CoreOS Clair
Container security tools
Static application security testing (SAST) software
DevSecOps software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is CoreOS Clair
CoreOS Clair is an open-source vulnerability scanner focused on container images and the OS packages they contain. It indexes image layers and matches discovered packages against vulnerability databases to support CI/CD and registry scanning workflows. Security and platform teams commonly use it to identify known CVEs in container base images and dependencies, often integrating it into build pipelines or container registries. Clair primarily addresses image/package vulnerability assessment rather than broad cloud posture management or full code-level SAST.
Open-source, vendor-neutral scanner
Clair is available as open-source software and can be self-hosted in environments with strict data residency or network constraints. Teams can run it as a service and integrate it into internal pipelines without relying on a hosted SaaS. This can reduce vendor lock-in for container image vulnerability scanning. It also supports customization through configuration and deployment choices.
Layer and package indexing
Clair analyzes container image layers and extracts OS-level package metadata to identify known vulnerabilities. This approach aligns well with common container hardening practices such as controlling base images and package sources. It supports repeated scanning by reusing indexed data, which can improve efficiency in CI/CD scenarios. The results are oriented around packages, CVEs, and affected versions.
Integrates with registry workflows
Clair is commonly deployed alongside container registries and CI/CD systems to scan images as they are built or pushed. This supports policy gates such as blocking deployments when critical vulnerabilities are present. It fits DevSecOps workflows where image scanning is an automated step rather than a manual review. The service-based architecture supports integration via APIs and surrounding tooling.
Not full SAST coverage
Despite sometimes being grouped with application security tooling, Clair does not perform source-code static analysis in the typical SAST sense. It focuses on vulnerabilities in OS packages and, depending on configuration and ecosystem support, may not cover application-level libraries as comprehensively as dedicated code and dependency scanners. Teams needing code pattern detection (e.g., injection flaws, insecure APIs) will require additional tools. This can increase toolchain complexity for end-to-end AppSec.
Operational overhead to run
Clair is generally deployed and maintained by the user, which introduces operational tasks such as scaling, database management, updates, and monitoring. Keeping vulnerability feeds current and ensuring reliable scanning performance requires ongoing attention. Organizations without platform engineering capacity may find this heavier than managed alternatives. Troubleshooting integrations can also require familiarity with container registry and CI/CD internals.
Scope limited to known CVEs
Clair primarily detects known vulnerabilities based on available advisories and vulnerability databases. It does not provide runtime protection, behavioral detection, or broader cloud security posture capabilities. It also does not inherently remediate issues; teams must rebuild images, update packages, or change base images to address findings. This limits its role to one part of a broader DevSecOps program.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source / Self-hosted | Free | Apache-2.0 licensed; self-hosted vulnerability scanner for container images; download/releases on the official GitHub repo (quay/clair) and project site (clairproject.org); no vendor subscription tiers listed on official project site. |
Seller details
Open Source (originally developed by CoreOS; CoreOS acquired by Red Hat, Inc., a subsidiary of International Business Machines Corporation (IBM))
Open Source
https://github.com/quay/clair
