Key takeaways

• DAST and SCA cover different parts of the application security puzzle: DAST tests a running application for vulnerabilities, while SCA identifies risks in open-source dependencies.
• Used together, DAST and SCA provide a broader and deeper view of risk, showing not just what’s potentially problematic but also what’s truly exploitable.
• Invicti’s integrated platform combines DAST with both static and dynamic SCA, delivering validated results in a single place to reduce noise, improve prioritization, and accelerate remediation by focusing teams first on verified risks that matter most.

What is DAST, and what is SCA?

Understanding the core purpose of each tool type is key to recognizing where each excels and why they’re more powerful when integrated. Each addresses a different layer of the modern software stack.

Dynamic application security testing (DAST)

DAST simulates how a malicious attacker would interact with your application in a live environment. Rather than analyzing source code, it probes running applications, sending input through APIs, forms, and request parameters to identify vulnerabilities that only manifest at runtime. Think of it as a technology-agnostic, black-box security test that validates your defenses in real-world conditions.

DAST is especially effective at uncovering:

• Input validation issues like XSS and SQL injection
• Broken authentication or session management
• Business logic flaws (given the right tools and setup)

Because it works dynamically, DAST helps security teams identify real attack paths, not just theoretical flaws. Leading tools may include verification capabilities (such as Invicti’s proof-based scanning) to demonstrate exactly how vulnerabilities could be exploited.

Learn more: The Best DAST Tools Ranked for 2026

Software composition analysis (SCA)

SCA focuses on what goes into your application: the open source components, libraries, and third-party packages that make up your codebase. It scans your repositories to detect known vulnerabilities (CVEs) in both direct and transitive dependencies, comparing your components against databases like the NVD, GitHub Security Advisories, and potentially others.

SCA is essential for:

• Tracking vulnerable or outdated libraries
• Understanding license risks
• Generating software bills of materials (SBOMs)
• Managing supply chain security

While SCA by itself doesn’t prove whether an identified CVE corresponds to an exploitable vulnerability in your specific environment, it is still invaluable for surfacing a variety of hidden risks in the foundational layers of your app.

Static vs. dynamic SCA

The most common type of SCA is static analysis that checks source code and package manifests before applications are run to identify vulnerable or outdated components early in development. Dynamic SCA, by contrast, observes applications at runtime to detect which components are actually loaded and used, additionally uncovering some risks that may not appear in static analysis alone. It is often performed during DAST scans, as on the Invicti Platform.

Invicti provides both static and dynamic SCA on its platform, giving teams visibility from code to deployment.

Why use DAST and SCA together?

The best security tools complement each other. While on the static testing side it is standard practice to combine static application security testing (SAST) with static SCA, the benefits of pairing SCA with DAST are often less well understood. When combined, DAST and SCA each fill in gaps left by the other, creating a much more complete security picture.

What SCA identifies, DAST can validate

SCA may flag a library as vulnerable based on a CVE, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the vulnerability is exploitable in your unique environment. That’s where DAST steps in to validate whether a flagged CVE indeed corresponds to a vulnerability that is reachable and exploitable in the context of your running application.

This synergy between DAST and SCA enables risk-based prioritization. Rather than treating all vulnerabilities as equal, teams can focus on those that are not only known but also proven dangerous in the application’s actual runtime.

Reduced noise to let you focus on what matters

Static tools often produce a flood of alerts, many of which are false positives or irrelevant in context. Combining static SCA results with DAST insights helps to filter out this noise by highlighting the subset of vulnerabilities that are both present and exploitable. This reduces alert fatigue, improves signal-to-noise ratio, and allows development teams to address the most critical threats without burning time on non-issues.

Complementary coverage from dependency to deployment

Similar to static security testing with SAST, traditional static SCA shines in the early stages of development, offering visibility into component-level risks before code is even run. DAST, by contrast, comes into play later in the pipeline to test the app as it would function in real-world scenarios. Used together, static and dynamic methods form a continuous security shield from pre-build component selection to post-deployment testing.

Invicti’s integrated approach to DAST + SCA

While many organizations struggle to integrate disparate tools, Invicti provides a natively unified platform that combines the strengths of DAST and SCA. This enables streamlined workflows, centralized visibility, and faster response times.

