ASH - Automated Security Helper

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Overview
• Key Features in ASH v3
• Built-In Scanners
• Prerequisites
  • Runtime Requirements
• Installation Options
  • Quick Install (Recommended)
  • Other Installation Methods
    • Using uvx
    • Using pip
    • Clone the Repository
• Basic Usage
  • Sample Output
• AI Integration with MCP
  • MCP Server Features
  • Installation and Setup
    • Prerequisites
    • Client Configuration
  • Available MCP Tools
  • Usage Examples
  • Configuration Support
• Configuration
• Using ASH with pre-commit
• Output Files
• FAQ
• Documentation
• Feedback and Contributing
• Security
• License
• Star History

Overview

ASH (Automated Security Helper) is a security scanning tool designed to help you identify potential security issues in your code, infrastructure, and IAM configurations as early as possible in your development process.

• ASH is not a replacement for human review or team/customer security standards
• It leverages lightweight, open-source tools for flexibility and portability
• ASH v3 has been completely rewritten in Python with significant improvements to usability and functionality

Key Features in ASH v3

• Python-based CLI: ASH now has a Python-based CLI entrypoint while maintaining backward compatibility with the shell script entrypoint
• Multiple Execution Modes: Run ASH in local, container, or precommit mode depending on your needs
• Enhanced Configuration: Support for YAML/JSON configuration files with overrides via CLI parameters
• Improved Reporting: Multiple report formats including JSON, Markdown, HTML, and CSV
• Scanner Validation System: Comprehensive validation ensures all expected scanners are registered, enabled, queued, executed, and included in results
• Pluggable Architecture: Extend ASH with custom plugins, scanners, and reporters
• Unified Output Format: Standardized output format that can be exported to multiple formats (SARIF, JSON, HTML, Markdown, CSV)
• UV Package Management: ASH now uses UV for faster dependency resolution and tool isolation
• Comprehensive Testing: Extensive integration test suite validates UV migration functionality across platforms

Built-In Scanners

ASH v3 integrates multiple open-source security tools as scanners. Tools like Bandit, Checkov, and Semgrep are managed via UV's tool isolation system, which automatically installs and runs them in isolated environments without affecting your project dependencies:

Scanner	Type	Languages/Frameworks	Installation (Local Mode)
Bandit	SAST	Python	Managed via UV tool isolation (auto-installed: bandit>=1.7.0)
Semgrep	SAST	Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, Go, C#, Ruby, PHP, Kotlin, Swift, Bash, and more	Managed via UV tool isolation (auto-installed: semgrep>=1.125.0)
detect-secrets	Secrets	All text files	Included with ASH
Checkov	IaC, SAST	Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Dockerfile, ARM Templates, Serverless, Helm, and more	Managed via UV tool isolation (auto-installed: checkov>=3.2.0,<4.0.0)
cfn_nag	IaC	CloudFormation	gem install cfn-nag
cdk-nag	IaC	CloudFormation	Included with ASH
npm-audit	SCA	JavaScript/Node.js	Install Node.js/npm
Grype	SCA	Python, JavaScript/Node.js, Java, Go, Ruby, and more	See Grype Installation
Syft	SBOM	Python, JavaScript/Node.js, Java, Go, Ruby, and more	See Syft Installation

Prerequisites

Runtime Requirements

Mode	Requirements	Notes
Local	Python 3.10+, UV package manager	Some scanners require additional tools (see table above)
Container	Any OCI-compatible container runtime (Finch, Docker, Podman, etc.)	On Windows: WSL2 is typically required
Precommit	Python 3.10+, UV package manager	Subset of scanners, optimized for speed

Installation Options

Quick Install (Recommended)

# Install uv on Linux/macOS if it isn't installed already
curl -sSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Create an alias for ASH
alias ash="uvx git+https://github.com/awslabs/[email protected]"

# Install uv on Windows with PowerShell if it isn't installed already
irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex

# Create a function for ASH
function ash { uvx git+https://github.com/awslabs/automated-security-helper.git@v3.0.0 $args }

Other Installation Methods

Click to expand other installation options

Using pipx

# Install with pipx (isolated environment)
pipx install git+https://github.com/awslabs/[email protected]

# Use as normal
ash --help

Using pip

pip install git+https://github.com/awslabs/[email protected]

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/awslabs/automated-security-helper.git --branch v3.0.0
cd automated-security-helper
pip install .

