Scanning your code

Scanning is the core way Black Duck identifies open source components, licenses, and known vulnerabilities in your codebase. When you run a scan, Black Duck analyzes your project files and generates a comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOM), helping you stay compliant, secure, and informed.

What does a Black Duck scan do?

Black Duck scans your codebase to:

  • Identify open source components and their versions

  • Detect known security vulnerabilities using sources like the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and Black Duck Security Advisories (BDSA)

  • Evaluate license risk and compliance

  • Generate a BOM for auditing and reporting

  • Enforce custom policies based on your organization's risk tolerance

Scans can be triggered during development, in CI/CD pipelines, or manually—depending on how you choose to integrate Black Duck.

Available scanning tools

Black Duck offers a variety of tools to suit different environments and workflows:

  • Black Duck Detect (CLI): A flexible command-line tool that supports scanning source code, binaries, and containers. Can be integrated into local development or CI/CD pipelines. Black Duck Detect is the recommended scanning tool for Black Duck.

  • Signature Scanner (CLI): A dedicated command-line tool for running signature-based scans. Best suited for environments where Detect is not ideal or where direct control over scan configuration is required.

  • Black Duck plugin integrations: Prebuilt integrations for popular tools like:

    • Jenkins

    • Azure DevOps

    • GitHub Actions

    • Bitbucket Pipelines

  • SCA Scan Service (SCASS): A scalable cloud-based scanning service for source, binary, and container analysis. Available for customers with the appropriate license.

  • REST API: Advanced users can use the Black Duck API to automate scan uploads, retrieve results, and manage project data.

Note: Some features may require a specific license or configuration. Contact your administrator if you are unsure which scanning tools are available in your environment.