Container vulnerability scanning in GCP - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Container vulnerability scanning

Start: Container Image Built

↓

Push Image to Container Registry

↓

Trigger Vulnerability Scan Automatically

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Scan Image Layers for Vulnerabilities

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Generate Vulnerability Report

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Review Report & Take Action

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Fix Vulnerabilities or Approve Image

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Deploy Image

This flow shows how a container image is scanned for vulnerabilities automatically after being pushed to the registry, then reviewed before deployment.

Execution Sample

GCP

gcloud container images list-tags gcr.io/my-project/my-app
# Lists images and scan status

# Scan runs automatically on push

# View scan results
gcloud container images describe gcr.io/my-project/my-app@sha256:<digest>

This code lists container images, shows that scanning runs automatically, and fetches vulnerability details for a specific image.

Process Table

Step	Action	Input	Process	Output
1	Build container image	Dockerfile + app code	Docker builds image layers	Image with layers created
2	Push image to registry	Image	Image uploaded to GCR	Image stored in registry
3	Trigger scan	Image push event	Container Analysis scans layers	Scan job started
4	Analyze layers	Image layers	Check for known vulnerabilities	Vulnerability data collected
5	Generate report	Scan results	Summarize vulnerabilities by severity	Report with findings
6	Review report	Vulnerability report	User or system reviews issues	Decision to fix or approve
7	Fix or approve	Decision	Patch image or approve for deploy	Image ready for deployment
8	Deploy image	Approved image	Deploy to Kubernetes or Cloud Run	Running container with scanned image
9	Exit	No more steps	Process complete	Secure container deployed

💡 All steps complete; container image scanned and deployed securely.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5	After Step 6	After Step 7	Final
Image	None	Built with layers	Stored in registry	Scan triggered	Layers analyzed	Report generated	Reviewed	Approved or fixed	Ready for deployment
Scan Status	None	None	None	Running	Completed	Report ready	Reviewed	Approved or needs fix	Complete

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the scan start automatically after pushing the image?

Because the container registry triggers the scan on image push (see execution_table step 3), ensuring every new image is checked without manual steps.

What happens if vulnerabilities are found in the report?

The report is reviewed (step 6), and the image can be fixed or approved (step 7) before deployment, preventing insecure images from running.

Is the scan part of the build or deployment process?

The scan happens after the image is built and pushed (steps 2-5), before deployment (step 8), acting as a security gate.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, at which step does the vulnerability scan start?

A Step 2: Push image to registry

B Step 3: Trigger scan

C Step 5: Generate report

D Step 7: Fix or approve

💡 Hint

Check the 'Process' column in step 3 where the scan job starts.

According to variable_tracker, what is the scan status after step 4?

A None

B Running

C Completed

D Reviewed

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Scan Status' row under 'After Step 4' column.

If the image is not approved after review, which step would repeat or change?

A Step 1: Build container image

B Step 4: Analyze layers

C Step 7: Fix or approve

D Step 8: Deploy image

💡 Hint

See step 7 where the decision to fix or approve happens.

Concept Snapshot

Container vulnerability scanning in GCP:
- Build and push container image to Google Container Registry (GCR).
- Scan triggers automatically on image push.
- Container Analysis checks image layers for known vulnerabilities.
- Generates a report with severity details.
- Review report to fix or approve image before deployment.
- Ensures only secure images run in production.

Full Transcript

Container vulnerability scanning in Google Cloud Platform starts when you build a container image and push it to the Google Container Registry. Once pushed, the system automatically triggers a scan that checks the image layers for known security issues. The scan produces a report listing vulnerabilities by severity. You then review this report to decide whether to fix the issues or approve the image for deployment. This process helps keep your running containers secure by preventing vulnerable images from being deployed.