Brakeman
A static analysis security vulnerability scanner for Ruby on Rails applications.
Overview
Brakeman is a security scanner specifically designed for Ruby on Rails applications. It analyzes the application's source code to find security issues at any stage of development. Unlike many web security scanners, Brakeman looks at the source code, so it does not require setting up the entire application stack to run.
✨ Key Features
- Focus on Ruby on Rails security
- No setup required, runs on source code
- Checks for common Rails vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection, XSS, mass assignment)
- CI/CD integration
- Multiple report formats (HTML, JSON, CSV)
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Deep specialization in Ruby on Rails framework
- Ease of use and zero configuration setup
- Scans source code directly without needing a running application
Unique Value: Provides a fast, easy, and free way for Ruby on Rails developers to find security vulnerabilities specific to their framework.
🎯 Use Cases (3)
✅ Best For
- Running in CI to prevent merging pull requests with new security vulnerabilities
- Performing a quick security assessment of a new Rails codebase
- Identifying outdated Rails versions with known vulnerabilities
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Analyzing non-Rails Ruby projects
- General code quality or style checking (use RuboCop)
🏆 Alternatives
While general-purpose tools like Snyk and Semgrep also support Ruby, Brakeman's deep focus on the Rails framework allows it to find framework-specific issues that other tools might miss.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Completely free and open-source.
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