OWASP Dependency-Check
Dependency-Check identifies project dependencies and checks whether they have publicly disclosed vulnerabilities (CVEs).
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 an application's libraries for known vulnerable versions
- Fail a CI build on high-severity findings
Key features
- Multiple language ecosystems
- NVD-based data
- HTML/JSON/SARIF reports
Installation
Download the CLI release or use the Maven/Gradle plugin; see the project site.
Beginner usage guide
Run it on a project folder, open the HTML report and update or replace dependencies flagged with serious CVEs.
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 project
dependency-check.sh --scan ./my-project --format HTMLWrites an HTML report; an NVD API key speeds up data updates (see docs).
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.