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Syft

Syft is an open-source software Bill of Materials (BOM) (SBOM) generator (software supply chain security) for container images, filesystems, and other artifact types maintained by Anchore.

  • Generates SBOMs from container images, filesystems, archives, and directories (software supply chain security).
  • Supports multiple Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) output formats including SPDX, CycloneDX, and Syft JSON (software composition analysis).
  • Performs package and dependency discovery across various Operating System (OS) and application package ecosystems (software composition analysis).
  • Integrates with container registries, Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and developer workflows for automated SBOM creation (DevSecOps tooling).
  • Provides a pluggable, library-usable core for embedding SBOM generation into other tools and services (developer tooling).

More About Syft

Syft is an open-source command-line tool and Go library designed to generate software BOM (SBOM) documents (software supply chain security) from container images, filesystems, and related software artifacts. It focuses on identifying and cataloging software packages and dependencies present within artifacts so that organizations can analyze and manage their software supply chain.

The project centers on package and dependency discovery (software composition analysis) across multiple ecosystems. According to its official materials, Syft can inspect container images from registries, tar archives, and local Docker daemon sources, as well as local directories and filesystems. It supports a range of OS package managers and application ecosystems, extracting structured metadata about installed packages, versions, and related attributes. This capability underpins downstream uses such as vulnerability scanning, license analysis, and compliance reporting.

Syft produces SBOMs in several standardized formats (SBOM management), including SPDX and CycloneDX, along with its own Syft JSON format. These outputs allow integration with other tools that consume SBOMs for policy checks, risk assessment, or inventory management. The tool exposes configuration options to control what is cataloged, how data is presented, and which sources and scopes are analyzed, aligning with varied enterprise requirements for SBOM depth and coverage.

From an architectural perspective, Syft is implemented primarily in Go and exposes both a Command-Line Interface (CLI) and a programmatic Application Programming Interface (API) (developer tooling). The core cataloging engine can be embedded into other applications, and the project provides guidance for using Syft as a library. This design supports integration into CI/CD pipelines, build systems, and security automation workflows. It can run as a local tool for developers or as part of containerized jobs in build and deployment stages.

Syft is part of the Anchore ecosystem (software supply chain security platform), where it often operates alongside vulnerability scanners and policy engines. Enterprises use Syft-generated SBOMs as input to Anchore services or other third-party tools to support security baselines, regulatory alignment, and internal governance. Its compatibility with container registries and automation platforms aligns it with DevSecOps practices, where SBOM generation is executed as part of Continuous Integration (CI) or release processes.

Within a technical directory or taxonomy, Syft fits under software supply chain security, Software Composition Analysis (SCA), and SBOM tooling. It provides capabilities for SBOM generation, package inventory, and artifact introspection, and offers interoperability through support for common SBOM standards and machine-readable output formats suitable for integration with broader enterprise security and compliance ecosystems.