Your data is your most valuable asset. We can help you to protect it.
Our Data Privacy and Protection knowledge and tools will help you to safeguard your business.
Your data is your most valuable asset. We can help you to protect it.
Our Data Privacy and Protection knowledge and tools will help you to safeguard your business.
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Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) is a method for testing the security of applications. It involves testing the application at runtime to identify security vulnerabilities. Unlike other testing methodologies, DAST tools don't have access to the application and API's source code. Instead, they perform actual attacks on the application, similar to how a real hacker would do it. This makes DAST tools highly effective for automated penetration testing of web applications.
By simulating attacks like SQL injection, cross site scripting (XSS), external XML entities (XXE), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF), DAST solutions can identify and help protect against common web application vulnerabilities like the OWASP Top 10. While scanning source code can also be helpful in identifying vulnerabilities, testing an application at runtime is the most effective way to determine if external attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities. With DAST, you can identify and mitigate these security risks before they can be exploited by malicious actors.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action
Testing applications solely during development is inadequate for safeguarding them against potential breaches in the production stage. It is imperative to establish a comprehensive application security program to mitigate overall business risk. By employing DAST alongside other strategies, it becomes possible to identify and prevent potential attack vectors from being exploited.
DAST resolves these challenges and empowers your organization to:
In order to evaluate an application's security posture in the real world, DAST plays a crucial role in a comprehensive security testing program. As a part of the software development lifecycle, it ensures the identification and resolution of security issues before the application is launched into production.
DAST doesn't require a specific langunage or framework - you can use it in any environment, regardless of the tools you're utilizing for your project
The lack of false positives allows you to focus on fixing bugs & creating new features, rather than trying to resolve false positives
DAST offers several benefits, including:
While DAST is a powerful tool, traditional DAST has a few limitations, including:
DAST tools launch automated scans that simulate malicious external attacks on the application. The goal is to identify unexpected outcomes. For example, a test can inject malicious data to uncover injection flaws. A DAST tool typically tests all HTML and HTTP access points. To find vulnerabilities, the test emulates random user behaviors and actions.
A new generation of DAST solutions is emerging, which leverage AI to address the challenges of traditional DAST:
next-generation DAST automatically creates test sets and dynamically identifies the structure of the underlying application.
leverages machine learning algorithms and fuzz testing to analyze findings like a human penetration tester, and determine if they are real vulnerabilities or not.
accesses web applications like a real user and tries different control flows, until it discovers a user interface path that exposes a security weakness.
By automating testing, analysis, and reporting processes, application security testing (AST) tools identify and address security vulnerabilities. Embraced by the DevSecOps movement, these tools ensure that security is integrated at each stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
AST tools are typically categorized into four main types:
provides white-box testing which analyzes the source code while its components are at rest.
provides black-box tests that models how applications are attacked from the outside.
DAST solutions have unique advantages when protecting web applications:
Dynamic analysis tools offer language agnostic capabilities, distinguishing them from SAST tools. They don't require the same programming language or framework as the application being scanned. Unlike SAST tools, dynamic application security testing solutions operate similarly to actual hackers by not having access to the source code. This characteristic grants dynamic analysis tools more real-world benefits.
Although it has been in existence since the mid-90s, DAST struggled to find its footing in the SDLC until recently when DevOps transformed the landscape. With the advent of dynamic analysis tools, DAST solutions can now be easily integrated with popular issue trackers like JIRA, GitHub, ServiceNow, and Slack. These solutions, just like other automated AST options, can also be incorporated with CI platforms such as Jenkins, CircleCI, TravisCI, JFrog Pipelines, or Azure DevOps. Consequently, organizations are increasingly looking to implement application security testing early in the SDLC to detect and address security concerns in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action
By following these best practices, your organization can improve its overall security posture and avoid costly security breaches.
Warrior Network’s stands apart from other DAST solutions in its development-centric approach. It has been purpose-built with the needs of developers in mind, offering automatic testing of applications and APIs for vulnerabilities with each and every build.
