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Web Application Security TestingGetting Started

Getting Started with Application Scanning

This guide walks you through setting up and running your first application scan. By the end, you will have a completed scan with actionable vulnerability findings.

Prerequisites

  • A Detectify account with Application Scanning enabled
  • A verified domain in your Detectify account
  • The target application must be accessible from the internet

Step 1: Select Your Target Domain

Navigate to the Application Scanning section in your Detectify dashboard and select the domain you want to scan. The domain must already be added and verified in your account.

If the application you want to scan is on a subdomain (e.g., app.example.com), ensure that specific subdomain is added as a scannable asset.

Step 2: Create a Scan Profile

A scan profile defines how the scan runs. To create your first profile:

  1. Select Create scan profile
  2. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Production app - full scan”)
  3. Configure the target scope:
    • Start URL: The URL where the crawler should begin (defaults to the domain root)
    • Include paths: Specific paths to include in the scan (leave empty to scan everything)
    • Exclude paths: Paths to exclude (e.g., /logout, /delete-account)

For your first scan, using the defaults is a reasonable starting point. You can refine the scope after reviewing initial results.

Step 3: Configure Authentication (If Needed)

If your application requires login to access its core functionality, configure authentication in the scan profile. This ensures the scanner can test pages and features behind the login wall.

Quick Setup with Basic Access Auth

If your application uses HTTP Basic Authentication (common for staging environments):

  1. In your scan profile, select Authentication
  2. Choose Basic Access Authentication
  3. Enter the username and password

Recorded Login for Custom Login Forms

For applications with standard login forms:

  1. Select Recorded Login in the authentication settings
  2. Follow the recording flow to capture your login sequence
  3. The scanner replays this sequence to authenticate during the scan

See Authentication for detailed setup instructions for all authentication methods.

Step 4: Run Your First Scan

  1. Open your scan profile
  2. Select Start scan
  3. The scan begins with the crawling phase, which typically takes 15-60 minutes depending on application size
  4. Fuzzing follows crawling and may take several hours for large applications

You can monitor scan progress in real time from the scan details view. Findings appear as they are discovered, so you do not need to wait for the scan to complete to start reviewing results.

Step 5: Review Results

Once the scan completes (or while it is running), navigate to the findings view:

  • Critical and High findings should be prioritized for immediate remediation
  • Each finding includes a proof-of-concept showing the exact request and response that confirmed the vulnerability
  • Remediation guidance provides specific steps to fix each issue

Understanding Your First Scan Results

Your first scan establishes a baseline. Subsequent scans on the same profile will track which findings are new, which persist, and which have been fixed.

Common first-scan findings include:

  • SSL/TLS configuration issues (weak ciphers, protocol versions)
  • Missing security headers (Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options)
  • Reflected XSS in search or input fields
  • Information disclosure through error messages or debug endpoints

Step 6: Schedule Recurring Scans

After your first manual scan, set up a schedule to run scans automatically:

  1. Edit your scan profile
  2. Navigate to the Schedule section
  3. Choose a frequency (weekly is recommended for most applications)
  4. Select the preferred day and time

Recurring scans ensure continuous coverage as your application changes over time.

Next Steps

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