What Is Snyk?
A developer-first security platform that provides SCA (dependency scanning), SAST (code analysis), container scanning, and IaC (Infrastructure as Code) scanning. Snyk integrates with IDEs, CI/CD pipelines, and source code repositories to find and fix vulnerabilities throughout the development lifecycle.
Security Risks
Snyk is a security tool, so its risks are primarily about coverage gaps and false confidence:
- False negatives: No scanner catches 100% of vulnerabilities
- SCA focus: Strongest at dependency scanning, less comprehensive for custom code
- Noise: Can generate many low-severity findings that mask critical issues
- Cost: Advanced features (SAST, container scanning) require paid plans
- Fix suggestions: Automated fixes may introduce breaking changes
- AI code gaps: Not specifically trained on AI-generated vulnerability patterns
Security Checklist
- Enable Snyk in CI/CD to block merges with critical vulnerabilities
- Configure severity thresholds (block critical/high, warn on medium)
- Review and triage findings regularly – do not ignore the backlog
- Use Snyk SAST for custom code scanning alongside SCA
- Enable automatic PR creation for dependency updates
- Monitor for new vulnerabilities in existing dependencies
- Combine with AI-specific scanners for comprehensive coverage
- Review Snyk fix suggestions before applying (may break functionality)
- Set up notifications for critical vulnerability alerts
- Generate SBOMs using Snyk for compliance and audit
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Snyk free?
Snyk offers a free tier for individuals and small teams with limited scans per month. SCA (dependency scanning) is available on the free plan. SAST, container scanning, and advanced features require paid plans starting at $25/month per developer.
How does Snyk compare to Vibe Eval?
Snyk is a general-purpose security platform strongest at dependency scanning (SCA). Vibe Eval is specifically designed for scanning AI-generated code with rules tailored to common AI coding patterns. For vibe-coded apps, use both: Snyk for dependencies and Vibe Eval for AI-specific code issues.
Can Snyk scan AI-generated code effectively?
Snyk’s SAST can detect common vulnerabilities (SQL injection, XSS) in any code, including AI-generated. However, it is not specifically optimized for AI code patterns like hallucinated dependencies, AI-generated auth bypasses, or missing RLS policies that tools like Vibe Eval are designed to catch.