This all-encompassing solution conducts comprehensive tests on a range of targets, including web applications, internal applications, APIs (REST/SOAP/GraphQL), and serverside mobile applications. Bright integrates seamlessly with your existing workflows and tools, triggering scans on every commit, pull request, or build with unit testing. It boasts blazing-fast scans, allowing it to keep up with the fast pace of high-velocity development environments.
What sets Warrior’s Network’s apart is its intelligent interaction with applications and APIs, rather than simply guessing and crawling. Its AI-powered engine comprehends application architecture, and generates targeted and sophisticated attacks. Before reporting any findings, Bright verifies and exploits them to avoid false positives.
Together with our content partners, we have authored in-depth guides on several other topics that can also be useful as you explore the world of security testing.
SAST, a type of white-box testing, involves scrutinizing the at-rest source code to identify exploitable design and coding flaws. It enables you to evaluate the source code of your applications, bytes, and binaries. By utilizing SAST tools, external parties can be prevented from taking advantage of vulnerabilities present in the code.
A SAST scan is typically conducted using predefined rules that outline coding errors. Furthermore, it can be used to identify common security vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, stack buffer overflow, and input validation errors.
It is possible to integrate SAST into the development and quality assurance process and synchronize it with integrated development environments (IDEs) and continuous integration (CI) servers.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action
Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) technology offers an additional layer of security for applications, as it detects and prevents real-time attacks. It operates by monitoring the application while it is running and stops any malicious activity that may not be identified by conventional security measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and antivirus software.
RASP functions by integrating security controls into either the application or the runtime environment. These controls monitor the application's conduct, identify suspicious activity, and take necessary action to stop the attack. For instance, RASP can obstruct SQL injection attacks, buffer overflows, and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action
SCA tools perform automatic scanning of your application's codebase to ensure visibility into open source software usage.
These tools have the capability to identify all open source components present in your codebase, retrieve their license compliance data, and detect any common security vulnerabilities. Certain SCA tools even offer prioritization of open source vulnerabilities, along with insightful information and automated remediation measures.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action
AST encompasses various methodologies aimed at identifying and removing software vulnerabilities. The security testing process entails tests, analyses, and reports that offer valuable insights into the security posture of a software application.
The application of the AST process can be extended throughout different stages of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Its use can facilitate the detection and correction of software vulnerabilities before deployment to production, thereby minimizing the number of vulnerabilities that remain unaddressed. Additionally, implementing AST during production enables the consistent identification of serious threats.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action
AST won’t happen without tools. Let’s review five types of solutions that can help you test software
through the SDLC – from development to production.
SAST, a type of white-box testing, involves scrutinizing the at-rest source code to identify exploitable design and coding flaws. It enables you to evaluate the source code of your applications, bytes, and binaries. By utilizing SAST tools, external parties can be prevented from taking advantage of vulnerabilities present in the code.
A SAST scan is typically conducted using predefined rules that outline coding errors. Furthermore, it can be used to identify common security vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, stack buffer overflow, and input validation errors.
It is possible to integrate SAST into the development and quality assurance process and synchronize it with integrated development environments (IDEs) and continuous integration (CI) servers.
DAST is a type of black-box testing that imitates external attacks on an operating application in order to identify structural weaknesses and security flaws. By inspecting exposed interfaces, DAST endeavors to infiltrate the application from the outside to expose vulnerabilities and deficiencies.
In contrast, SAST tools scrutinize the source code of the application while it is at rest, performing a line-by-line examination. DAST, on the other hand, is executed when the application is running and can be utilized to test applications in various settings, including development and testing environments as well as production.
The IAST tools and testers scan the post-build source code of your application in a dynamic environment. The test is usually performed in a test or QA environment and in real-time while the application is running. By employing IAST, you can pinpoint problematic lines of code and receive instant alerts that prompt immediate remediation.
IAST directly examines the source code after building it in a dynamic environment through code instrumentation. This process entails deploying agents and sensors into the application to analyze the code for vulnerability detection. Integrating IAST into your continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline is simple.
