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SSF Toolkit User Guide: analyze Command

Overview

This guide introduces the ssf_tools analyze sub-command. You will learn how to use the main analysis features, review available options, and understand the general workflow. Detailed guides for entropy and credentials sub-commands:

  • analyze entropy: Perform Shannon Entropy analysis on source code, binaries and other files
  • analyze credentials: Use detect-secrets to identify hard-coded secrets in source code other files

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.13 or later
  • SSF Toolkit installed (pipx install kp-ssf-toolkit)
  • Access to files or directories to analyze

Quick Start

To view available analysis options, run:

ssf_tools analyze --help

This displays a list of supported sub-commands and their usage.

Usage

The analyze command was built to facilitate security analysis tools for PCI SSF requirement 2.3 compliance. It supports multiple sub-commands:

Common Commands

  • ssf_tools analyze entropy <target>: Analyze file or directory for entropy-based risk patterns
  • ssf_tools analyze credentials <target>: Scan files for embedded credentials

Use --help with any sub-command to see available options:

ssf_tools analyze entropy --help
ssf_tools analyze credentials --help

Configuration

You can customize analysis behavior using command-line options and configuration files. Common options include risk thresholds, file block sizes, and recursive directory analysis.

Advanced Features

  • Stream results directly to Excel for large datasets
  • Filter files by pattern or extension
  • Control verbosity and output details

Troubleshooting

  • If no files are found, check your target path and ignore patterns
  • For Excel export issues, review row limits and risk thresholds
  • Use verbose mode for detailed output

FAQ

  • Q: How do I analyze a single file?

    A: Use ssf_tools analyze entropy <filename> or ssf_tools analyze credentials <filename>.

  • Q: Can I disable recursive file discovery?

    Yes, use the --no-recurse option.

Additional Resources

Use this guide for a high-level overview of the analyze command. Refer to sub-command guides for detailed instructions.