Best Practices for Secure Code Review

Posted on by uplatzblog

Best Practices for Secure Code Review

  • As part of the “Best Practices” series by Uplatz

 

Welcome to a development-focused edition of the Uplatz Best Practices series — where we shift security left and build safer code from day one.
 Today’s focus: Secure Code Review — identifying vulnerabilities and flaws before they reach production.

🧱 What is Secure Code Review?

Secure Code Review is the process of manually and/or automatically analyzing source code to uncover security issues like:

  • Injection flaws

  • Insecure authentication

  • Inadequate input validation

  • Hardcoded secrets

  • Broken access controls

It’s a core part of DevSecOps and helps organizations catch issues early, cheaply, and thoroughly.

✅ Best Practices for Secure Code Review

Code review isn’t just for quality — it’s a frontline security defense. Here’s how to do it effectively and consistently:

1. Establish a Code Review Checklist

📋 Include Security-Specific Items Alongside Functional Checks
 ✅ Align With OWASP Top 10 and Secure Coding Guidelines
 📘 Tailor Checklists by Language, Framework, and App Type

2. Use Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Tools

🛠 Integrate Tools Like SonarQube, Fortify, Checkmarx, Semgrep
 🔁 Run Scans Automatically During Pull Requests
 📊 Track and Triage Findings in Issue Trackers

3. Avoid Hardcoded Credentials

🔐 Detect Secrets in Code (Use Git Hooks, TruffleHog, GitLeaks)
 🧰 Leverage Secrets Managers (e.g., Vault, AWS Secrets Manager)
 🧼 Scrub Commits With Sensitive Data

4. Validate All Inputs

🧪 Look for Missing or Weak Input Validation
 🧹 Check for Unescaped Outputs in Templates and APIs
 🛡 Guard Against XSS, SQLi, Path Traversal, and Injection Attacks

5. Review Authentication and Authorization Logic

🔑 Enforce Server-Side Auth — Never Trust the Client
 📛 Watch for Role Bypass, IDOR, and Token Misuse
 🔁 Validate Session Expiry, Refresh Token Handling, and MFA

6. Use Secure Defaults and Patterns

🧱 Default to Deny — Least Privilege Everywhere
 🔁 Reuse Hardened Libraries or Frameworks for Encryption, JWT, OAuth
 🧩 Avoid Writing Custom Crypto or Auth Logic

7. Review Error and Logging Handling

🚫 Avoid Logging Sensitive Data (PII, passwords, tokens)
 🧾 Ensure Stack Traces and Debug Info Aren’t Exposed
 📜 Use Structured Logging for Better Forensics

8. Include Multiple Reviewers and Diverse Perspectives

👥 Use 2+ Reviewers for High-Risk Changes
 🧠 Involve Security Champions From Each Dev Squad
 🎯 Mix Manual and Tool-Based Reviews for Full Coverage

9. Create a Security Culture in Peer Reviews

📣 Encourage Devs to Call Out Security Risks Without Blame
 🧑‍🏫 Hold Review Retros and Share Common Anti-Patterns
 🏁 Gamify Secure Review Contributions in Your Team

10. Automate What You Can — But Don’t Eliminate Human Insight

🤖 Use Tools for Repeatable, Pattern-Based Checks
 🧠 Manually Review Business Logic, Auth Flows, and Edge Cases
 🔁 Refine Rules and Checklists as Threats Evolve

💡 Bonus Tip by Uplatz

A great code review isn’t about nitpicks — it’s about reducing risk.
 Combine automated detection with human context for true security at the source.

🔁 Follow Uplatz to get more best practices in upcoming posts:

  • Secure DevOps Workflows

  • SAST vs DAST vs IAST Explained

  • Building Security Champions in Dev Teams

  • Threat Modeling at Code Review Time

  • AI-Driven Code Review Tools
     …and 15+ more on secure SDLC, cloud-native development, and engineering excellence.