Open-Source Security · prowler-cloud

prowler

Prowler is an open-source cloud security platform that automates compliance and security scanning across AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, and 6+ other cloud providers. It provides hundreds of built-in security checks, compliance framework mappings (CIS, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, etc.), and can run via CLI, API, or web dashboard.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/prowler-cloud/prowler

14.1k

GitHub stars

2.2k

Forks

Python

Primary language

Apache-2.0

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	prowler-cloud/prowler
Owner	prowler-cloud
Primary language	Python
License	Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars	14.1k
Forks	2.2k
Open issues	196
Latest release	5.33.0 (2026-07-07)
Last updated	2026-07-08
Source	https://github.com/prowler-cloud/prowler

What prowler is

Python-based CSPM tool that executes security audits against multi-cloud environments, generating findings mapped to industry standards and custom frameworks. Supports both CLI execution and API-driven scanning through a web application (Prowler Cloud), with optional graph-based attack path analysis via Neo4j or Amazon Neptune.

Quickstart

Get the prowler source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/prowler-cloud/prowler.git2cd prowler3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Multi-cloud compliance automation

Organizations using AWS, Azure, GCP, or Kubernetes can run unified compliance checks (CIS, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC2, etc.) from a single tool, reducing tool sprawl and manual audit effort.

Continuous security posture monitoring

Teams needing real-time visibility into misconfigurations and security findings can integrate Prowler into CI/CD pipelines or scheduling systems to catch drift automatically.

Compliance framework mapping and reporting

Regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government) can leverage pre-built mappings to 47 compliance frameworks and generate audit-ready reports with custom remediation guidance.

Implementation considerations

Requires valid API credentials (AWS IAM role, Azure service principal, GCP service account, etc.) with read-only permissions; ensure least-privilege IAM policies to avoid over-scoping.
Credential management at scale: use environment variables, instance profiles, or secret management tools (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault) rather than hardcoding keys.
Scan frequency and cost: high-frequency scans across many services/regions can incur API call costs; balance thoroughness with cloud provider billing.
Check customization: Prowler allows suppression and custom check creation; plan frameworks and exclusions (e.g., false positives in shared services) before automation.
Performance: execution time depends on number of services, regions, and accounts scanned; allocate sufficient compute and plan scan windows to avoid resource contention.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Requires advanced threat detection or behavioral analytics — Prowler performs configuration and compliance scanning; it does not include SIEM, real-time attack detection, or ML-based anomaly detection. Pair with a dedicated detection platform if needed.
Need turnkey managed service without operational overhead — While Prowler Cloud exists, the open-source CLI requires maintaining Python dependencies, credential management, and scan orchestration. Commercial SaaS solutions may reduce operational burden.
Limited Python/DevOps expertise in team — Prowler is Python-native and best operated by teams comfortable with CLI tools, IAM credential rotation, and infrastructure-as-code deployment patterns.
Exclusively on-premises or private cloud only — Prowler is optimized for public cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.); on-premises cloud systems or legacy data centers require custom integration work.

License & commercial use

Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). This is a permissive OSI-approved license that allows free use, modification, and distribution for commercial purposes, subject to license notice and liability disclaimers.

Apache-2.0 permits commercial use without explicit permission or payment, provided license text and copyright notices are retained. However, Apache-2.0 does not address indemnification or warranty for security tools. Organizations should perform due diligence and testing before relying on Prowler for critical compliance decisions. A commercial support tier (Prowler Cloud SaaS) exists but is separate; open-source use alone comes with no guaranteed SLA or support.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Strong
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Moderate
DEV.co fit	Strong
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

Prowler itself runs with elevated cloud permissions to audit infrastructure; ensure credentials are short-lived, rotated regularly, and scoped to read-only. The tool does not encrypt scan results in transit or at rest by default; use TLS for API communication and secret management for credential handling. Open-source code is publicly available for review, reducing supply-chain risk vs. closed-source tools, but users are responsible for dependency updates and vulnerability scanning of the Python environment. No built-in authentication layer in CLI; API/Cloud may have stronger controls.

Alternatives to consider

Lacework / Wiz

Commercial cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPP) offering real-time threat detection, runtime security, and compliance scanning with managed SaaS delivery and premium support.

CloudSploit / Aqua Trivy

Open-source alternatives focused on specific cloud providers (CloudSploit for AWS) or container/IaC scanning (Trivy); narrower scope but may suit single-cloud or DevSecOps pipelines.

AWS Config / Azure Policy / GCP Security Command Center

Native cloud provider compliance and configuration monitoring tools; free or low-cost, deeply integrated, but lack multi-cloud support and third-party compliance framework mappings.

Software development agency

Build on prowler with DEV.co software developers

Start with Prowler's free open-source CLI for a single-cloud audit, or explore Prowler Cloud for multi-cloud management and managed SaaS delivery. Evaluate compatibility with your credential system and compliance frameworks before production rollout.

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prowler FAQ

Can I run Prowler on-premises or in private cloud?

Prowler is designed for public cloud APIs (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.). Private cloud or on-premises deployments are possible if they expose compatible APIs, but are not officially supported and require custom integration.

Does Prowler detect active attacks or suspicious user behavior?

No. Prowler is a configuration and compliance auditing tool. It identifies misconfigurations and framework violations, not real-time threats or behavioral anomalies. Pair it with SIEM or threat detection platforms for attack detection.

What permissions does Prowler need to run?

Prowler requires read-only API permissions on the resources it scans (e.g., AWS IAM role with `SecurityAudit` policy or equivalent, Azure Reader role, GCP Viewer role). Minimize scope to only resources under audit.

Can I use Prowler open-source for commercial compliance reporting?

Yes, under Apache-2.0, you may use and distribute Prowler for commercial purposes. However, Apache-2.0 provides no warranty or indemnification. Validate findings independently and understand that Prowler is a tool—not a substitute for professional audit or compliance review.

Custom software development services

Adopting prowler is usually one piece of a larger software development effort. As a software development agency, DEV.co provides software development services and web development expertise — pairing senior software developers and web developers with your team to design, build, and operate open-source security software in production.

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