AttackSurfaceAnalyzer
Attack Surface Analyzer is a Microsoft open-source security tool that compares your system's configuration before and after software installation to identify new security vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS via .NET, offering both CLI and web-based GUI interfaces, and stores results in SQLite databases for analysis.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | microsoft/AttackSurfaceAnalyzer |
| Owner | microsoft |
| Primary language | C# |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 2.9k |
| Forks | 294 |
| Open issues | 70 |
| Latest release | v2.3.331 (2026-01-23) |
| Last updated | 2026-06-09 |
| Source | https://github.com/microsoft/AttackSurfaceAnalyzer |
What AttackSurfaceAnalyzer is
Built in C# on .NET 6+, Attack Surface Analyzer collects snapshots of file system, registry, services, network ports, certificates, firewall rules, COM objects, cryptographic keys, TPM data, and process state. It performs differential analysis using custom rule engines and exposes data via SQLite, with a Blazor-based GUI for visualization and rule authoring.
Get the AttackSurfaceAnalyzer source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/AttackSurfaceAnalyzer.gitcd AttackSurfaceAnalyzer# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires .NET SDK 6 or later and platform-specific dependencies (libc, openssl on Linux). Plan for dependency installation in containerized or locked-down environments.
- Collection must run with admin/root privileges; audit and control who can execute collection and access resulting SQLite databases to prevent information disclosure.
- Define baseline vs. post-install snapshots clearly; timing and system state at collection significantly affect diff accuracy. Disable auto-updates or background tasks before baseline to avoid noise.
- Rule authoring requires domain knowledge of your organization's security policy. Start with built-in rules and iteratively refine to reduce false positives.
- SQLite database size grows with system complexity and collection history; implement data retention/cleanup policies to manage storage and query performance.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Automated Real-Time Threat Detection — ASA is a static analysis and differential auditing tool, not a runtime intrusion detection system. Do not rely on it for live anomaly detection or blocking malicious processes; use EDR or SIEM platforms for that.
- Cross-Platform GUI Without .NET Runtime — The web GUI (Blazor) requires .NET SDK/runtime and runs on localhost. If your environment cannot deploy .NET or restrict localhost access, CLI-only usage may be insufficient; alternative tools with standalone binaries may be more practical.
- Limited to Shallow System Behavior Analysis — ASA captures snapshots of OS configuration artifacts (files, registry, services) but does not perform deep behavioral analysis (e.g., DLL injection, API hooking, memory resident payloads). Use dynamic analysis or behavioral sandboxes for those threats.
- Multi-User or Cloud-Native Environments Without Planning — Collection requires elevated privileges (admin/root) and results are stored in local SQLite. Deploying across many machines or clouds without a centralized collection strategy, aggregation service, or result synchronization requires custom engineering.
License & commercial use
Attack Surface Analyzer is licensed under the MIT License, a permissive OSI-approved open-source license. MIT allows unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in proprietary software, subject only to attribution and license inclusion.
MIT is a permissive license that explicitly permits commercial use, including integration into proprietary products and services, provided the original MIT license and copyright notice are included. No commercial support, indemnification, or warranty is provided by Microsoft through the license itself; commercial support agreements must be negotiated separately if needed.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
ASA requires elevated privileges and generates sensitive system state snapshots (registry, installed software, certificates, firewall rules, TPM info). Protect SQLite databases from unauthorized access; implement access controls and encryption at rest. The tool itself does not validate or cryptographically sign collections, so integrity of baseline snapshots relies on procedural controls. No code scanning or vulnerability disclosure data is provided in the source; conduct your own security review before deploying in high-assurance environments. Report security issues privately to MSRC per the project's security policy.
Alternatives to consider
Windows Defender Application Guard / Windows Sandbox
Microsoft-native isolation for testing software in sandbox; does not perform differential auditing but prevents malicious changes from affecting host. Simpler for single-instance testing, but lacks centralized reporting and works only on Windows.
Tripwire / File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) tools
Continuous file and registry monitoring with policy enforcement and alerting. Better for runtime detection and compliance auditing, but not designed for pre-install/post-install differential analysis and introduces agent overhead.
Tenable Nessus / Qualys VMDR
Enterprise vulnerability management and configuration assessment platforms. More comprehensive threat scanning, cloud-native support, and centralized dashboards, but significantly higher cost and steeper learning curve than ASA's focused attack surface diff.
Build on AttackSurfaceAnalyzer with DEV.co software developers
Start with Attack Surface Analyzer's CLI to baseline your system, install software, and compare configurations. For enterprise integration or advanced rule authoring, contact our team to build a custom security validation workflow.
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AttackSurfaceAnalyzer FAQ
Does Attack Surface Analyzer require internet connectivity?
Can I use Attack Surface Analyzer in a CI/CD pipeline?
Does ASA protect against zero-day or sophisticated malware?
What is the performance impact of running Attack Surface Analyzer?
Custom software development services
DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like AttackSurfaceAnalyzer into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source security stack.
Ready to audit your software's attack surface?
Start with Attack Surface Analyzer's CLI to baseline your system, install software, and compare configurations. For enterprise integration or advanced rule authoring, contact our team to build a custom security validation workflow.