Concepts
Targets
A target is the URL of a web application or website you want to scan. It acts as the starting point for scanning and managing vulnerabilities. Examples of targets include:
https://app.example.comhttp://example.com/app1https://example.com
By default, all URLs within the same domain are included in the scan, while URLs from different domains are excluded. You can refine the scope to specific subdomains or paths, such as https://admin.example.com or https://app.example.com/admin, in the Target Configuration section.
For example:
If your application makes API calls from https://app.example.com/admin/search to https://example.com/api/v2, these are considered within scope as they share the same domain (example.com). For external resources hosted on different domains, such as third-party APIs or payment gateways (e.g., auth.example-auth.com or payments.thirdparty.com), you can explicitly include them in the Allowed Hosts section to ensure a thorough scan.
This ensures all necessary resources, including APIs and third-party services, are analyzed for vulnerabilities.
Target Verification
Target Verification is a critical step because you can't scan a website without proper authorization from the owner. Before initiating a scan, it’s crucial to verify ownership of the domain to prevent unauthorized scanning. Target verification ensures that you have the necessary permissions to test the target website or application, safeguarding ethical and responsible scanning practices. Verifying your target helps prevent abuse and ensures compliance with security policies.
Scans
A scan, or vulnerability scan, is an automated process that identifies, analyzes, and reports security flaws within a web application. Using specialized tools, scans examine an application’s infrastructure and configurations to uncover potential risks like misconfigurations, exposed sensitive data, outdated software, or unpatched vulnerabilities.
The primary purpose of scans is to help organizations proactively identify weaknesses before attackers can exploit them, enabling timely remediation and improving overall security.
In ZeroThreat, the Scans section provides a comprehensive overview of all active and completed scans. From here, you can monitor the progress of ongoing scans and access detailed reports by simply clicking on a specific scan.
Additionally, the Shared Scans menu allows you to view scan reports shared by other users. This is particularly valuable in collaborative environments, where team members or clients can access relevant scan results without needing to initiate their own scans.
Organization
Organizations in ZeroThreat provide a structured way to group users, projects, and targets under a single entity, simplifying management. This setup allows you to efficiently assign roles, manage permissions, and define scopes, ensuring users have the right level of access to the resources they need.
You can create multiple organizations within a single account, each operating independently. This flexibility lets you customize settings and permissions for specific teams or projects.
For example, if a developer only needs access to start scans and view reports for a particular project, you can assign them a Contributor role within that project without granting full account access.
Data Storage Location
Storage Location refers to the physical server where your scan data and user information are stored. Choosing the right storage location is vital, especially for organizations that must comply with regulations like GDPR, which mandate storing user data within specific geographic regions.
By selecting the appropriate storage location, you ensure your data is managed securely and in line with legal and compliance requirements.
Target Technology Stack
A technology stack refers to the combination of programming languages, frameworks, and tools used to build and run an application. It typically consists of frontend technologies (such as React, Angular, or Vue.js), backend technologies (such as Node.js, PHP, or ASP.NET), and other components like databases, authentication mechanisms, and cloud services. Each application has a unique stack that determines how it functions and interacts with users.
Defining the target technology stack in ZeroThreat AI helps for better security analysis. By specifying the technologies your application relies on, ZeroThreat can generate detailed vulnerability reports and remediation steps that align with your specific setup. Selecting the correct stack ensures that you get precise recommendations tailored to your environment.
For example, if your application is built using PHP on the backend and Vue.js on the frontend, choosing these options allows ZeroThreat AI to assess security risks more effectively. If the scan detects an SQL Injection vulnerability in your PHP application, the remediation steps will include PHP-specific solutions, such as using prepared statements with PDO, along with code examples demonstrating the correct implementation. This ensures that developers can quickly understand and apply the necessary fixes based on the technologies in use.
Now that you’ve understood everything about the key concepts of security scanning your application with ZeroThreat, you’re ready to dive into action.
Head over to Quick Scan Guideto start your first scan.
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