AppSecDevSecOpsBinary Security

SAST vs DAST

Verified by Precogs Threat Research

Two fundamental approaches to application security testing, often debated but ultimately complementary. SAST (Static Application Security Testing) analyzes source code, bytecode, or compiled binaries without execution — finding bugs in the code itself. DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) probes a live, running application from the outside — finding bugs that only manifest at runtime. Understanding when each approach excels is critical for building a comprehensive security program.

CONCEPT · Methodology

Static Application Security Testing

SAST

Attack VectorWhite-box — analyzes source code, bytecode, or binary without execution

ImpactFinds injection flaws, hardcoded secrets, insecure patterns, and logic errors

Affected SystemsSource code or compiled binaries in any language

Exploit AvailabilityN/A — defensive tool, not an attack

Remediation ComplexityEarly in SDLC — cheapest time to fix

Real-World ImpactPrecogs Binary SAST scans compiled binaries without source code — detecting flaws in third-party and legacy code.

Binary Security
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CONCEPT · Methodology

Dynamic Application Security Testing

DAST

Attack VectorBlack-box — probes running application via HTTP/API/protocol-level inputs

ImpactFinds runtime issues: misconfigurations, auth bypass, CORS, header issues

Affected SystemsRunning web applications, APIs, network services

Exploit AvailabilityN/A — defensive tool, not an attack

Remediation ComplexityLate in SDLC — requires deployed environment

Real-World ImpactPrecogs Binary DAST performs deep runtime analysis of binaries detecting control-flow hijacking and memory corruption in production.

Binary Security
Learn more about Dynamic Application Security Testing →

🏆 Verdict

You need both — and Gartner's 2024 AST Magic Quadrant confirms that 78% of enterprises now use both SAST and DAST in their DevSecOps pipelines. SAST catches code-level flaws early (shift-left), covering injection, hardcoded secrets, and insecure API calls. DAST finds runtime and configuration issues that only appear in deployed environments: authentication bypass, CORS misconfigurations, and business logic flaws. Precogs AI uniquely performs both Binary SAST and Binary DAST — analyzing compiled applications without requiring source code, which is essential for scanning third-party libraries, firmware, and legacy systems.

🔍 Key Insights

The traditional SAST vs DAST debate misses a critical third category: Binary Analysis. 68% of application code comes from third-party libraries for which source code is unavailable. Precogs AI's Binary SAST fills this gap by analyzing compiled binaries, detecting vulnerabilities in code you didn't write and can't read.

SAST has a well-documented false positive problem: industry benchmarks show 30-70% false positive rates for traditional SAST tools. Precogs AI reduces this through AI-powered triage that contextualizes findings against the specific binary's execution paths.

DAST's key limitation is coverage: it can only test code paths that are actually reached during scanning. Studies show typical DAST scans achieve 40-60% code coverage. Combining DAST with SAST increases effective coverage to 85-95%.

At a Glance

Attribute	Static Application Security Testing	Dynamic Application Security Testing
Severity	N/A	N/A
Category	Security Testing	Security Testing
Year	Methodology	Methodology
Remediation	Early in SDLC	Late in SDLC
Precogs Domain	Binary Security	Binary Security

Detect Both in Your Codebase

Precogs AI scans source code, compiled binaries, and AI-generated code for both vulnerability classes — automatically.

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Static Application Security Testing

Dynamic Application Security Testing

🏆 Verdict

🔍 Key Insights

At a Glance

Detect Both in Your Codebase

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