Qualys DAST: Key Features and Alternatives

Dynamic application security testing (DAST) is a cornerstone of any robust Product Security Program, yet finding a top DAST tool that combines thoroughness with usability remains a challenge. Qualys DAST took its place as a solution for hundreds of organizations, but when we talk with AppSec engineers, questions often arise about its features' breadth and scanning depth.

By simulating real-world attack scenarios on live applications, Qualys DAST identifies vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other security flaws before attackers can exploit them.

DAST is a part of this strategy of protecting left, then attacking right. - Aleksandr Krasnov,
Principal Security Engineer at Meta

But is it the best fit for your needs? Or could other tools offer a better balance of performance and usability?

In this blog, we’ll unravel the key features of Qualys DAST, analyze its strengths and limitations, and spotlight some innovative alternatives to Qualys DAST, so you can make an informed choice and stay ahead in the AppSec game.

What is Qualys DAST?

Qualys DAST is one of the most widely used Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) solutions on the market. As a cloud-based tool, it is designed to identify vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs by simulating real-world attack scenarios.

Unlike static analysis tools, which examine code without execution, DAST interacts directly with live, running applications to uncover security flaws such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and misconfigurations that could expose sensitive data. With support for a variety of application types, including Single Page Applications (SPAs) and APIs, Qualys DAST offers broad compatibility for modern development environments.

As highlighted in Escape’s blog on DAST challenges, “Organizations often underestimate the operational complexity of implementing effective DAST, leading to limited adoption despite its potential.” While Qualys DAST offers robust scanning capabilities, its value comes from how well it is understood and used - a process that requires a lot of dedication and a clear strategy. Qualys provides an array of resources to help users navigate and maximize the tool’s potential. It doesn't require a steep learning curve for beginners, you can find multiple tutorials available on YouTube and even pass certification exams.

For many security engineers, Qualys DAST is a go-to choice for dynamic application testing, often favored for its established brand and cost efficiency. This is particularly true for organizations already leveraging other Qualys solutions, as the integration can simplify workflows and reduce expenses.

How does Qualys DAST work?

Qualys DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) is a security testing solution designed to identify vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs. Using a "black-box" approach, it evaluates an application from an external perspective, simulating how an attacker might exploit potential weaknesses.

Here’s how Qualys DAST works in a typical testing cycle:

1. Scanning the Application

First, you need to add an API or an application to Qualys DAST and configure the right parameters and tests that you wish to perform:

Then, Qualys DAST begins by scanning the target web application, identifying critical entry points like URLs, forms, and APIs. Through dynamic analysis, it observes how the application behaves when interacted with, looking for vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection (SQLi), Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). This process helps map the attack surface and pinpoints potential entry points for attackers.

2. Simulating Attacks

In order to simulate real-world threats, Qualys DAST sends requests to the application to mimic attack patterns. It attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the same way an actual attacker would. While this method can uncover common vulnerabilities, it may struggle with more complex or emerging threats that fall outside established attack patterns.

3. Detecting Vulnerabilities

Qualys DAST assesses the application’s responses to identify security flaws. The tool is designed to detect common vulnerabilities like OWASP Top 10. However, it may produce lots of false positives, especially with complex or less common vulnerabilities, which can require additional effort to validate.

4. Reporting and Remediation Recommendations

After testing, Qualys DAST generates detailed reports outlining the vulnerabilities it has found. The reports include severity ratings and suggested remediation steps. While useful, these recommendations can sometimes be generic and may not provide the specific guidance developers need to resolve issues efficiently, requiring additional interpretation and customization.

5. Integration with CI/CD Pipelines

For organizations that integrate security testing into their development cycles, Qualys DAST can be connected to CI/CD pipelines. In this demo, you can view how to set it up in CI/CD. This integration allows for early detection of vulnerabilities as part of the development process. However, given the tool's lengthy scanning times, it may not be well-suited for fast-paced development environments where speed is critical.

Key features of Qualys DAST

Qualys DAST comes with a set of features designed to help identify vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs.

I think DAST is a good tool for AppSec. Like everything, pros and cons. It's important to understand how it fits into your overall security program. That context allows you to tune it properly and increase the signal-to-noise ratio. - Engineering Manager, Product Security at a FinTech organization

Let’s take a closer look at some of the key features:

1. Scanning capabilities

Qualys DAST is effective at detecting common vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). When setting up a scan, you must select the vulnerability types you want to test for by configuring an option profile (see below).

While the tool offers a solid baseline for security testing, it might not always detect emerging threats or provide deep insights into custom or highly complex applications.

2. Automation

Qualys DAST supports automation and CI/CD integration, as we mentioned in the previous section, which allows organizations to schedule recurring scans for their web applications and APIs. This can be especially useful for teams that need to run regular tests across multiple applications. However, its scalability may be limited for larger organizations with a high volume of applications, as the scanning process can be resource-intensive and time-consuming.

3. Managing scan results

Qualys DAST offers a central dashboard for reviewing scan results, which can be helpful in managing vulnerabilities across multiple applications. The tool allows you to categorize and tag applications for better organization. Proper configuration and manual intervention may be required to ensure the results are actionable.

4. Integration with other tools

Qualys DAST offers integration with several platforms, enabling web application scanning through plugins. For instance, it can work with tools like TeamCity, Bamboo, Jira, Splunk, and ServiceNow, enhancing visibility and improving vulnerability management. The extent of integration may vary based on the specific platforms in use. Some users may need to perform additional configuration or customization to fully maximize the benefits of these integrations.

