DAST Integration

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) finds security vulnerabilities by testing your running application from the outside—just like an attacker would. Unlike static analysis that examines code, DAST interacts with your live application to discover runtime issues like SQL injection, XSS, authentication flaws, and misconfigurations.

This guide teaches you how to integrate industry-standard DAST tools into your DevSecOps pipeline, catching vulnerabilities before they reach production.

Why DAST Matters

DAST complements other security testing approaches:

• Runtime vulnerabilities — Finds issues that only appear when the app is running (authentication bypass, session management flaws)
• Configuration issues — Detects misconfigurations in servers, frameworks, and dependencies
• Business logic flaws — Identifies workflow vulnerabilities that static analysis misses
• Third-party components — Tests the entire stack, including libraries and frameworks

Real-world impact:

• Capital One breach (2019) — SSRF vulnerability in web application firewall allowed access to 100M+ records
• British Airways (2018) — Magecart attack (compromised third-party script) led to £183M GDPR fine
• Heartbleed (2014) — Runtime vulnerability in OpenSSL affected millions of servers

What You'll Learn

This guide covers essential DAST tools and techniques:

1. DAST Fundamentals — How DAST works, scan types, and when to use it
2. OWASP ZAP — Free, open-source scanner with automation and CI/CD integration
3. Burp Suite — Professional-grade tool for advanced security testing
4. CI/CD Integration — Automate DAST scans in your pipeline with quality gates

Quick Comparison

Tool	Type	Automation	CI/CD	Best For	Cost
OWASP ZAP	Active/Passive	Excellent	Native	Automation, CI/CD	Free
Burp Suite Pro	Active/Passive	Good	API-based	Manual testing, advanced	$449/year
Nuclei	Active	Excellent	CLI-friendly	Fast scans, custom templates	Free
Arachni	Active	Good	CLI-friendly	Web apps, distributed scans	Free

DAST vs SAST vs IAST

Aspect	SAST (Static)	DAST (Dynamic)	IAST (Interactive)
Testing approach	Analyzes source code	Tests running app	Monitors app from inside
When to run	During development	Against deployed app	During testing
False positives	High	Medium	Low
Coverage	Code paths	Exposed endpoints	Executed code paths
Speed	Fast	Slow	Medium
Best for	Early detection	Production-like testing	Comprehensive coverage

Use all three for defense in depth: SAST catches issues early, DAST validates runtime security, IAST reduces false positives.

Prerequisites

Before starting, you should:

• Understand web application fundamentals (HTTP, REST APIs, authentication)
• Have basic knowledge of common vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10)
• Have a test application to scan (never scan production without permission)
• Basic CI/CD and Docker knowledge for automation

Time Investment

• Quick start: 1 hour (run your first ZAP scan)
• Full implementation: 4-6 hours (CI/CD integration + policies)
• Mastery: 2-3 weeks (advanced techniques, custom rules, vulnerability triage)

Security Warning

⚠️ Important: DAST tools perform real attacks against applications. Always:

• Get written permission before scanning any application
• Only scan applications you own or have authorization to test
• Use non-production environments when possible
• Be aware that scans can cause:
  • High server load
  • Database changes (if testing write operations)
  • Triggered security alerts and rate limits
  • Accidental data modification or deletion

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Ready to start? Begin with DAST Fundamentals to understand how dynamic testing works.