Checkov
Checkov is a static-analysis tool for infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Dockerfiles and more) that finds misconfigurations before deployment.
Legal & ethical use. Use this tool only on systems, networks and data that you own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorised access or scanning can break computer-misuse laws (for example Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and equivalents elsewhere). Practise in your own lab or in authorised environments such as CTFs.
What it is used for
- Scan Terraform files for insecure settings in CI
- Enforce cloud security policies as code
Key features
- Many IaC frameworks
- Hundreds of built-in policies
- CI-friendly output
Installation
Install with `pip install checkov`.
Beginner usage guide
Run it on a folder of Terraform and read each failed check, which links to guidance on how to fix it.
Example commands
Run these only against your own lab or authorised targets. Placeholder addresses such as 192.0.2.x are documentation ranges.
Scan a directory
checkov -d ./infrastructure-d scans the directory recursively and prints passed/failed checks.
Keep learning
🎓 Learning path: Cloud Security
References
Source verification
Last reviewed: 2026-10-27
Links checked over HTTP: 2026-10-27 07:51 UTC — official: 200, docs: 200, repo: 200
Commands were written from the official documentation and have not been executed on this site; test them in your lab.