Authenticated DAST: how to test the paths your users actually reach

Authenticated DAST tests protected application paths with identities approved for the project. In Workbench, attach authorized login flows, session material, or role pairs before a run. Review findings with their HTTP Records and any OAST callbacks, and keep every target within the project’s authorization.

What should an authenticated assessment answer?

An authenticated assessment can help a team review which routes an authorized user can reach, how the application enforces permissions after login, and whether a reported behavior has evidence that engineers can inspect.

The project owner defines which hosts and paths the assessment can reach. Add discovered routes deliberately before testing them.

How should you set scope before authentication?

Put the target in the Project that owns the authorization. This keeps the target, findings, HTTP Records, and Scan journal entries together.

Review the approved application and API hosts, allowed paths, exclusions, and test environment. A discovered URL or redirect needs explicit approval before it becomes a target.

Which identities can you configure?

Use dedicated identities approved for the assessment. Workbench supports username and password flows, session material issued for the assessment, and role pairs for comparing two authorized users.

Store credentials in Workbench identity controls. Keep production user sessions and personal browser cookies out of the assessment.

How do you review authenticated findings?

Open the finding with its HTTP Records. Review the route, request method, headers, parameters, response behavior, and relevant authentication context. If the assessment produced an OAST callback, review it in the same project.

Severity and confidence help prioritize review. The captured evidence gives engineering the details needed to understand the route and decide what to change.

What steps make up an authenticated assessment?

1. Confirm authorization for the application and test identity.
2. Create or select the project that owns the target.
3. Add the approved target, profile, modules, and identity.
4. Review the settings, then run the assessment within the approved scope.
5. Review findings alongside their HTTP Records and OAST callbacks.
6. Export SARIF or CSV when results need to enter a ticketing or CI workflow.
7. After remediation, run the check again within the same approved scope.

Which practices help keep testing in scope?

Use a dedicated account or session with the access approved for the assessment. Include the protected routes the application owner wants reviewed, and check role, tenant, object-ownership, and endpoint permissions after login.

Keep request, response, and callback evidence available when sharing an export. Review it in Workbench before assigning remediation.

Where can you read more?

Read the authenticated testing guide, review findings and evidence, or request an Eresus Guard workspace for an authorized evaluation.