SOURCE CODE REVIEW: Follow the security decisions into the code.
Security source code review examines how an application implements protections that may be difficult to assess from its external behaviour alone. We trace permissions, sensitive data handling, trust boundaries and error paths through the code, connecting weaknesses to their causes and the changes needed to address them.
- Discipline
- Cyber Defense
- Engagement type
- Assessment
Some weaknesses are clearer from the implementation.
Runtime testing shows how an application behaves under selected conditions. Source code can reveal the checks, data flows and assumptions behind that behaviour, including paths that are difficult to reach from the interface. The review is especially useful for sensitive modules, major changes or recurring classes of defects.
Concentrate on the code that carries the risk.
Authentication and authorisation
How identities are established and access decisions enforced across relevant functions.
Sensitive data flows
Where information enters, moves, is stored and leaves the application.
Input and output handling
Validation, parsing and interactions with databases, browsers or external systems.
Secrets and cryptography
Implementation choices affecting keys, credentials and protected data.
Business logic and failure paths
How important rules behave across alternative sequences, exceptions and unsuccessful operations.
Give developers a precise place to start.
We agree the repositories, branches, languages and modules involved. Documentation and a walkthrough can help establish the intended design. Automated analysis may support the review, while manual investigation examines context and implementation choices. Findings reference the affected code and explain the underlying issue, its likely consequences and corrective options.
What you receive
The reviewed repositories, versions and security areas.
Code references and relevant data-flow explanations for each finding.
Remediation guidance addressing the implementation and recurring root causes.
Is this a review of every line?
The review can cover selected modules or a broader codebase. We identify the repositories, versions and security areas examined so your developers can understand where the findings apply and which areas need further work.
Does this replace penetration testing?
No. The methods offer different views. Code review examines implementation; runtime testing can help validate how selected behaviours appear in the deployed application.
What happens if the code changes during the review?
The reviewed version must remain identifiable. Significant changes may need a separate review or an updated scope so the findings can be applied to the correct implementation.
Which part of the implementation needs a closer look?
Share the stack, relevant repositories and the feature or concern driving the review. Sensitive code should be exchanged through an agreed channel after scoping.
Related services: Web Application Security Testing and API Security Assessment.