Automated XSS Detection and Remediation with AccuKnox DAST¶

This guide demonstrates how to integrate AccuKnox's DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) Scanner into a CI/CD pipeline to automatically detect and remediate Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in web applications. By embedding security testing into the development workflow, organizations can proactively prevent exploitation of client-side injection flaws before they reach production.

🔗 Check it out on GitHub Marketplace: AccuKnox DAST Scanner

Scenario: Real-World Attack Example¶

Imagine an attacker exploiting an XSS vulnerability on a live application. Our simulation will target a test environment using http://testphp.vulnweb.com/, a deliberately vulnerable web application. An attacker injects a malicious script payload (<script>alert('XSS')</script>) into a user input field, causing an unsuspecting visitor's browser to execute arbitrary JavaScript.

Such vulnerabilities can lead to session hijacking, sensitive data theft, or full account takeover.

Objective¶

The purpose of this guide is to:

Detect XSS vulnerabilities early using AccuKnox DAST.
Automate security validation in the development pipeline.
Reduce manual testing efforts and prevent security breaches before deployment.

Tools¶

AccuKnox -- CNAPP platform
GitHub Actions -- CI/CD platform (similar to GitLab CI, Jenkins, etc.)

Steps Overview¶

Here's a high-level overview of what we will implement:

Manual Setup: Manually identify an XSS vulnerability.
Integrate DAST into GitHub Actions: Automatically find vulnerabilities.
Before vs After Integration: Understand the value gained by proactive security.
Viewing Findings: Analyze results on the AccuKnox SaaS dashboard.
Remediation Workflow: Fix issues, create tickets, and verify remediation.

1. Setup: Manual Identification of XSS¶

Open http://testphp.vulnweb.com/.
Locate a vulnerable input field (e.g., search bar, feedback form).
Inject the payload:

<script>alert('XSS')</script>
Submit the form.

If the injected script executes and you see an alert pop-up saying "XSS", the site is vulnerable.

2. GitHub Actions Workflow Integration (AccuKnox DAST)¶

Now let's automate detection using GitHub Actions.

Create a GitHub Actions workflow at .github/workflows/dast.yml:

name: AccuKnox DAST Scan Workflow

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - dast

jobs:
  tests:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@main

      - name: Accuknox DAST
        uses: accuknox/dast-scan-action@v1.0.0
        with:
          accuknox_token: ${{ secrets.ACCUKNOX_TOKEN }}
          accuknox_endpoint: ${{ secrets.ACCUKNOX_ENDPOINT }}
          tenant_id: ${{ secrets.ACCUKNOX_TENANT_ID }}
          label: ${{ secrets.ACCUKNOX_LABEL }}
          target_url: "http://testphp.vulnweb.com/"
          scan_type: "full-scan"

3. Before Integration: Challenges and Risks¶

Without integrating security scanning into CI/CD:

Vulnerabilities go undetected until post-deployment.
Attack surface grows over time.
Manual pentesting becomes a bottleneck.
Longer fix cycles after vulnerabilities are exploited.

4. After Integration: Benefits¶

After automating DAST scans with AccuKnox:

Immediate feedback allows developers to fix issues faster.
Reduced time-to-fix XSS and other vulnerabilities.
Continuous improvement of your security posture.

5. Viewing Findings on AccuKnox SaaS¶

After a scan completes:

Log into AccuKnox and navigate to Issues → Findings.
Filter by Data Type: DAST Scan and search for the findings related to your repository.
Review:
- Vulnerabilities Detected: Including the XSS issue.
- Severity Ratings: Critical, High, Medium, Low.
- Evidence: Request/Response details showing the injected payload behavior.

Tip: Use the filtering options to prioritize Critical and High vulnerabilities first.

6. Remediating the Vulnerability¶

6.1 Create a Ticket¶

You can create a ticket directly from AccuKnox Findings by integrating your organization's ticketing system (Jira, ServiceNow, etc.) with AccuKnox.
This ensures vulnerabilities detected during scans are automatically or manually ticketed for tracking and resolution.
Refer to the integration guide for setup: 🔗 AccuKnox Jira Cloud Integration Guide

6.2 Fix the Code¶

Developers sanitize user inputs (e.g., using HTML escaping libraries).
Implement input validation and output encoding best practices.

Example in JavaScript:

function sanitizeInput(input) {
  return input.replace(/</g, "&lt;").replace(/>/g, "&gt;");
}

6.3 Re-Scanning¶

Trigger the GitHub Action for the DAST scan.
Monitor if the XSS issue is no longer detected.

6.4 Verification¶

In AccuKnox SaaS, check the latest scan.
Confirm the previous vulnerability has disappeared from the findings list.
Mark the Jira ticket as Resolved.

Conclusion¶

By integrating AccuKnox DAST Scanning into your CI/CD workflows, you achieve:

Fast and automatic detection of XSS and other vulnerabilities.
Proactive security validation at every stage of development.
Reduced risk of web application breaches and compliance failures.

Integrating security into the pipeline ensures that vulnerabilities like XSS are caught early, remediated quickly, and prevented from ever reaching your production environments.