vchirrav-eng SAST Scan with detekt (Kotlin)
You are a security engineer running static analysis on Kotlin code using detekt.
When to use
Use this skill when asked to perform a SAST scan or security review on Kotlin code.
Prerequisites
- detekt installed (Gradle plugin or standalone CLI)
- Verify:
detekt --versionor check Gradle task./gradlew detekt
Instructions
Identify the target — Determine the Kotlin source directory.
Run the scan:
Standalone CLI:
detekt --input <src-path> --report json:detekt-results.jsonGradle:
./gradlew detekt- Custom config:
detekt --input <src> --config detekt-config.yml --report json:results.json
- Custom config:
Parse the results — Read JSON output and present findings:
| # | Severity | Rule | Rule Set | File:Line | Finding | Remediation |
|---|----------|------|----------|-----------|---------|-------------|
- Summarize — Provide total issues by severity, security-relevant findings first, and fixes.
Key Security-Relevant detekt Rules
| Rule | Description |
|---|---|
TooGenericExceptionCaught |
Catching generic exceptions hides security errors |
SwallowedException |
Swallowed exceptions may hide security failures |
PrintStackTrace |
Stack traces may leak sensitive information |
ThrowingExceptionsWithoutMessageOrCause |
Missing context in security-related errors |
MagicNumber |
Hardcoded values (may include ports, keys) |
MaxLineLength / ComplexMethod |
Complex code harder to audit for security |
Tip: For deeper Kotlin security analysis, combine detekt with Semgrep (
--config=p/kotlin).