In today's software landscape, supply chain security has become one of the most pressing challenges for development teams. Modern applications often rely on hundreds of open source libraries, container images, and third-party services, making it increasingly difficult to track what code is actually running in production. This complexity has led to several high-profile incidents, where attackers exploited vulnerabilities hidden in third-party dependencies. To mitigate such risks, organizations are turning to Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) as a way to gain visibility into their software components. For comprehensive guidance on dependency scanning tools, see our tools to scan open source dependencies guide.
Understanding Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
An SBOM is essentially a detailed inventory that lists all the libraries, modules, and dependencies used within an application, along with their versions, licensing information, and in some cases, their known vulnerabilities. Just as manufacturers rely on a bill of materials to track physical components in a product, software teams can use SBOMs to manage digital components in their applications. SBOMs are becoming increasingly important not only for internal security practices but also due to regulatory requirements, as governments and industry standards bodies push for greater transparency in software supply chains.
Benefits of Automated SBOM Generation
Integrating SBOM generation into CI/CD pipelines ensures that every build and release is accompanied by an accurate inventory of its dependencies. This provides a consistent and automated way to track components, identify risks early, and meet compliance requirements. Without automation, teams risk producing outdated or incomplete SBOMs, which undermines the very purpose of maintaining one. For comprehensive guidance on implementing security gates in CI/CD pipelines, see our security gates in continuous delivery guide.
SBOM Formats and Standards
There are several standardized formats for SBOMs, with the most widely adopted being SPDX (Software Package Data Exchange), CycloneDX, and SWID (Software Identification Tags). SPDX is an open standard maintained by the Linux Foundation and focuses on license and compliance information, while CycloneDX, maintained by the OWASP Foundation, is designed with security use cases in mind, particularly vulnerability management. SWID, on the other hand, is an ISO standard often used in enterprise and government contexts. Choosing the right format depends on organizational needs, but in many cases, CycloneDX has become the preferred option for integrating SBOMs into DevSecOps workflows.
Open Source SBOM Generation Tools
To generate SBOMs automatically in CI/CD pipelines, development teams can leverage a variety of tools. Syft, developed by Anchore, is one of the most popular open source tools for generating SBOMs. Syft supports multiple ecosystems including JavaScript, Python, Java, Go, and container images. It can generate SBOMs in both SPDX and CycloneDX formats, making it flexible for different compliance requirements. Syft integrates easily into CI/CD workflows, and when combined with its companion tool Grype, teams can perform vulnerability scans based on the SBOM output.
CycloneDX CLI and Language-Specific Tools
Another tool gaining traction is CycloneDX CLI, which directly generates SBOMs in the CycloneDX format. Many language-specific plugins and build system integrations are available, allowing teams to embed SBOM generation seamlessly into their build processes. For example, Maven and Gradle plugins can automatically generate CycloneDX SBOMs during Java builds, while npm and Yarn can produce SBOMs for JavaScript projects. These integrations reduce the friction for developers, making SBOM generation part of their existing workflows without additional manual steps.
Trivy for Container and Repository Scanning
Trivy, a popular open source vulnerability scanner, also includes functionality to generate SBOMs. Trivy can analyze container images, repositories, and filesystems, outputting SBOMs in CycloneDX or SPDX formats. This makes it especially useful for teams working with containerized applications. By embedding Trivy into CI/CD pipelines, organizations can ensure that each container build not only goes through vulnerability scanning but also produces a detailed SBOM for future reference. For comprehensive guidance on container security, see our GitHub Actions security workflow guide.
Commercial Enterprise Solutions
Commercial solutions also play a role in SBOM generation. Platforms such as Snyk, JFrog Xray, and Sonatype Nexus Lifecycle can generate SBOMs as part of their broader vulnerability and license compliance scanning features. These enterprise tools often provide additional reporting, governance, and integration features that appeal to larger organizations with complex compliance requirements. While open source tools are sufficient for many teams, enterprises may prefer the deeper policy enforcement capabilities that commercial platforms provide.
Integrating SBOM Generation into CI/CD Pipelines
The process of integrating SBOM generation into a CI/CD pipeline typically involves adding a step to the build or deployment workflow. For example, in a GitHub Actions workflow, a team might use a Syft action to automatically generate an SBOM after dependencies are installed but before packaging the final artifact. Similarly, in a GitLab CI pipeline, a job can be added to run Trivy or CycloneDX CLI on the project and output the SBOM as an artifact. The generated SBOM can then be stored in an artifact repository, attached to container images, or published alongside application releases.
SBOM Storage and Management
Storing and managing SBOMs is just as important as generating them. SBOMs should be versioned alongside the software they describe, ensuring that teams can always trace a specific build back to its dependencies. Some organizations choose to store SBOMs in their artifact repositories, while others publish them to registries such as container image registries. This allows downstream users to verify what components were used in a given release and helps organizations respond quickly to newly disclosed vulnerabilities.
Continuous Vulnerability Monitoring
One of the most powerful aspects of SBOMs is their role in continuous vulnerability monitoring. When a new vulnerability is disclosed, organizations can query their SBOMs to determine whether they are affected. This reduces the time to assess exposure, which is critical when responding to high-severity vulnerabilities like Log4Shell. Without an SBOM, teams may spend days or weeks manually auditing dependencies. With SBOMs integrated into CI/CD pipelines, they can identify affected applications in minutes.
License Compliance and Audit Readiness
In addition to vulnerability management, SBOMs provide value in license compliance and audit readiness. Many open source projects are governed by licenses that may impose restrictions on usage, distribution, or modification. SBOMs help organizations track these licenses and avoid compliance risks. Furthermore, as regulatory bodies increasingly require SBOMs for software procurement, organizations that already generate them as part of CI/CD pipelines will be well-positioned to meet customer and government requirements. For comprehensive guidance on security standards, see our SaaS security standards guide.
Challenges and Considerations
Despite their benefits, SBOM adoption still faces challenges. One common issue is the completeness of the SBOM. Tools may miss certain dependencies, particularly transitive ones that are pulled in indirectly. Ensuring accuracy requires using reliable tools and continuously updating them. Another challenge is scalability—large organizations may generate thousands of SBOMs across projects, requiring a centralized way to store, query, and manage them. Solutions such as GUAC (Graph for Understanding Artifact Composition) are emerging to address this need by creating a searchable graph of SBOM data.
Best Practices for SBOM Generation
Best practices for SBOM generation in CI/CD pipelines include making SBOM creation a default step for every build, storing SBOMs in a secure and versioned repository, using multiple formats if compliance requires it, and combining SBOM generation with vulnerability scanning. Teams should also periodically audit the accuracy of their SBOMs by comparing outputs from different tools. Training developers to understand the role of SBOMs and how they support security and compliance is equally important. For comprehensive guidance on building security-first cultures, see our building security-first development culture guide.
Conclusion
In conclusion, generating SBOMs in CI/CD pipelines is a critical practice for improving software supply chain security. By automating the process, organizations can ensure that every release is accompanied by a detailed, accurate inventory of its dependencies. Tools like Syft, Trivy, and CycloneDX CLI make it easy to integrate SBOM generation into workflows, while enterprise platforms provide advanced governance for large-scale environments. Beyond technical benefits, SBOMs also help organizations meet compliance requirements and respond quickly to emerging vulnerabilities. As software ecosystems continue to grow in complexity, SBOMs will play a central role in ensuring transparency, trust, and resilience across the software supply chain.