Semgrep
Static analysis and AI security scanning tool with 5000+ SAST rules and AI-powered rule generation used by 100K+ developers to catch vulnerabilities early.
Semgrep is an open-source static analysis engine that scans code for bugs and security vulnerabilities using a pattern-matching approach that understands code semantics rather than just text. It comes with 5000+ community-maintained SAST rules covering OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities across 30+ languages, and its AI wizard lets security engineers generate custom rules from plain-English descriptions. Semgrep expanded into Semgrep Supply Chain for open-source dependency reachability analysis and Semgrep Secrets for hardcoded credential detection. Originally built by the team at r2c (now Semgrep Inc.) and backed by significant venture funding, Semgrep is trusted by Dropbox, Figma, and Coinbase for shift-left security in CI/CD pipelines.
Key Features
- 5000+ community SAST rules spanning 30+ programming languages with zero configuration required
- AI rule wizard that generates custom security rules from plain-English vulnerability descriptions
- Semgrep Supply Chain for open-source dependency reachability analysis - filters out unreachable CVEs
- Semgrep Secrets for detecting hardcoded API keys, tokens, and credentials in source code and git history
- IDE extensions for VS Code and IntelliJ with real-time scan feedback while writing code
- CI/CD integration with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, and Bitbucket Pipelines
- Policy-as-code enforcement for consistent security standards across all repositories in an organization
Use Cases
- Security teams running automated SAST scans on every pull request before merge to catch vulnerabilities early
- DevSecOps teams shifting security left by integrating Semgrep into developer IDEs for real-time feedback
- Platform engineers enforcing coding standards and detecting anti-patterns across distributed microservice repos
- Startups scanning for hardcoded credentials and dependency vulnerabilities before a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 audit
Pros
- Largest open-source SAST rule library - 5000+ community rules cover common vulnerabilities without custom setup
- Reachability analysis in Supply Chain filters unreachable CVEs - up to 90% fewer false positives than plain dependency scanners
- AI rule generation lets non-expert engineers create precise custom rules in minutes without learning pattern syntax
Cons
- Pattern-based rules struggle with complex business-logic vulnerabilities that require runtime context to detect
- Team plan at $40/developer/month scales steeply for large engineering organizations with hundreds of engineers
- False positive rate on legacy codebases can be high without dedicated time for rule baseline tuning and suppression
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