Basic Usage

# Run a scan in local mode (Python only)
ash --mode local

# Run a scan in container mode (all tools)
ash --mode container

# Run a scan in precommit mode (fast subset of tools)
ash --mode precommit

Sample Output

                                                 ASH Scan Results Summary
┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┳━━━━━━━━━━━━┳━━━━━━━━━━┳━━━━━━┳━━━━━━━━┳━━━━━┳━━━━━━┳━━━━━━━━━━┳━━━━━━━━━━━━┳━━━━━━━━┳━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
┃ Scanner        ┃ Suppressed ┃ Critical ┃ High ┃ Medium ┃ Low ┃ Info ┃ Duration ┃ Actionable ┃ Result ┃ Threshold       ┃
┡━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╇━━━━━━━━━━━━╇━━━━━━━━━━╇━━━━━━╇━━━━━━━━╇━━━━━╇━━━━━━╇━━━━━━━━━━╇━━━━━━━━━━━━╇━━━━━━━━╇━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┩
│ bandit         │ 7          │ 0        │ 1    │ 0      │ 56  │ 0    │ 19.9s    │ 1          │ FAILED │ MEDIUM (global) │
│ cdk-nag        │ 0          │ 0        │ 30   │ 0      │ 0   │ 5    │ 48.7s    │ 30         │ FAILED │ MEDIUM (global) │
│ cfn-nag        │ 0          │ 0        │ 0    │ 15     │ 0   │ 0    │ 45.1s    │ 15         │ FAILED │ MEDIUM (global) │
│ checkov        │ 10         │ 0        │ 25   │ 0      │ 0   │ 0    │ 38.9s    │ 25         │ FAILED │ MEDIUM (global) │
│ detect-secrets │ 0          │ 0        │ 48   │ 0      │ 0   │ 0    │ 18.9s    │ 48         │ FAILED │ MEDIUM (global) │
│ grype          │ 0          │ 0        │ 2    │ 1      │ 0   │ 0    │ 40.3s    │ 3          │ FAILED │ MEDIUM (global) │
└────────────────┴────────────┴──────────┴──────┴────────┴─────┴──────┴──────────┴────────────┴────────┴─────────────────┘
                                                     source-dir: '.'
                                              output-dir: '.ash/ash_output'

=== ASH Scan Completed in 1m 6s: Next Steps ===
View detailed findings...
  - SARIF: '.ash/ash_output/reports/ash.sarif'
  - JUnit: '.ash/ash_output/reports/ash.junit.xml'
  - ASH aggregated results JSON available at: '.ash/ash_output/ash_aggregated_results.json'

=== Actionable findings detected! ===
To investigate...
  1. Open one of the summary reports for a user-friendly table of the findings:
    - HTML report of all findings: '.ash/ash_output/reports/ash.html'
    - Markdown summary: '.ash/ash_output/reports/ash.summary.md'
    - Text summary: '.ash/ash_output/reports/ash.summary.txt'
  2. Use ash report to view a short text summary of the scan in your terminal
  3. Use ash inspect findings to explore the findings interactively
  4. Review scanner-specific reports and outputs in the '.ash/ash_output/scanners' directory

=== ASH Exit Codes ===
  0: Success - No actionable findings or not configured to fail on findings
  1: Error during execution
  2: Actionable findings detected when configured with `fail_on_findings: true`. Default is True. Current value: True
ERROR (2) Exiting due to 122 actionable findings found in ASH scan

AI Integration with MCP

ASH includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to perform security scans and analyze results through a standardized interface. This allows you to integrate ASH with AI development tools like Amazon Q CLI, Claude Desktop, and Cline (VS Code).

