Manual Code Reviews
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to perform a manual code review of [specific code] using the following processes, procedures, and/or techniques: [processes, procedures, and/or techniques].
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
Manual code reviews are usually reserved for the critical software and firmware components of systems. Manual code reviews are effective at identifying weaknesses that require knowledge of the application’s requirements or context that, in most cases, is unavailable to automated analytic tools and techniques, such as static and dynamic analysis. The benefits of manual code review include the ability to verify access control matrices against application controls and review detailed aspects of cryptographic implementations and controls.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for SA-11(4) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.
Assessment
Assessment Objectives
- specific code requiring manual code review is defined;
- processes, procedures, and/or techniques used for manual code reviews are defined;
- the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to perform a manual code review of <SA-11(04)_ODP[01] specific code> using <SA-11(04)_ODP[02] processes, procedures, and/or techniques>.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: System and services acquisition policy; procedures addressing system developer security testing; processes, procedures, and/or techniques for performing manual code reviews; solicitation documentation; acquisition documentation; service level agreements; acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service; system developer security testing and evaluation plans; system developer security testing and evaluation results; list of code requiring manual reviews; records of manual code reviews; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with system and service acquisition responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel with developer security testing responsibilities; system developers; independent verification agent].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for monitoring developer security testing and evaluation; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the monitoring of developer testing and evaluation].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-11(4). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.
Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →Evidence
Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.
Policy
- System and services acquisition policy
- system security plan
Testing
- Organizational processes for monitoring developer security testing and evaluation
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the monitoring of developer testing and evaluation
Other Records
- procedures addressing system developer security testing
- processes, procedures, and/or techniques for performing manual code reviews
- solicitation documentation
- acquisition documentation
- service level agreements
- acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service
- system developer security testing and evaluation plans
- system developer security testing and evaluation results
- list of code requiring manual reviews
- records of manual code reviews
- other relevant documents or records