What is the primary goal of Static Source Code Analysis (SAST)?

The primary goal of Static Source Code Analysis (SAST) is to find vulnerabilities without executing the application. This method involves analyzing the application's source code or compiled binaries to identify potential security flaws, coding errors, and adherence to coding standards.

By examining the code directly, SAST tools can detect issues such as SQL injection vulnerabilities, buffer overflows, and insecure coding practices early in the development process. This proactive approach allows developers to address security issues before the software is deployed, thus significantly reducing the risk of exploitation in a production environment.

In contrast, while improving software performance, facilitating user testing, and identifying programming language errors are important aspects of software development and quality assurance, they are not the primary objectives of SAST. SAST specifically focuses on uncovering security vulnerabilities, making it an essential component of a robust security assessment and testing strategy.