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The term dynamic application security testing (DAST) refers to security testing performed on a running application, not static code. The goal of dynamic application security testing is to find and list security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Note that the term DAST can apply both to the security testing methodology and to security tools that use this approach.
While dynamic application security testing is not limited to any specific types of applications or tools, two things are usually true about the methodology and the tools that use it:
Other application security (AppSec) terms used to describe dynamic application security testing are black-box testing, vulnerability scanning, and outside-in testing.
DAST is an important piece of your overall application security strategy because it provides:
Dynamic application security testing tools mimic the actions of a black-hat hacker but in a safe way:
What is the difference between SAST and DAST?
SAST tools analyze the static source code for potential security issues, while DAST tools probe a running application to identify vulnerable behaviors. You can think of static analysis tools as code checkers and of dynamic vulnerability scanners as attack simulators.
Dynamic application security testing is an essential part of any complete security testing program, alongside other web application security testing methods such as static application security testing (SAST) (white-box testing), interactive application security testing (IAST), software composition analysis (SCA), and manual pentesting. However, DAST also has some distinct advantages over other testing methodologies when it comes to improving security posture:
However, dynamic application security testing also has some disadvantages in relation to other application security testing methods.
While there are no formal subtypes of DAST, there are tool characteristics that security experts use to informally subdivide DAST tools into two informal groups: modern DAST and legacy DAST. Here are the main capabilities used to distinguish between them:
Most DAST tools are commercial products, but there are also some open-source alternatives. However, due to its limited functionality, open-source software such as OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is generally considered legacy DAST. Many related open-source projects are manual penetration testing tools, not application security scanners.
Some DAST tools that are considered modern because they meet all the criteria listed above are Invicti and Acunetix by Invicti. Both these solutions offer full automation and integration as well as vulnerability confirmation.
While DAST can refer to both manual and automated testing methods, dynamic application security scanning (DASS) is the subset of DAST that uses only automated testing to evaluate the security of applications in a runtime environment by simulating real-world attacks. Unlike static analysis, which examines code without executing it, DASS interacts with the application as it runs, identifying vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, XSS, and authentication flaws. By mimicking an external attacker's perspective, DASS provides actionable insights into exploitable weaknesses and helps ensure robust security in production-like scenarios. This approach is critical for identifying runtime issues that static methods might miss, enhancing an application's overall security posture.
The purpose of dynamic application security testing is to scan an application and find vulnerabilities. However, in most environments, that is not enough. That is why DAST tools either offer extra functionality or come bundled with accompanying software, which may include the following capabilities:
The legacy use case for DAST was to either manually scan web assets on an ad-hoc basis or use vulnerability scanning in the last stages of application development, such as on staging servers or production clones. This is no longer the recommended approach. Modern DAST solutions come with interfaces that let you use DAST tools in three different stages of application development:
If you don’t feel comfortable with security testing in a live production environment, set up an process to periodically test a recent clone of the current production environment. The recommended schedule is to scan for high-severity vulnerabilities daily and run full scans weekly. Apart from covering any unexpected modifications to the application, such scans may also reveal new vulnerabilities resulting from changes in the deployment configuration or new security checks being delivered with DAST tool updates to account for newly discovered vulnerabilities and exploits.
The term dynamic application security testing (DAST) refers to security testing performed on a running application, not static code. The goal of dynamic application security testing is to find and list security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Note that the term DAST can apply both to the security testing methodology and to tools that use this approach.
Read about reasons why DAST is the future of application security.
DAST is critical for modern application security strategies because it provides a realist outside-in view of vulnerabilities and gives teams more comprehensive coverage across all of their attack surfaces. Additionally, DAST tools can not only detect vulnerabilities but provide proof of exploit, building trust and confidence in your tools.
Learn why DAST is the best way to begin your security journey.
A modern DAST solution should be able to prove that discovered issues are not false positives. It should also offer a lot of automation and integration options, especially to allow for vulnerability management, as well as come with features such as asset discovery and support for web API testing.
Access our comprehensive DAST buyer’s guide for more information.
False positives can be a problem in all types of automated security testing, but advanced DAST tools have found ways to greatly cut down on false alarms and the extra work they bring. Features like Invicti’s proof-based scanning can reliably verify when a vulnerability is exploitable and thus a true positive result. Legacy DAST tools that rely on pattern matching and more general indicators of vulnerable behavior are much more prone to false positives.
Yes, many modern DAST tools are designed to work in CI/CD pipelines as well as other stages of the DevOps process. Two key requirements for this use case are accurate results to avoid giving developers false positives as issues to fix and efficient workflow integration to ensure the DAST solution plugs into your existing development and vulnerability management workflows.
Static application security testing (SAST) analyzes source code and identifies vulnerabilities in the code before the application is running. However, SAST cannot detect runtime vulnerabilities like DAST can. DAST simulates an attacker’s perspective so that security and development teams can identify and fix vulnerabilities in a live environment.
Access our comprehensive DAST buyer’s guide for more information.