Source code analysis is the process of checking source code for coding problems based on a fixed set of patterns or rules that might indicate possible security vulnerabilities. Static analysis tools scan the source code and automatically detect errors that typically pass through compilers and become latent problems. The strength of static analysis depends on the fixed set of patterns or rules used by the tool; static analysis does not find all security issues. The output of the static analysis tool still requires human evaluation.
For white box testing, the results of the source code analysis provide a useful insight into the security posture of the application and aid in test case development. White box testing should verify that the potential vulnerabilities uncovered by the static tool do not lead to security violations. Some static analysis tools provide data-flow and control-flow analysis support, which are useful during test case development.
