Bearer

What Bearer is

Bearer is a command-line tool for static application security testing that scans source code and traces data flows to surface security and privacy risks. Its data analysis works from code patterns rather than inspecting the actual values handled by an application. Bearer CLI covers more than 120 sensitive data types, including personal data, personally identifiable information and protected health information. Its privacy reports can show which sensitive data appears in a codebase, the data subjects it relates to, and the internal or third-party components that process it. These reports can contribute information to records of processing activities for GDPR.

The CLI includes security rules for static analysis and a separate scanner for hard-coded secrets. It supports pull request scans, custom security rules and CI/CD workflows documented for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD and CircleCI. Listed language stacks include Go, Python, PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby and Java. Bearer offers the CLI as a free plan. Installation choices include an install script, Homebrew, Linux package managers, Docker and downloadable binaries. The listed platforms are Linux and macOS; macOS 12 or later and Git 2.34 or later are required. Bearer says its classification patterns are designed to limit false positives, though they may miss some true positives.

Who it suits

Bearer CLI suits developers and security teams who want to scan source code and data flows for security and privacy risks, including in pull requests and CI/CD pipelines. It also fits teams that need reports on sensitive data and the components processing it, or support for custom security rules.

Getting started

1. Visit bearer.com.
2. Choose an installation route: install script, Homebrew, a Linux package manager, Docker or a downloadable binary.
3. Use Linux or macOS; on macOS, version 12 or later is required.
4. Ensure Git 2.34 or later is available.
5. Use the CLI to scan source code, including through pull request scans or a documented CI/CD setup.

Verdict

Choose Bearer CLI if you need a free source-code scanner that combines security checks with data-flow and privacy reporting. Consider its supported platforms and stated risk of missed true positives when deciding whether it fits your scanning needs.