Dynamic Application Security Testing, tested the way an attacker actually attacks
Pentesterra's DAST engine tests your live web applications and APIs from the outside in — no source code needed. It finds real endpoints, attacks them with real payloads, and tries to confirm each finding before it ever reaches your report.
What DAST actually means
DAST stands for Dynamic Application Security Testing. Instead of reading your source code, it tests your application the way it actually behaves once it's running — by sending it real requests, the kind an attacker would send, and watching how it responds. That makes it a fast, realistic picture of what is actually reachable and exploitable from the outside, without needing access to your codebase or your CI pipeline.
Pentesterra's DAST goes further than a checklist scanner: every finding it can, it tries to prove — with a real request/response as evidence — before it lands in your report. When you fix something, Pentesterra automatically re-checks it on the next scan, so you know the risk is actually closed.
How it works
Give us a URL
Point Pentesterra at your running web application or API — no source code access required.
We map the attack surface
Pentesterra discovers pages, hidden endpoints, forms and API routes the same way a real attacker would — then identifies the technology behind each one.
We attack it, safely
Dozens of automated checks run real attack payloads against every endpoint, tailored to what was actually found running there.
We prove what matters
Before anything lands in your report, Pentesterra tries to confirm it actually works — so your team spends time fixing real risk, not chasing noise.
What Pentesterra's DAST checks for
Coverage spans the OWASP Top 10 and the OWASP API Security Top 10, plus infrastructure and configuration issues that a code-only review can't see.
Injection attacks
The classic ways attackers get your application to run their code or query instead of yours.
- →SQL Injection
- →Command Injection
- →Server-Side Template Injection
- →XXE
- →NoSQL Injection
- →Insecure Deserialization
Cross-site & client-side
Attacks that run malicious code in your users' browsers.
- →Reflected, Stored & DOM-based XSS
- →CSRF
- →Clickjacking
- →Open Redirect
Authentication & access control
Whether users can only do and see what they're supposed to.
- →Broken authentication & session handling
- →JWT tampering
- →IDOR / Broken Object Level Auth
- →Business logic bypass
APIs & modern architectures
Coverage built for REST, GraphQL and microservices, not just classic web forms.
- →GraphQL introspection & injection
- →Mass assignment
- →Rate limit bypass
- →API versioning abuse
Infrastructure & configuration
The misconfigurations that turn a minor bug into a full compromise.
- →SSRF
- →Security headers, TLS & CORS
- →Cache poisoning
- →Exposed .git/.env files
Why teams pick Pentesterra's DAST
Findings you can trust
Every result Pentesterra can verify comes with real evidence — a request and response — instead of just a severity label and a guess.
Less noise for your team
Findings are triaged automatically, from unconfirmed through to verified and exploited, so your team can prioritize what's real first.
Fixes get checked, not just filed
When you mark something as fixed, Pentesterra re-tests it on the next scan and tells you whether it actually closed the risk.
Runs continuously, not once a year
Use it as a one-time engagement or run it continuously alongside every release, so new code doesn't sit unchecked between annual pentests.
Frequently asked questions
What is DAST?
DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) tests a web application or API while it's running, the same way a real attacker would — by sending real requests and observing real responses. It doesn't need access to your source code, which makes it a fast, realistic check of what's actually exposed to the internet.
Can DAST be combined with code-level analysis for deeper coverage?
Yes. DAST alone needs no source code and works purely from the outside. If you also want code-level depth, our DevGuard plugin runs inside your own IDE or CI pipeline and analyzes the code locally - it is never uploaded or stored by Pentesterra. Running both together catches more than either alone: DAST proves what's actually reachable and exploitable at runtime, DevGuard catches issues buried in code paths that a live scan may never trigger.
How is Pentesterra's DAST different from a vulnerability scanner?
A traditional scanner flags anything that looks suspicious and leaves your team to work out what's real. Pentesterra goes a step further: it attempts to confirm a finding is actually exploitable before it reaches your report, and re-checks it automatically after you fix it — so you know the risk is closed, not just reported.
Does Pentesterra test with or without a login?
Both, and you choose. Unauthenticated (black-box) testing needs nothing from you and shows what an anonymous attacker sees. Authenticated (grey-box) testing uses a test login you provide and checks what a logged-in user could do - which is where issues like broken access control and business logic flaws usually hide. Running both gives the fullest picture.
How long does a scan take?
First findings typically appear within about 15 minutes. A full scan usually finishes in 1.5 to 12 hours depending on the size and complexity of the application.
Does DAST cover APIs, not just web pages?
Yes. Pentesterra automatically discovers REST and GraphQL APIs (including from OpenAPI/Swagger specs) and tests them for the OWASP API Security Top 10, not only classic browser-based web vulnerabilities.