Three steps to ensuring the reliability and security of your C++ projects
C++ powers the most safety-critical and performance-intensive systems in the world, from automotive control units to surgical robots. But with power comes complexity. And as C++ systems scale, the risk of critical software defects, outdated dependencies, and license compliance issues grows exponentially.
Modern C++ development teams face an evolving security landscape shaped by open source proliferation, increasingly strict regulatory environments, and the growing need to “shift security left.” In this post, we’ll walk through three practical steps to improve the security, reliability, and compliance of your C++ projects—without slowing innovation.
Step 1: Automate static and software composition analysis early in the SDLC
C++ gives developers fine-grained control over system resources, but this flexibility introduces high-stakes challenges. From buffer overflows to memory leaks and undefined behavior, subtle issues can slip into production if they’re not caught early.
Security and quality risks in C++ are amplified by the lack of a universal package manager and the increasing use of open source libraries that may be unmaintained or have restrictive licenses. Teams can’t afford to wait until final testing to find critical defects.
That’s why the first step is to automate static analysis and software composition analysis (SCA) early in the development life cycle.
Coverity® Static Analysis helps developers identify difficult-to-find bugs in C++ code, even in massive environments. It detects coding issues that other tools miss, including concurrency problems and edge-case memory misuse.
Black Duck® SCA complements this by analyzing third-party and open source components. It automatically detects all dependencies—including those embedded in header files, custom build scripts, or external directories—and flags known vulnerabilities, license risks, and outdated packages.
Together, these tools empower your team to:
- Catch bugs and vulnerabilities before code merges
- Automatically identify and trace all open source components
- Reduce technical debt and rework during later phases
- Maintain velocity without compromising security
Automating these scans at commit, pull request, or build time shifts security left—saving you time, money, and risk.
Step 2: Create and maintain a living SBOM
You can’t secure what you can’t see. And in C++ projects, dependencies aren’t always declared in a standard format, so it’s surprisingly easy to lose visibility into what’s actually in your code.
That’s where a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) comes in. An SBOM is a formal, machine-readable inventory of all software components in your application—complete with version numbers, license information, and source origins.
But creating an SBOM isn’t enough. Software evolves. New libraries are added, while others are updated, removed, and become vulnerable over time. That’s why the second step is to ensure that your SBOM is continuously updated.
Black Duck SCA enables teams to:
- Generate complete SBOMs for proprietary, open source, and third-party code
- Export SBOMs in standard formats like SPDX and CycloneDX
- Automatically track component updates and alert developers when new vulnerabilities are discovered
- Facilitate regulatory compliance with SBOM mandates from frameworks like NIST SSDF and CISA guidelines
A living SBOM provides transparency across your software supply chain and helps reduce your organization’s exposure to operational, legal, and reputational risk.
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Step 3: Prioritize security and compliance as a default practice
Security is no longer just a technical concern—it’s a board-level risk. In many industries, failure to comply with coding standards and open source license obligations can halt releases, trigger audits, or result in litigation.
In the C++ world, this means aligning development with standards such as MISRA and CERT C/C++, and ensuring that open source libraries comply with their license terms.
The final step is to treat security and compliance not as a checklist item, but as an embedded, automated part of your development workflow.
With Black Duck SCA and Coverity, organizations can:
- Flag outdated, high-risk components before they’re committed
- Detect potential license conflicts (e.g., GPL in proprietary code) and ensure obligations are met
- Prioritize remediation based on component severity, exploitability, and business impact
- Provide executive visibility into AppSec KPIs and compliance metrics
Embedding these practices into CI/CD pipelines and developer workflows helps teams move from reactive security to proactive, scalable risk management.
Closing Thoughts
Building secure, reliable C++ applications is possible—but only if security is treated as a continuous process, not an afterthought. By taking these three steps, you position your organization to ship higher-quality code, faster—and with far fewer risks lurking beneath the surface.
- Automate analysis early
- Maintain a real-time SBOM
- Enforce compliance by default
Whether you’re leading an enterprise DevSecOps team or modernizing legacy C++ applications, now is the time to adopt tools and workflows that support your security goals without slowing you down.
Want to see how Coverity and Black Duck SCA can secure your C++ projects end to end?
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Blog authored by Corey Hamilton. Read the original post at: https://www.blackduck.com/blog/secure-cpp-software-reliability.html
