Sharang Parnerkar
3ec1456b0d
3.0 KiB
DAST Scanning
DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) performs black-box security testing against live web applications and APIs. Unlike SAST which analyzes source code, DAST tests running applications by sending crafted requests and analyzing responses for vulnerabilities.
DAST Overview
Navigate to DAST in the sidebar to see the overview page.
The overview shows:
- Total DAST scans performed
- Total DAST findings discovered
- Number of active targets
- Recent scan run history with status, phase, and finding counts
Managing Targets
Navigate to DAST > Targets to configure applications to test.
Adding a Target
- Enter a target name (descriptive label)
- Enter the base URL (e.g.
https://staging.example.com) - Click Add Target
Target Settings
Each target supports these settings:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Target Type | WebApp, REST API, or GraphQL |
| Max Crawl Depth | How many link levels to follow |
| Rate Limit | Maximum requests per second |
| Destructive Tests | Allow DELETE/PUT requests |
| Excluded Paths | URL paths to skip during testing |
Authentication
DAST supports authenticated scanning so it can test pages behind login:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| None | No authentication |
| Basic | HTTP Basic Auth with username and password |
| Bearer | Bearer token in the Authorization header |
| Cookie | Session cookie value |
| Form | Login form with URL, field names, and credentials |
::: warning Authenticated scans access more of the application surface. Only test applications you own or have explicit authorization to test. :::
Running a DAST Scan
Click the Scan button on any target row. The scan progresses through:
- Crawl -- discovers pages, forms, and API endpoints by following links and analyzing JavaScript
- Test -- sends attack payloads to discovered parameters
- Report -- collects results and generates findings
Viewing DAST Findings
Navigate to DAST > Findings to see all discovered vulnerabilities. Each finding shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Severity | Critical, High, Medium, or Low |
| Type | Vulnerability category (SQL Injection, XSS, SSRF, etc.) |
| Title | Description of the vulnerability |
| Endpoint | The HTTP path that is vulnerable |
| Method | HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) |
| Exploitable | Whether the vulnerability was confirmed exploitable |
Click a finding to see full details including the CWE identifier, vulnerable parameter, remediation guidance, and evidence showing the exact request/response pairs that triggered the finding.
::: tip Findings marked as Confirmed exploitable were verified with a successful attack payload. Unconfirmed findings show suspicious behavior that may indicate a vulnerability but could not be fully exploited. :::