# StackHawk **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/stackhawk **Vertical:** Security **Subcategory:** DAST for Developers **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** stackhawk.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary StackHawk is a developer-oriented DAST platform that runs dynamic application security tests in CI/CD pipelines to find exploitable vulnerabilities before deployment. ## Company Overview StackHawk is a dynamic application security testing platform built specifically for developer teams, designed to run DAST scans automatically within CI/CD pipelines so that exploitable vulnerabilities in running applications are caught before code reaches production rather than discovered later through manual penetration testing or bug bounty reports. Traditional DAST tools were built for security professionals running quarterly manual assessments against production systems — StackHawk repackages DAST as a developer workflow that runs on every build, finding the same class of runtime vulnerabilities that pen testers find but continuously rather than periodically. The platform tests running application instances for SQL injection, cross-site scripting, authentication flaws, API security issues, and other vulnerability classes that can only be detected by actually sending attack payloads to a live application. StackHawk's configuration-as-code approach allows teams to define scan parameters — authentication flows, API schemas, test scope, and custom attack rules — in YAML files stored in the application repository alongside the code being tested. This developer-native configuration model means that scan coverage evolves with the application automatically as new API endpoints are added to the OpenAPI spec, without requiring a security team to manually update scan configuration after every development sprint. The platform produces findings in a developer-friendly interface that includes request/response details and remediation guidance specific to the vulnerability class, reducing the investigation time between receiving a finding and understanding how to fix it. StackHawk is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and targets engineering teams at software companies and technology-forward enterprises that want to add continuous DAST coverage to their CI/CD pipelines alongside existing SAST and SCA tools. The platform integrates with GitHub Actions, Jenkins, CircleCI, and other major CI/CD systems, and sends findings to Jira and Slack for developer-native remediation workflows. StackHawk competes with Invicti, Bright Security, and Burp Suite Enterprise in the DAST market, differentiating through its explicit developer experience design and its CI/CD-native deployment model that prioritizes shift-left testing over traditional scheduled scan approaches. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How is StackHawk different from traditional DAST tools like Burp Suite? StackHawk is designed to run automatically in CI/CD pipelines on every build, with configuration-as-code that developers manage themselves — whereas traditional DAST tools like Burp Suite are built for security professionals running manual assessments on a periodic schedule rather than automated developer workflows. ### What is StackHawk and who is it designed for? StackHawk is a DAST (dynamic application security testing) platform built specifically for developers and DevSecOps teams — providing fast, CI/CD-integrated security scanning that developers run on their own code rather than waiting for security team review. StackHawk's self-service model enables security testing at the pace of modern development. ### How does StackHawk integrate with CI/CD pipelines? StackHawk runs as a Docker container that integrates natively into GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI, Jenkins, and other CI/CD platforms. Scans run automatically on pull requests or deployment pipelines, with configurable security gates that fail builds when critical vulnerabilities are discovered. ### How does StackHawk handle API testing? StackHawk uses OpenAPI and GraphQL schema definitions to intelligently test all API endpoints — generating security test cases from the API contract rather than crawling the application blindly. This schema-driven approach achieves comprehensive API coverage and eliminates the configuration overhead of manually defining test cases for each endpoint. ### What authentication mechanisms does StackHawk support? StackHawk supports API key, OAuth, form-based login, and custom authentication scripts — allowing scans to reach authenticated application sections where most business logic vulnerabilities exist. Authentication configuration is stored in the StackHawk YAML config and version-controlled alongside application code. ### What vulnerabilities does StackHawk find? StackHawk finds OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs — including SQL injection, XSS, SSRF, broken authentication, security misconfigurations, and sensitive data exposure. Findings include request/response details and remediation guidance to help developers understand and fix issues without security expertise. ### How is StackHawk priced? StackHawk offers a free plan for a single application and paid team and enterprise plans priced per application per month. The accessible pricing model makes DAST available to startups and growth-stage companies that need automated security testing but cannot invest in expensive enterprise security tools. ### What compliance standards does StackHawk help address? StackHawk's automated DAST scanning supports evidence collection for PCI DSS requirement 6.6 (web application security testing), SOC 2 CC7.1 (vulnerability management), and OWASP-aligned application security programs — providing documented scan history and finding remediation trails for compliance purposes. ## Tags security, cybersecurity, saas, b2b, developer-tools, platform, developer-tools, startup, automation --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*