This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk identification. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A new web application is being developed using several open-source libraries. Which risk identification method is most effective for identifying vulnerabilities in these libraries?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Software composition analysis (SCA)
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is specifically designed to identify known vulnerabilities in open-source libraries by analyzing dependency manifests (e.g., pom.xml, package.json) and correlating them against vulnerability databases like the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). For a web application built with multiple open-source components, SCA automates the detection of outdated or vulnerable libraries, which is the most effective method for this risk identification scenario.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Static application security testing (SAST)
Why it's wrong here
SAST analyzes source code for flaws but is not optimized for detecting known vulnerabilities in libraries.
✓
Software composition analysis (SCA)
Why this is correct
SCA scans dependencies and matches them against vulnerability databases, ideal for open-source risk identification.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Dynamic application security testing (DAST)
Why it's wrong here
DAST tests running applications but may not cover all library vulnerabilities.
✗
Manual code review
Why it's wrong here
Manual review is resource-intensive and may not systematically identify library vulnerabilities.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse SAST (which finds code-level bugs) with SCA (which finds library vulnerabilities), assuming any security testing tool can identify open-source risks, but only SCA is designed to inventory and assess third-party components against known CVEs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCA tools work by generating a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) from dependency files, then matching each component against databases like the NVD or OSS Index using CVE identifiers. A subtle behavior is that SCA can detect transitive dependencies (libraries pulled in by your direct dependencies), which are often overlooked by manual review or SAST, and can flag license compliance issues alongside vulnerabilities. In a real-world scenario, a developer might use a library like Log4j 2.14.1, which SCA would flag for CVE-2021-44228, while SAST would miss it entirely because the vulnerability is in the library's runtime behavior, not the application's source code.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
IT Risk Identification — This question tests IT Risk Identification — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Software composition analysis (SCA) — Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is specifically designed to identify known vulnerabilities in open-source libraries by analyzing dependency manifests (e.g., pom.xml, package.json) and correlating them against vulnerability databases like the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). For a web application built with multiple open-source components, SCA automates the detection of outdated or vulnerable libraries, which is the most effective method for this risk identification scenario.
What should I do if I get this CRISC question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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