sbom-analyzer
SBOM Security Analyzer
Analyze Software Bill of Materials to identify vulnerabilities in declared components for third-party risk management and compliance workflows.
Core Principle: Know what's in your software supply chain.
Quick Start
1. Receive or locate SBOM file (CycloneDX or SPDX)
2. Validate SBOM format and completeness
3. Run mcp_snyk_snyk_sbom_scan for vulnerability analysis
4. Generate risk report with prioritized findings
5. Provide remediation guidance
Supported SBOM Formats
| Format | Versions | File Extension |
|---|---|---|
| CycloneDX | 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 | .json |
| SPDX | 2.3 | .json |
Note: mcp_snyk_snyk_sbom_scan requires Package URLs (purls) in the SBOM for component identification.
Phase 1: SBOM Validation
Goal: Ensure the SBOM is valid and complete before analysis.
Step 1.1: Identify SBOM Format
Check the file structure:
CycloneDX Indicators:
{
"bomFormat": "CycloneDX",
"specVersion": "1.5",
"components": [...]
}
SPDX Indicators:
{
"spdxVersion": "SPDX-2.3",
"SPDXID": "SPDXRef-DOCUMENT",
"packages": [...]
}
Step 1.2: Validate Completeness
Check for required elements:
| Element | CycloneDX | SPDX | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format version | specVersion |
spdxVersion |
Yes |
| Component list | components |
packages |
Yes |
| Package URLs | purl in components |
externalRefs |
Yes* |
| Licenses | licenses |
licenseConcluded |
Recommended |
| Checksums | hashes |
checksums |
Recommended |
* Package URLs are required for Snyk to identify vulnerabilities.
Step 1.3: Report Validation Issues
If SBOM is incomplete, produce a report in this format:
## SBOM Validation Results
**File**: supplier-sbom.json
**Format**: CycloneDX 1.5
### Issues Found
| Issue | Severity | Count |
|-------|----------|-------|
| Missing purl | Error | 15 components |
| Missing license | Warning | 8 components |
| Missing checksum | Info | 23 components |
### Components Without purl (Cannot Scan)
- component-a (no package URL)
- component-b (no package URL)
**Recommendation**: Request updated SBOM from supplier with package URLs.
Phase 2: Security Scan
Goal: Identify vulnerabilities in SBOM components.
Step 2.1: Run SBOM Scan
Call the tool directly:
mcp_snyk_snyk_sbom_scan(file="path/to/sbom.json", severity_threshold="medium")
Step 2.2: Organization-Scoped Scan
To apply org-specific policies:
mcp_snyk_snyk_sbom_scan(file="path/to/sbom.json", org="<org-id>", severity_threshold="high")
Phase 3: Risk Analysis
Goal: Generate a comprehensive risk report from scan results.
Produce a single consolidated report covering summary, critical findings, and an overall risk score:
## SBOM Security Analysis
### Overview
| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Total Components | 156 |
| Components Scanned | 141 |
| Components Skipped | 15 (missing purl) |
| Vulnerable Components | 23 |
| Total Vulnerabilities | 47 |
### Severity Breakdown
| Severity | Count |
|----------|-------|
| Critical | 3 |
| High | 12 |
| Medium | 18 |
| Low | 14 |
### Critical Vulnerabilities
| Component | Version | CVE | CVSS | Exploited |
|-----------|---------|-----|------|-----------|
| log4j-core | 2.14.1 | CVE-2021-44228 | 10.0 | Yes |
| spring-core | 5.3.17 | CVE-2022-22965 | 9.8 | Yes |
| jackson-databind | 2.9.10 | CVE-2020-36518 | 9.8 | No |
### Risk Score: 78/100 (High Risk)
- ⚠️ 2 vulnerabilities with known exploits
- ⚠️ 3 critical severity issues
- ✓ Components from untrusted sources: 0
**Recommendation**: Do not integrate this software until critical vulnerabilities are addressed.
Phase 4: Remediation Guidance
Goal: Provide actionable upgrade recommendations and vendor communication.
Step 4.1: Upgrade Recommendations
## Recommended Actions
### Priority 1: Critical (Must Fix)
| Component | Current | Fixed Version | Notes |
|-----------|---------|---------------|-------|
| log4j-core | 2.14.1 | 2.17.1+ | Log4Shell |
| spring-core | 5.3.17 | 5.3.18+ | Spring4Shell |
### Priority 2: High (Should Fix)
| Component | Current | Fixed Version | Notes |
|-----------|---------|---------------|-------|
| lodash | 4.17.15 | 4.17.21 | Prototype pollution |
| axios | 0.21.1 | 1.6.0+ | SSRF vulnerability |
### Priority 3: Medium (Plan to Fix)
| Component | Current | Fixed Version | Notes |
|-----------|---------|---------------|-------|
| minimist | 1.2.5 | 1.2.8+ | Prototype pollution |
Step 4.2: Vendor Communication
Draft a message to the vendor using this template (populate with actual findings):
Subject: Security Vulnerabilities in Software SBOM
Dear [Vendor],
During our security review of [Product Name], we identified the following
vulnerabilities in the provided SBOM:
**Critical Issues (Require Immediate Action)**:
1. [Component] [Version] - [CVE] ([Name])
2. [Component] [Version] - [CVE] ([Name])
**Request**:
1. Provide updated software with patched versions
2. Provide updated SBOM reflecting the changes
3. Confirm expected remediation timeline
We require resolution of critical issues before proceeding with integration.
Regards,
[Your Name]
SBOM Generation (Internal Projects)
To generate an SBOM for your own project using the Snyk CLI, then scan it:
# Generate CycloneDX SBOM
snyk sbom --format=cyclonedx1.5+json > sbom.json
# Generate SPDX SBOM
snyk sbom --format=spdx2.3+json > sbom.json
Then scan the generated SBOM:
mcp_snyk_snyk_sbom_scan(file="sbom.json")
Error Handling
Invalid SBOM Format
Error: Unable to parse SBOM file
Solutions:
1. Verify file is valid JSON
2. Check SBOM format (CycloneDX/SPDX)
3. Validate against schema
4. Request corrected SBOM from source
Missing Package URLs
Warning: X components missing purl - cannot scan
Solutions:
1. Request updated SBOM with purls
2. Manually add purls if components are known
3. Document risk of unscanned components
Unsupported Version
Error: SBOM version not supported
Supported versions:
- CycloneDX: 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
- SPDX: 2.3
Convert SBOM to supported version if possible.
Constraints
- Requires purls: Components without package URLs cannot be scanned
- JSON only: XML format not currently supported
- Version limits: Only specific CycloneDX/SPDX versions supported
- Network required: Vulnerability database lookup needs connectivity
- Point-in-time: SBOM reflects a specific version — rescan on updates