---
stable_id: skills/skills-sh-trailofbits-skills-variant-analysis
type: skills
title: skills-sh-trailofbits-skills-variant-analysis
summary: >-
  # The Philosophy of Generic but Precise Variant Analysis

  This document covers the strategic thinking behind effective variant analysis.

  ## Why Variants Exist

  Vulnerabilities cluster because developers make consistent mistakes:

  1. **Developer habits**: Same person writes similar code, makes similar errors

  2. **Copy-paste propagation**: Boilerplate spreads bugs across the codebase

  3. **API misuse patterns**: Complex APIs invite consistent misunderstandings

  4. **Framework idioms**: Framework patterns create predictable vulnerability
  shapes

  5. **Incomplete fixes**: Original bug fixed in one place, missed elsewhere

  Understanding WHY variants exist helps predict WHERE to find them.
tags:
  - skills-sh
  - skills-sh-all-time
source_url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/trailofbits/skills/HEAD/plugins/variant-analysis/skills/variant-analysis/METHODOLOGY.md
license: ""
upstream_ref: https://skills.sh/trailofbits/skills/variant-analysis
github_stars: null
github_forks: null
github_is_organization: null
retrieved_at: 2026-06-11T08:32:54.417Z
content_sha256: bbe15a7e6edf419f348564542fec22200b4f0ce30a0f801d620fbd2e406c14f3
---