MCP Server Features

The ASH MCP server provides:

• Real-time Progress Tracking: Monitor scan progress with streaming updates
• Background Scanning: Start scans and continue other work while they run
• Multiple Scan Management: Handle concurrent scans with unique identifiers
• Comprehensive Error Handling: Detailed error messages and recovery suggestions
• Configuration Support: Full support for ASH configuration files and environment variables

Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

1. Install UV: Install uv from Astral or the GitHub README
2. Install Python 3.10+: Use uv python install 3.10 (or a more recent version)

Client Configuration

Amazon Q Developer CLI - Add to ~/.aws/amazonq/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ash": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from=git+https://github.com/awslabs/[email protected]",
        "ash",
        "mcp"
      ],
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop - Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ash-security": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from=git+https://github.com/awslabs/[email protected]",
        "ash",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cline (VS Code):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ash": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from=git+https://github.com/awslabs/[email protected]",
        "ash",
        "mcp"
      ],
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": [
        "get_scan_progress",
        "list_active_scans",
        "get_scan_results"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Available MCP Tools

The ASH MCP server provides these tools:

Tool	Description	Use Case
scan_directory	Perform a complete security scan	One-time scans with full results
scan_directory_with_progress	Start a scan with real-time progress tracking	Long-running scans with progress monitoring
get_scan_progress	Get current progress of a running scan	Monitor scan status and partial results
get_scan_results	Get final results of a completed scan	Retrieve complete scan results
list_active_scans	List all active and recent scans	Manage multiple concurrent scans
cancel_scan	Cancel a running scan	Stop unnecessary or problematic scans
check_installation	Verify ASH installation and dependencies	Troubleshoot setup issues

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can interact with ASH through natural language. Each of the sentences below represent prompts which can be used in the various coding CLIs (Q CLI, Cline, etc.) in order to inform the CLI to identify the ASH MCP tool and use it based on the instructions provided in the prompt.

Basic Security Scanning:

"Can you scan this project directory for security vulnerabilities?"
"Please run ASH on the ./src folder and analyze the results"
"Check this code for security issues with HIGH severity threshold"

Progress Monitoring:

"Start a security scan on this directory and show me the progress"
"Monitor the current scan and let me know when it's done"
"What's the status of my running security scans?"

Analysis & Reporting:

"Perform a comprehensive security audit and create a prioritized action plan"
"Scan this code and help me fix any critical security issues"
"Generate a security report with remediation recommendations"

Configuration Support

The MCP server supports all ASH configuration methods:

• Configuration files: .ash/ash.yaml or custom config paths
• Environment variables: ASH_DEFAULT_SEVERITY_LEVEL, ASH_OFFLINE, etc.
• CLI parameters: Severity thresholds, custom output directories

For detailed information about streaming capabilities and advanced usage, see the MCP Streaming Guide.

Configuration

ASH v3 uses a YAML configuration file (.ash/ash.yaml) with support for JSON Schema validation:

# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/awslabs/automated-security-helper/refs/heads/main/automated_security_helper/schemas/AshConfig.json
project_name: my-project
global_settings:
  severity_threshold: MEDIUM
  ignore_paths:
    - path: 'tests/test_data'
      reason: 'Test data only'
scanners:
  bandit:
    enabled: true
    options:
      confidence_level: high
reporters:
  markdown:
    enabled: true
    options:
      include_detailed_findings: true

Using ASH with pre-commit

Add this to your .pre-commit-config.yaml:

repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/awslabs/automated-security-helper
    rev: v3.0.0
    hooks:
      - id: ash-simple-scan

Run with:

pre-commit run ash-simple-scan --all-files

Output Files

ASH v3 produces several output files in the .ash/ash_output/ directory:

• ash_aggregated_results.json: Complete machine-readable results including validation checkpoints
• reports/ash.summary.txt: Human-readable text summary
• reports/ash.summary.md: Markdown summary for GitHub PRs and other platforms
• reports/ash.html: Interactive HTML report
• reports/ash.csv: CSV report for filtering and sorting findings

The ash_aggregated_results.json file includes comprehensive validation information that tracks scanner registration, enablement, execution, and result inclusion throughout the scan process. The Scanner Validation System can also generate detailed validation reports that provide comprehensive analysis of scanner states, validation checkpoints, dependency issues, and actionable recommendations for troubleshooting scan issues.