5. Compliance Support

Qualys DAST includes some support for compliance-related scans, helping organizations identify vulnerabilities that may impact regulatory requirements like PCI-DSS and HIPAA.

Limitations of Qualys DAST

Qualys DAST offers standard features for web application security testing but has several limitations organizations should consider:

Lengthy scanning time

Many Application Security engineers we spoke with highlighted frustration over Qualys DAST's lengthy scanning processes, which struggle to keep up with modern development cycles.

High false positives and missed business logic flaws

While Qualys DAST can identify common vulnerabilities, it often produces too many false positives and misses more nuanced issues, such as business logic flaws. These gaps can leave critical vulnerabilities undetected, increasing the risk of attacks.

Lack of native API support

Qualys DAST does not handle APIs natively and only supports REST and SOAP APIs. To conduct thorough API security testing, you need to manually upload API schemas to start scans, and you must create a profile specifically configured for API testing, which includes the 30 tests aligned with the OWASP API Top 10.

Qualys DAST capabilities for APIs depend heavily on the presence of an accurate Swagger file and a predefined schema.

It's important to note that API compliance tests on the image below are currently only available in Beta, limiting full coverage in certain cases.

Limited actionable remediation for developers

While Qualys DAST provides remediation guidance, the details are often generic and presented in plain text, without offering tailored code snippets or actionable insights. This increases the workload for developers, making it harder to fix vulnerabilities efficiently.

Top alternatives to Qualys DAST

While Qualys DAST is a widely used tool for dynamic application security testing, several alternatives provide different features and benefits that may better suit specific organizational needs.

DAST can be effective, but its success often depends on how the tools used, the scope defined, and the application being tested. - Product Security Engineer at an American software company

Potential alternatives to Qualys DAST are Escape, Invicti, StackHawk, and Indusface WAS. Below is a breakdown for each:

Escape

Escape offers a unique approach to DAST scanning, emphasizing fast deployment and business logic testing. Compared to Qualys DAST, its business logic algorithm ensures accurate detection of complex vulnerabilities, particularly in modern API types like GraphQL which Qualys doesn't support. What really makes it stand out in comparison is that, Escape automatically generates and updates API documentation, eliminating the need for manual configuration or maintenance, and keeping the system synced with your app's evolving architecture.

Once a scan is completed, Escape prioritizes vulnerabilities based on business context, data sensitivity, and exposure, providing actionable remediation code snippets (which Qualys doesn't).

Additionally, Escape enhances DAST scanning with agentless API discovery, offering seamless integration and immediate testing without complex setup or ongoing maintenance.

You can find the in-depth comparison between Escape and Qualys here.

Invicti (formerly Netsparker)

Invicti is known for its automated web application and API security testing, offering continuous scanning and real-time vulnerability detection. Its DAST scanner is a part of the overall vulnerability scanning platform with IAST and SCA. Compared to Qualys DAST, Invicti emphasizes faster continuous monitoring, which can be beneficial for organizations seeking ongoing security assessments.

StackHawk

StackHawk provides a developer-first approach to DAST, where you can your running app for security bugs with a single Docker command. Unlike Qualys DAST, which often requires more manual configuration, StackHawk is optimized for security testing integrated into the development pipeline. StackHawk’s flexibility allows teams to easily configure and run tests, whereas Qualys DAST may involve a more rigid setup.

Indusface WAS

Indusface WAS provides a thorough approach to web application security testing, including vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and compliance assessments. Unlike Qualys DAST, Indusface stands out with its emphasis on more detailed penetration testing and compliance checks, making it a strong choice for organizations that require more in-depth testing and alignment with regulatory standards.

Why choose an alternative over Qualys DAST?

Choosing an alternative to Qualys DAST can make sense for organizations that need more specialized capabilities or find that Qualys DAST's limitations hinder their ability to effectively secure web applications and APIs. Key reasons to consider alternatives include:

1. Faster Deployment: Some alternatives provide faster setup with no required manual spec upload, enabling quicker scan initiation and smoother integration into CI/CD pipelines.
2. Better Support for Business Logic and Complex APIs: Qualys DAST may struggle to detect complex vulnerabilities like business logic flaws, which are more effectively addressed by alternatives with specialized business logic testing algorithms.
3. Lower False Positive Rates: Alternatives offer more advanced scanning and detection capabilities, minimizing false positives, which can be a common frustration with Qualys DAST.
4. Comprehensive API Security: Qualys DAST's API testing is often seen as limited, especially when dealing with complex API types such as GraphQL. It also doesn't support agentless API discovery.
5. Customization and Flexibility: Some competitors offer more flexibility in terms of integration with various development and security tools, enabling smoother workflows and easier automation. These solutions may better suit organizations that require greater control over their security testing processes.

Overall, while Qualys DAST is a widely used tool, the limitations around deployment time, false positives, and complex API testing make some of its alternatives a more suitable option for certain organizations.

If you're exploring different options for DAST, it may be worth considering how these alternatives align with your requirements and workflows.

Take a moment with our team and see directly during a demo why Escape is a better choice for your DAST.

💡Want to learn more? Discover the following articles:

• DAST is dead, why Business Logic Security Testing takes center stage
• Reinventing API security: Why Escape is better than traditional DAST tools
• We benchmarked DAST products, and this is what we learned
• Escape vs StackHawk