An alternative to unauthenticated scanners
An alternative to unauthenticated scanners: a local, on-prem alternative for Azerbaijani business — see how Argus Pentest compares.
Deep Authenticated Security Scanning
Traditional unauthenticated scanners are limited to the public surface of an application, often stopping abruptly at the login page. Argus Pentest overcomes this limitation by providing a self-hosted, authenticated dynamic security scanning solution specifically designed for enterprise web applications and their APIs. As one of the three core engines of the Argus AI testing platform, it leverages a shared runtime, model layer, credential store, and cost ledger alongside the QA and AI engines to ensure a unified and powerful testing ecosystem. By operating as a real logged-in user, the system penetrates deep into protected areas of your infrastructure that are typically invisible to standard tools. The platform ensures strict security and control by requiring an explicit allow-list of approved targets before any scan can be initiated. This approach transforms security testing from a superficial perimeter check into a comprehensive analysis of the authenticated surface, providing the visibility necessary to secure complex enterprise environments.
The Advantages of Authenticated Scanning
Deep Surface Visibility: Reaches the authenticated application layer instead of stopping at the login page.
Complete Data Sovereignty: Self-hosted deployment ensures all scan data, credentials, and reports remain on your own infrastructure.
Zero SaaS Dependency: Eliminates the risks and overhead associated with external third-party cloud dependencies.
High-Signal Reporting: Reduces noise by treating authentication failures as environment issues rather than security findings.
Strict Target Control: Prevents unauthorized scanning through a mandatory, explicit allow-list of approved targets.
Modular Flexibility: Utilizes an open-source engine via CLI contract, allowing for seamless upgrades or replacement.
Core Capabilities
Authenticated Access
Utilizes a scripted login through an encrypted credential store to obtain session cookies and bearer tokens, operating as a real logged-in user.
Synthesized API Discovery
Endpoints discovered during login and crawling seed a synthesized API specification to reach protected application layers.
AI-Driven Payloads
Integrates a model layer specifically for payload generation and finding triage using a text-in, text-out approach.
Modular Engine Architecture
Powered by the Deep Eye open-source engine via CLI contract, allowing for upgrades or replacement without affecting the platform.
Detailed Reporting
Findings are categorized by severity and delivered through comprehensive HTML and JSON reports.
The Scanning Process
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this differ from standard unauthenticated scanners?
Standard scanners typically stop at the login page. Argus Pentest uses a scripted login via an encrypted credential store to obtain session cookies and bearer tokens, allowing it to scan the internal, authenticated surface of web applications and APIs.
Where is the scan data stored and how is it secured?
The platform is entirely self-hosted. All scan data, credentials, and reports stay on your own infrastructure, removing the need for external SaaS dependencies.
How is AI integrated into the security scanning process?
The AI model is used exclusively for payload generation and finding triage. It operates on a 'text in, text out' basis and does not utilize vision capabilities.
How does the system handle authentication failures during a scan?
Following the same 'honest-failure' rule as the QA engine, a scanner that cannot authenticate is reported as an environment failure rather than a security finding.
Can I track the specific cost per individual test?
Currently, per-scan cost accounting is missing, meaning the engine cannot yet provide specific cost-per-test metrics, unlike the QA engine.
Secure Your Enterprise Applications
Move beyond the login page with Argus Pentest's self-hosted authenticated scanning.
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