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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.

DAST overview with scan runs and finding counts

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

  1. Enter a target name (descriptive label)
  2. Enter the base URL (e.g. https://staging.example.com)
  3. Click Add Target

Target Settings

Each target supports these settings:

SettingDescription
Target TypeWebApp, REST API, or GraphQL
Max Crawl DepthHow many link levels to follow
Rate LimitMaximum requests per second
Destructive TestsAllow DELETE/PUT requests
Excluded PathsURL paths to skip during testing

Authentication

DAST supports authenticated scanning so it can test pages behind login:

MethodDescription
NoneNo authentication
BasicHTTP Basic Auth with username and password
BearerBearer token in the Authorization header
CookieSession cookie value
FormLogin 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:

  1. Crawl -- discovers pages, forms, and API endpoints by following links and analyzing JavaScript
  2. Test -- sends attack payloads to discovered parameters
  3. Report -- collects results and generates findings

Viewing DAST Findings

Navigate to DAST > Findings to see all discovered vulnerabilities. Each finding shows:

ColumnDescription
SeverityCritical, High, Medium, Low, or Info
TypeVulnerability category (SQL Injection, XSS, SSRF, etc.)
TitleDescription of the vulnerability
EndpointThe HTTP path that is vulnerable
MethodHTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
ExploitableWhether 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.

Filtering Findings

The findings page provides several filters to help you focus on what matters:

FilterDescription
SearchFree-text search across finding titles and descriptions
SeverityFilter by severity level (Critical, High, Medium, Low, Info)
Vulnerability TypeFilter by vulnerability category -- supports all 21 DAST vulnerability types including SQL Injection, XSS, SSRF, CORS Misconfiguration, CSP Bypass, and more
ExploitableShow only confirmed-exploitable findings, or only unconfirmed

Filters can be combined. A count indicator shows how many findings match the current filters out of the total (e.g. "Showing 12 of 76 findings"). When no findings match the active filters, a message distinguishes between "no findings exist" and "no findings match your current filters."

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.

Certifai Documentation