SCA tools perform automatic scanning of your application's codebase to ensure visibility into open source software usage.
These tools have the capability to identify all open source components present in your codebase, retrievetheir license compliance data, and detect any common security vulnerabilities. Certain SCA tools even offer prioritization of open source vulnerabilities, along with insightful information and automated remediation measures.
Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) technology offers an additional layer of security for applications, as it detects and prevents real-time attacks. It operates by monitoring the application while it is running and stops any malicious activity that may not be identified by conventional security measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and antivirus software.
RASP functions by integrating security controls into either the application or the runtime environment. These controls monitor the application's conduct, identify suspicious activity, and take necessary action to stop the attack. For instance, RASP can obstruct SQL injection attacks, buffer overflows, and cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Application security testing can be categorized into three types: black-box, gray-box, and white-box testing.
When conducting black-box security testing, the tester or automated application is not privy to the internal operations of the system being tested. This enables the tester to simulate an authentic attack by an external entity.
The most significant benefit of black box testing is its comprehensive approach to testing application security, including evaluating security misconfigurations and the cohesion between security systems. A misconfiguration in the firewall, for instance, can be easily identified by black box testing, as it tries to gain access to the application as an external attacker would. Nevertheless, the downside of this approach is its inability to identify underlying application vulnerabilities.
When conducting gray-box security testing, either a tester or an automated test application possesses only limited information about the application. This mimics the situation of a privileged insider utilizing their knowledge to conduct a more complex attack, or a persistent threat engaging in comprehensive reconnaissance of the environment.
Gray box testing presents a crucial advantage in that it strikes a balance between testing depth and efficiency. It is capable of being precisely calibrated to concentrate on the most important security elements that necessitate testing. Its disadvantage is that the test may be skewed or unrealistic based on the information furnished to the tester.
White-box security testing allows a human tester or automated mechanism to access the inner workings of an application. An example of this type of testing is static application security testing (SAST), which scans source code for bugs and security flaws. This type of testing is beneficial because it can identify security issues such as misconfiguration, poor code quality, insecure coding practices, and business logic vulnerabilities that other tests may overlook. Despite its comprehensive approach, white-box testing may prioritize issues that cannot be easily exploited by an external attacker.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action
Effective AST requires a strategic approach. To start with, it is best to begin the process early on in the application development lifecycle, preferably during the design and planning phase. This enables the incorporation of security measures into the application from the outset, eliminating the need for retrospective measures. To achieve a comprehensive overview of the application's security status, a combination of both static and dynamic testing techniques is advisable. Testing should also be carried out on a regular basis, particularly when changes are made to the codebase. Prioritizing vulnerabilities is a critical component of the AST process, with an emphasis on tackling the most severe ones first. All stakeholders should be involved in the process, including developers, testers, and operations teams, to ensure that everyone is aware of potential risks and taking the necessary steps to mitigate them. Finally, it is essential to maintain continuous monitoring of the application and respond promptly to any new vulnerabilities identified.
To establish a comprehensive application security program, it is crucial to identify and address security vulnerabilities at an early stage and frequently. As development methodologies become more agile, and continuous integration and delivery (CICD) processes gain traction, security testing should be moved to the left, closer to developers.
To accomplish this, it is essential to implement developer-centric security testing tools such as Warrior Network’s DAST scanner. The tool is designed explicitly for DevOps and CICD, enabling developers to take ownership of the security testing process. It boasts a wide range of key features, including comprehensive testing of both web applications and APIs (SOAP, REST, GraphQL), reliable results with zero false positives, seamless integration with automation, and fast, easy-to-use feedback loops across all your pipelines. The scanner also provides straightforward remediation guidelines, facilitating quick resolution of security issues, including automatic detection of business logic vulnerabilities.
Integrate vulnerability testing into your DevOps pipeline. Find & fix vulnerabilities fast with zero false positives.
See Our Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) in Action