SBOM vs. SBOM: Comparing SBOMs from Different Tools and Lifecycle Stages

An empirical study by Xia et al. explored the expectations and practical realities of Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs), highlighting that ideal SBOMs should be generated early in the software development lifecycle and updated continuously. A case study was conducted to compare SBOMs from different open-source generators at various lifecycle stages, revealing significant discrepancies due to differing detection capabilities and detail levels in Package URLs. The study used Eclipse Steady v3.2.5 as a test subject and found that the precision and recall of SBOMs varied greatly among the tools, with a Maven-integrated tool achieving perfect results. The research emphasized the importance of knowing a product's ground truth to assess SBOM accuracy, noting potential risks from false positives or negatives. It also raised questions about the practical value of qualifiers in PURLs and recommended that SBOMs clearly distinguish between components used in development versus those in the final product. The authors called for a benchmark to evaluate SBOM generators' accuracy across different programming languages and technology stacks, aiming to build industry confidence in SBOM quality.

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