Software Vulnerability Management in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: An Industry Perspective

TL;DR

This study explores how industry practitioners adopt AI-powered tools for software vulnerability management, revealing current usage patterns, benefits, challenges, and areas for improvement to enhance secure software development.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into the adoption, benefits, and challenges of AI tools in SVM across industries, highlighting practical recommendations for improvement.

Findings

69% user satisfaction with AI tools in SVM

Speed, coverage, and accessibility are valued benefits

Concerns include false positives and trust issues

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized software development, particularly by automating repetitive tasks and improving developer productivity. While these advancements are well-documented, the use of AI-powered tools for Software Vulnerability Management (SVM), such as vulnerability detection and repair, remains underexplored in industry settings. To bridge this gap, our study aims to determine the extent of the adoption of AI-powered tools for SVM, identify barriers and facilitators to the use, and gather insights to help improve the tools to meet industry needs better. We conducted a survey study involving 60 practitioners from diverse industry sectors across 27 countries. The survey incorporates both quantitative and qualitative questions to analyze the adoption trends, assess tool strengths, identify practical challenges, and uncover opportunities for improvement. Our findings indicate that AI-powered tools are used throughout the SVM life cycle, with 69% of users reporting satisfaction with their current use. Practitioners value these tools for their speed, coverage, and accessibility. However, concerns about false positives, missing context, and trust issues remain prevalent. We observe a socio-technical adoption pattern in which AI outputs are filtered through human oversight and organizational governance. To support safe and effective use of AI for SVM, we recommend improvements in explainability, contextual awareness, integration workflows, and validation practices. We assert that these findings can offer practical guidance for practitioners, tool developers, and researchers seeking to enhance secure software development through the use of AI.