OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy)

As of 2026, OWASP ZAP (now transitioned under the Software Security Project) remains the preeminent Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tool in the global market. Its architecture is built around a man-in-the-middle proxy that intercepts and inspects HTTP/HTTPS traffic between the user's browser and the web application. Technically, ZAP distinguishes itself through its modular 'Automation Framework,' which allows security engineers to define complex scanning logic using YAML configurations, perfectly aligning with modern CI/CD pipelines. It supports a wide array of scanning techniques including active scanning for injection attacks, passive scanning for configuration weaknesses, and specialized fuzzing for edge-case discovery. The 2026 market position of ZAP is bolstered by its deep integration capabilities with GraalVM for high-performance scripting and its 'Heads Up Display' (HUD), which overlays security information directly onto the browser. While commercial competitors exist, ZAP's extensibility via its Marketplace and its lack of licensing costs make it the foundational tool for both independent security researchers and enterprise-grade DevSecOps teams looking to shift security left without the proprietary overhead.