Rapid7, has introduced Browser Emulation Scanning Technology (BEST) for scanning Web applications for vulnerabilities in JavaScript code. With BEST, Rapid7 takes NeXpose’s robust, automatic Web spidering and analysis capabilities to the next level, and is the first to provide a vulnerability scanning solution that analyzes JavaScript code in deployed, running Web applications.

Rapid7 developed BEST in response to the increased use of Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) for dynamic Web programming, which makes Web sites and applications vulnerable to Document Object Model or DOM-based cross-site scripting (XSS) and other risks. DOM-based XSS allows an attacker to trick a Web application into emitting malicious JavaScript or HTML code that appears to come from the application when it runs in the browser of an unsuspecting user.

NeXpose thinks like the browser and performs static analyses of the JavaScript code embedded in Web applications. As a result, NeXpose uncovers exposures not found by other vulnerability assessment solutions, which only scan for vulnerabilities at the server and application levels.

 “With the explosion of AJAX for developing interactive Web applications, there is more complex, rich-client functionality via JavaScript, which creates further opportunities for exposures that can put organizations at risk,” said Alan Matthews, president of Rapid7 LLC. “Web 2.0 contains numerous threats, such as DOM-based cross-site scripting, race conditions, cross-site request forgery (XSRF) and data manipulation. NeXpose eliminates these threats by taking a multi-pronged approach that includes front and back-end scanning of the Web server, Web applications and the embedded JavaScript code.”

“Because Web applications are frequently modified, they are more susceptible to vulnerabilities, particularly within their source code,” stated Neil MacDonald, VP and Distinguished Analyst, Gartner. “The increasing use of rich user interface designs in AJAX-based Web applications means that JavaScript source code scanning must become a standard part of Web application security scanning.”