FAQ

How do I run ASH on Windows?

ASH v3 can run directly on Windows in local mode with Python 3.10+. Simply install ASH using pip, pipx, or uvx and run with --mode local. For container mode, you'll need WSL2 and a container runtime like Docker Desktop, Rancher Desktop, or Podman Desktop.

How do I run ASH in CI/CD pipelines?

ASH can be run in container mode in any CI/CD environment that supports containers. See the tutorials for examples.

How do I exclude files from scanning?

ASH respects .gitignore files. You can also configure ignore paths in your .ash/ash.yaml configuration file.

How do I run ASH in an offline/air-gapped environment?

Build an offline image with ash --mode container --offline --offline-semgrep-rulesets p/ci --no-run, push to your private registry, then use ash --mode container --offline --no-build in your air-gapped environment.

I am trying to scan a CDK application, but ASH does not show CDK Nag scan results -- why is that?

ASH uses CDK Nag underneath to apply NagPack rules to CloudFormation templates via the CfnInclude CDK construct. This is purely a mechanism to ingest a bare CloudFormation template and apply CDK NagPacks to it; doing this against a template emitted by another CDK application causes a collision in the CfnInclude construct due to the presence of the BootstrapVersion parameter on the template added by CDK. For CDK applications, we recommend integrating CDK Nag directly in your CDK code. ASH will still apply other CloudFormation scanners (cfn-nag, checkov) against templates synthesized via CDK, but the CDK Nag scanner will not scan those templates.

Why is ASH trying to install tools automatically? Can I use my own tool installations?

ASH v3 uses UV's tool isolation system to automatically manage scanner dependencies like Bandit, Checkov, and Semgrep. This ensures consistent tool versions and avoids dependency conflicts. If you prefer to use your own tool installations:

1. Pre-install tools: Install tools manually using uv tool install <tool> or your preferred method
2. Offline mode: Set ASH_OFFLINE=true to skip automatic installations and use system-installed tools
3. Fallback behavior: ASH automatically falls back to system-installed tools if UV tool installation fails

The automatic installation uses sensible default version constraints to ensure compatibility:

• Bandit: >=1.7.0 (enhanced SARIF support and security fixes)
• Checkov: >=3.2.0,<4.0.0 (improved stability, avoiding potential breaking changes in 4.x)
• Semgrep: >=1.125.0 (comprehensive rule support and performance improvements)

These constraints can be overridden through scanner configuration when needed.

ASH is failing with UV tool installation errors. How do I fix this?

If you're experiencing UV tool installation issues:

1. Check UV installation: Ensure UV is installed and available: uv --version
2. Network connectivity: UV tool installation requires internet access
3. Use offline mode: Set ASH_OFFLINE=true to skip downloads and use pre-installed tools
4. Manual installation: Pre-install tools manually:

   uv tool install bandit>=1.7.0
   uv tool install checkov>=3.2.0,<4.0.0
   uv tool install semgrep>=1.125.0

5. Check logs: Run ASH with --verbose to see detailed error messages including:
   • UV availability status
   • Tool installation attempts and retry logic
   • Version detection information
   • Fallback mechanism activation
6. Fallback to system tools: ASH will automatically try to use system-installed tools if UV installation fails
7. Installation timeout: Increase timeout in scanner configuration if needed:

   scanners:
     checkov:
       options:
         install_timeout: 600  # 10 minutes

Documentation

For complete documentation, visit the ASH Documentation.

Feedback and Contributing

• Create an issue here
• See CONTRIBUTING for contribution guidelines

Security

See CONTRIBUTING for security issue reporting information.

License

This library is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. See the LICENSE file.

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