Built-in SCA and dynamic testing

Rather than managing separate scanners, data sources, and reports, Invicti delivers both dynamic security testing and composition analysis in one place. Security teams can scan for open source risks and application-layer vulnerabilities simultaneously, then review all findings through a unified interface.

This approach reduces complexity, shortens the learning curve, and avoids the integration gaps that often lead to missed vulnerabilities or inconsistent remediation processes.

Detect vulnerable components, even deep in the stack

SCA on the Invicti platform doesn’t just skim the surface. It digs deep into package trees, identifying vulnerabilities even in transitive or bundled dependencies. Whether a risky library is installed directly or nested five layers down, Invicti will surface it, giving you the visibility needed to maintain a clean software supply chain.

Validate exploitability with proof-based scanning

What sets Invicti apart is its ability to validate vulnerabilities in real time. When a CVE flagged by SCA is detected as reachable and exploitable, Invicti can use proof-based scanning to safely demonstrate that an attack is possible. Where a proof of exploit is available, this removes any guesswork and helps development teams see exactly what’s at stake, which in turn accelerates triage and remediation.

Integrated remediation with dev tool sync

Invicti doesn’t stop at detection. It seamlessly integrates with tools like Jira, GitHub, and GitLab to push verified findings into developer workflows. Whether an issue is flagged by SCA, DAST, or both, teams can manage resolution without ever leaving their development environment, which translates into faster fixes and ensures issues aren’t lost in emails or ticketing systems.

Real-world use cases for combining DAST and SCA

1. Applications heavy on open-source packages

For software relying on dozens or hundreds of external packages, SCA is essential both for detecting vulnerable components and maintaining license compliance. But without DAST, you won’t know which SCA alerts actually correspond to vulnerabilities that are reachable and dangerous in context when the app is running. Together, they offer visibility and validation across your entire stack.

2. Compliance-driven environments

Whether you’re under PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, or NIST requirements, SBOMs and documented risk management are a must. Adding DAST to the compliance-mandated SCA efforts and deliverables helps you demonstrate not only that you can identify vulnerabilities but also that you have tools and processes in place for verification and response.

3. Mixed technology stacks

Older legacy systems and new cloud-native services often live side by side. Some are mostly first-party code, others rely heavily on application frameworks. Some are run directly and others containerized. Whatever your technology mix, SCA covers identifiable components while DAST covers application behavior as deployed, regardless of what’s under the hood.

4. DevSecOps automation pipelines

Combining static analysis and SCA early in the CI/CD process with DAST in later stages and post-deployment lets you create a continuous security feedback loop that moves at the speed of DevOps without sacrificing thoroughness.

DAST-first + SCA = Smarter, risk-informed security

Invicti advocates taking a DAST-first approach because real, validated vulnerabilities deserve top priority, but that doesn’t mean DAST can do all the lifting. When static and dynamic SCA is added to the equation, you can flesh out the “what needs fixing first” insights of DAST with a wider view of component risks in your environments – all without overwhelming developers with unverified issues.

This model supports risk-based decision-making, helping teams focus resources where they matter most and prioritize work to balance immediate risk reduction with longer-term improvements that can be scheduled for later.

Conclusion: Don’t settle for half your attack surface

Different application security tool types find different issues, so finding just the right combination is crucial to build up a full picture. Running DAST alone is a great starting point for finding and fixing immediately exploitable gaps, but DAST won’t see components that aren’t loaded at runtime. Running SCA alone tells you nothing about the security of your first-party code, but it will flag components with known vulnerabilities that could sprout exploitable issues when accessed in production code.

Taken together, DAST and SCA give you a full-spectrum view of your risk, from third-party libraries to live application behavior.

With static and dynamic SCA on Invicti’s integrated platform, you can:

• Detect known CVEs in your codebase
• Validate runtime exploitability
• Eliminate alert fatigue with verified risk
• Integrate security seamlessly into your workflows

Recommended next steps

• Explore Invicti’s unified platform with DAST + SCA and more
• Schedule a live demo with our AppSec experts
• Embed both tools in your CI/CD pipeline for continuous protection

FAQs: DAST and SCA in practice