Top 50 Snyk Interview Question and Answers

1. What is Snyk?
   Answer: Snyk is a developer-first security platform that helps identify and fix vulnerabilities in code, open-source dependencies, container images, and infrastructure as code (IaC).

2. What are the main products offered by Snyk?
   Answer:

   • Snyk Open Source
   • Snyk Code
   • Snyk Container
   • Snyk Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

3. How does Snyk integrate with the development workflow?
   Answer: Snyk integrates through IDEs, CI/CD pipelines, SCMs (e.g., GitHub), and CLI tools to identify and fix vulnerabilities during development.

4. What programming languages does Snyk support?
   Answer: Snyk supports languages like JavaScript, Java, Python, Go, Ruby, .NET, PHP, and more.

5. What is the difference between Snyk Open Source and Snyk Code?
   Answer: Snyk Open Source identifies vulnerabilities in third-party libraries, while Snyk Code scans proprietary code for security issues.

6. How does Snyk identify vulnerabilities?
   Answer: By leveraging an extensive vulnerability database and performing static analysis.

7. What is Snyk’s vulnerability database?
   Answer: A constantly updated database of known security vulnerabilities across ecosystems.

8. What is the CVSS score in Snyk, and why is it important?
   Answer: CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) indicates the severity of a vulnerability, helping prioritize fixes.

9. How does Snyk prioritize vulnerabilities?
   Answer: Based on factors like CVSS score, exploitability, and the context of the application.

10. What are the key components of a vulnerability report in Snyk?
    Answer: Vulnerability details, impacted files or dependencies, remediation suggestions, and CVSS score.

11. Name some CI/CD tools Snyk integrates with.
    Answer: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab, Azure DevOps, CircleCI, Bitbucket Pipelines, etc.

12. How does Snyk CLI help developers?
    Answer: Snyk CLI allows developers to scan code, containers, and IaC locally for vulnerabilities.

13. Which version control systems are supported by Snyk?
    Answer: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure Repos, and others.

14. Can Snyk integrate with IDEs? Which ones?
    Answer: Yes, Snyk integrates with IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA, Visual Studio Code, Eclipse, and JetBrains.

15. Explain the Snyk API. How is it used?
    Answer: The Snyk API allows automation of security tasks, integration with custom tools, and management of vulnerabilities programmatically.

16. What is a “fix pull request” in Snyk?
    Answer: A pull request automatically created by Snyk to update vulnerable dependencies.

17. What is “auto-remediation” in Snyk?
    Answer: A feature that automatically updates dependencies or configuration to resolve vulnerabilities.

18. Explain Snyk’s “monitor” feature.
    Answer: It tracks the state of dependencies and alerts when new vulnerabilities are identified.

19. How does Snyk Container help secure containerized applications?
    Answer: By scanning container images for vulnerabilities in base images and application dependencies.

20. What is Snyk’s IaC scanning capability?
    Answer: It scans infrastructure-as-code files (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation) for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities.

21. How can developers ensure continuous security with Snyk?
    Answer: By integrating Snyk into CI/CD pipelines, IDEs, and monitoring dependencies regularly.

22. What are Snyk’s key remediation strategies?
    Answer: Updating dependencies, applying patches, and following configuration recommendations.

23. How does Snyk ensure minimal performance impact during scans?
    Answer: By performing scans incrementally and caching results.

24. Can Snyk scan private repositories?
    Answer: Yes, with appropriate permissions, Snyk can scan private repositories.

25. What are the benefits of using Snyk CLI in local development?
    Answer: Early detection of vulnerabilities, better context for fixes, and seamless integration with the developer workflow.

26. What types of vulnerabilities does Snyk Container identify?
    Answer: Vulnerabilities in base images, application dependencies, and container configurations.

27. How does Snyk recommend secure base images?
    Answer: By providing alternative images with fewer vulnerabilities.

28. How can you integrate Snyk Container into Kubernetes workflows?
    Answer: By scanning container images and Kubernetes manifests during CI/CD.

29. Can Snyk Container be used for multi-stage Dockerfiles?
    Answer: Yes, Snyk can scan multi-stage Dockerfiles for vulnerabilities.

30. How does Snyk work with Docker Hub?
    Answer: It scans images from Docker Hub to identify vulnerabilities.

31. What is Snyk Code used for?
    Answer: To scan proprietary code for vulnerabilities and security issues.

32. How does Snyk Code help with secure coding?
    Answer: By providing real-time suggestions for fixing security issues directly in the IDE.

33. Does Snyk Code support secure coding standards?
    Answer: Yes, it aligns with OWASP and other secure coding practices.

34. Can Snyk Code detect hardcoded secrets?
    Answer: Yes, it identifies hardcoded secrets and sensitive data leaks.

35. What types of issues does Snyk Code flag?
    Answer: Injection vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, hardcoded secrets, and more.

36. What is the Snyk Advisor?
    Answer: A tool that provides detailed insights into package quality, security, and health.

37. Can Snyk perform license compliance checks?
    Answer: Yes, Snyk helps ensure compliance with open-source licenses.

38. What is the Snyk Security Score?
    Answer: A score that evaluates the security health of projects.

39. What is the difference between patching and upgrading in Snyk?
    Answer: Patching applies fixes to existing versions; upgrading updates to a newer version.

40. What is Snyk’s role in supply chain security?
    Answer: It secures dependencies and third-party components in the software supply chain.

41. How to handle false positives in Snyk?
    Answer: By reviewing the context, ignoring false positives, or marking them as non-issues.

42. What to do if Snyk reports a vulnerability without a fix?
    Answer: Monitor the issue and implement mitigations or alternative solutions.

43. How to reduce the noise of low-severity vulnerabilities?
    Answer: Use Snyk’s prioritization filters to focus on high and critical issues.

44. What is the impact of scanning large repositories with Snyk?
    Answer: Scans might take longer but can be optimized with incremental scans.

45. How do you troubleshoot Snyk CLI authentication issues?
    Answer: Re-authenticate using the snyk auth command or check API token permissions.

46. What are the limitations of Snyk Free?
    Answer: Limited project scans and features compared to paid plans.

47. What are some alternatives to Snyk?
    Answer: WhiteSource, Dependabot, Veracode, and SonarQube.

48. What is Snyk’s role in DevSecOps?
    Answer: Snyk enables security practices early in the DevOps lifecycle.

49. How does Snyk help with compliance?
    Answer: By identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring open-source license compliance.

50. What are the benefits of using Snyk in Agile development?
    Answer: Faster detection and fixing of vulnerabilities, enabling secure continuous delivery.