> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cybedefend.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Container Image Scanning

> Scan container images for vulnerabilities from public registries or private repositories to secure your containerized applications.

CybeDefend's **Container Image Scanning** provides comprehensive security analysis for your Docker containers and images. Whether you're using public images from Docker Hub or private images from your organization's registry, our scanning engine identifies vulnerabilities in your container layers and dependencies.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cybedefend/aDLcTBG2HfZKnk8v/images/container-scanning/container-image-scanning.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=aDLcTBG2HfZKnk8v&q=85&s=f496a9261f22c61d0d3623f151303f4d" alt="Container Image Scanning" style={{ borderRadius: '0.5rem' }} width="1652" height="696" data-path="images/container-scanning/container-image-scanning.png" />
</Frame>

## Scanning Options

### Public Container Images

Scan any publicly available container image from popular registries:

* **Docker Hub**: Pull and scan any public image directly by name
* **Public Registries**: Access images from GCR, ECR, and other public repositories
* **Official Images**: Scan official language runtime images, database images, and more
* **Community Images**: Analyze community-maintained containers for security issues

### Private Container Images

Securely scan your organization's private container images:

* **Private Registries**: Connect to your private Docker registries with authentication
* **Secure Access**: Use API keys, tokens, service accounts, or cross-account IAM roles (e.g. AWS ECR) — no secret leaves your control
* **Organization Credentials**: Define registry credentials once at the organization level and link them to the projects allowed to use them
* **Organization Images**: Scan custom-built images from your CI/CD pipelines
* **Multi-Registry Support**: Connect multiple private registries simultaneously

## How Container Scanning Works

1. **Image Selection**\
   Choose to scan either a public image by name or connect to your private registry to select specific images.

2. **Layer Analysis**\
   Our scanner analyzes each layer of your container image, examining:
   * Base operating system vulnerabilities
   * Installed packages and libraries
   * Application dependencies
   * Configuration files

3. **Vulnerability Detection**\
   Identify security issues across multiple categories:
   * **CVE Vulnerabilities**: Known security vulnerabilities in packages
   * **Malware Detection**: Scan for malicious code or suspicious files
   * **Secrets Scanning**: Detect exposed API keys, passwords, or tokens
   * **Configuration Issues**: Identify misconfigurations and security weaknesses

4. **Results & Reporting**\
   Get detailed reports with:
   * Vulnerability severity levels (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
   * Affected packages and versions
   * Remediation recommendations
   * Layer-by-layer breakdown

## Scanning Process

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select Image Source">
    Choose between public image scanning or connect to your private registry
  </Step>

  <Step title="Specify Image">
    Enter the image name and tag for public images, or browse your private registry
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Scan">
    Set scanning parameters and select vulnerability types to detect
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run Analysis">
    Our engine pulls and analyzes the container image layers
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review Results">
    Access comprehensive vulnerability reports and remediation guidance
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Benefits

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Early Detection" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Identify vulnerabilities before deploying containers to production environments.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Layer Visibility" icon="layer-group">
    Understand which layer introduced specific vulnerabilities for targeted fixes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Registry Integration" icon="link">
    Seamlessly connect to multiple public and private container registries.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compliance" icon="shield-check">
    Meet security compliance requirements for containerized applications.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

**Related:** [Dockerfile Scanning](/latest/container-scanning/dockerfile-security-scanning) · [Registry Integrations](/latest/container-scanning/registry-integrations/docker-hub) · [Create a Project](/latest/get-started/project-management/create-project)