Rapid7 Introduces Browser Emulation Scanning Technology (BEST) for Detecting JavaScript Code Vulnerabilities in Web Applications

Rapid7 is First to Deliver a Vulnerability Scanning Solution That Analyzes Code in Deployed Web Applications

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rapid7, provider of the award-winning NeXpose enterprise vulnerability management solution, today introduces 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.”

Rapid7’s BEST is available in the current release of NeXpose, Version 4.1. Future NeXpose releases will extend BEST coverage to Adobe/Macromedia Flash and ActionScript.

About NeXpose

The award-winning NeXpose enterprise vulnerability management solution scans Web server applications, Databases, Operating Systems, and Network Devices to locate threats, assess their risk to the environment, devise a remediation plan and implement the ticketing process. NeXpose incorporates an expert system to build a knowledge base of facts on the environment it’s exploring and model potential targeted attacks to expose all existing threats. NeXpose provides reporting capabilities that ensure compliance with governmental regulations and corporate security configuration policies. NeXpose PCI Compliance services meet the security scanning requirements of the MasterCard Site Data Protection (SDP) Program.

About Rapid7

Rapid7 was founded in 1999 by a team of software industry veterans who were major contributors to product development and subsequent growth and success at Percussion Software, Bond Technologies and Stride & Associates. Rapid7 launched NeXpose, its award-winning enterprise vulnerability management solution, in 2001. Since introduced, NeXpose has been sold to over 130 organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Rapid7 sells NeXpose to corporate enterprises, Global 2000 companies, and government entities, and serves the full range of vertical markets.

Rapid7 is headquartered in Boston, MA, with offices in California and the United Kingdom. For more information on the company and its product, NeXpose, visit http://www.rapid7.com.