In a major advancement for developer productivity and security, GitHub has announced “code scanning autofix,” a new feature powered by GitHub Copilot and CodeQL. Starting today, it will be available in public beta for all GitHub Advanced Security customers. This AI-driven tool helps developers identify and fix vulnerabilities in their code with suggested fixes, streamlining the development process and improving code security. Here’s how it works.
Scanning code is crucial for preventing security breaches and maintaining a strong software supply chain. Vulnerabilities in code can be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to systems or steal sensitive data. By proactively identifying and fixing these vulnerabilities, developers can significantly reduce the risk of attacks.
Image courtesy: GitHub
Features such as autofix make life easier for developers of all skill levels. Novice programmers can leverage the suggested fixes to learn from experts and improve their coding practices. Experienced developers can benefit from the automation, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks. Ultimately, any developer working on a codebase with potential vulnerabilities can benefit from this new feature.
As AI-driven tools continue to mature, code scanning tools will become even more sophisticated. In addition, we can expect to see code scanning tools become more and more integrated directly into the development process. This will make it easier for developers to scan their code for vulnerabilities early and often, an ongoing desire from CIOs and CISOs we work with.