scan results and take action based on the findings (e.g., fail the build if critical vulnerabilities are found).



name: CI/CD Pipeline

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build-and-push:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Configure AWS credentials
        uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v2
        with:
          aws-access-key-id: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
          aws-secret-access-key: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
          aws-region: ${{ secrets.AWS_REGION }}

      - name: Login to ECR
        id: login-ecr
        uses: aws-actions/amazon-ecr-login@v1

      - name: Build and push Docker image
        env:
          ECR_REGISTRY: ${{ steps.login-ecr.outputs.registry }}
          IMAGE_TAG: latest
        run: |
          docker build -t $ECR_REGISTRY/your-repo:$IMAGE_TAG .
          docker push $ECR_REGISTRY/your-repo:$IMAGE_TAG

2. Using Docker Hub Scanning:

  • Push Image to Docker Hub: Your GitHub Actions workflow should build the Docker image and push it to your Docker Hub repository.

  • View Scan Results: Docker Hub automatically scans pushed images. You can view the scan results in the Docker Hub web interface.


name: CI/CD Pipeline

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build-and-push:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Login to Docker Hub
        run: docker login -u ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }} -p ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }}

      - name: Build and push Docker image
        env:
          IMAGE_TAG: latest
        run: |
          docker build -t your-dockerhub-username/your-repo:$IMAGE_TAG .
          docker push your-dockerhub-username/your-repo:$IMAGE_TAG

3. Using Trivy with GitHub Actions:


name: CI/CD Pipeline

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build-and-scan:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Build the Docker image
        run: docker build -t my-image .

      - name: Run Trivy vulnerability scanner
        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
        with:
          image-ref: 'my-image'
          format: 'table' # or 'json', 'template', etc.
          exit-code: '1' # Fail the build if vulnerabilities are found
          severity: 'CRITICAL,HIGH' # Scan for specific severities

Best Practices


  • Scan Regularly: Integrate scanning into your CI/CD pipeline to catch vulnerabilities early.

  • Automate Remediation: Where possible, automate the process of updating vulnerable packages or applying security patches.

  • Use a Variety of Tools: Consider using multiple scanning tools to get a more comprehensive view of potential vulnerabilities.

  • Prioritize Vulnerabilities: Focus on fixing critical and high-severity vulnerabilities first.

  • Implement Policy Enforcement: Use tools like Anchore Engine to define and enforce security policies for your container images.


By implementing container vulnerability scanning within your CI/CD pipeline, you can significantly improve the security posture of your containerized applications and reduce the risk of exploitation. Using tools like Trivy, and leveraging integrated registry scanning from ECR and Docker Hub makes it easy to integrate security into your development workflow.

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