On-demand application pentests
Obtain a scoped test and compliance-ready report without a lengthy manual scheduling cycle.
Independent tool overview
XBOW at a glance
XBOW is an autonomous offensive-security platform that maps web applications and APIs, attempts scoped attacks, validates exploitable vulnerabilities, and returns reproducible evidence and remediation guidance.
Visit the official XBOW site ↗
- Best for
- Security teams testing web apps and APIs
- Core use
- Autonomous penetration testing
- Entry price
- On-demand pentests from $4,000
- Procurement
- Direct or major cloud marketplaces
Overview
What XBOW is
XBOW uses coordinated AI agents and offensive-security tools to conduct penetration tests against web applications and APIs. After a team defines an authorized target and supplies useful context such as credentials, API specifications, and architecture notes, the platform maps the attack surface, explores possible paths, and attempts to prove which weaknesses are genuinely exploitable.
The product emphasizes validated findings rather than speculative alerts: independent validators confirm exploits, and teams can inspect the attack path and supporting evidence. XBOW offers on-demand engagements for point-in-time needs and an enterprise platform for continuous portfolio coverage, APIs, governance, and integrations.
Use cases
Who XBOW is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Continuous offensive testing
Retest frequently as applications and APIs change instead of relying on a single annual snapshot.
Large application portfolios
Coordinate testing and validated findings across many internet-facing assets through one platform and API.
Capabilities
Core XBOW features
Autonomous attack mapping
Builds a live view of pages, endpoints, parameters, authentication flows, and possible attack paths.
Coordinated specialist agents
Directs focused workers to explore and chain vulnerabilities in parallel.
Exploit validation
Uses independent validators and working proofs to confirm exploitability before surfacing a finding.
Reproducible findings
Shows the attack path, evidence, decision log, mitigation guidance, and information needed to reproduce the issue.
Retesting
Runs targeted checks against remediated vulnerabilities to confirm that fixes hold.
API and security integrations
Supports programmatic assessments plus enterprise workflows with Microsoft Sentinel and Security Copilot.
Process
How the XBOW workflow works
Step 1
Authorize and scope
Identify assets the organization owns or is explicitly permitted to test, then define boundaries and safety requirements.
Step 2
Provide context
Add URLs, credentials, API specifications, architecture notes, and other information that can deepen coverage.
Step 3
Run the assessment
XBOW maps the application, coordinates attack agents, and validates potential exploits within the approved scope.
Step 4
Remediate and retest
Review evidence and mitigation guidance, fix confirmed issues, and run focused retests before closing findings.
Cost
XBOW pricing and free plan
XBOW Pentest On-Demand starts at $4,000. Enterprise pricing is usage based and scoped to the customer's environment, coverage, and portfolio. XBOW is also sold through AWS, Google, Oracle, and Microsoft cloud marketplaces.
Pentest On-Demand
From $4,000
A self-service, point-in-time autonomous penetration test with results targeted within five business days.
- Validated reproducible findings
- Mitigation guidance
- Integrated retesting
- Compliance-ready documentation
Enterprise
Custom usage-based quote
Continuous offensive-security coverage sized to the environment and application portfolio.
- Portfolio-scale testing
- Console and API
- Advanced scope controls
- Enterprise integrations
- Cloud marketplace procurement
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
XBOW strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Attempts to prove exploitability instead of sending teams a large list of unverified possibilities
- Can repeat tests more frequently than a traditional scheduled engagement
- Provides evidence, attack traces, remediation guidance, and retesting in the same workflow
- Supports API-driven testing and procurement through major cloud marketplaces
What to consider
- The $4,000 starting price and quote-based enterprise plan target organizations rather than individual developers
- Testing quality depends on stable, accessible applications and the context and credentials supplied
- Autonomous testing cannot cover every business-logic, social-engineering, physical, or organizational risk
- Active exploitation must be tightly scoped and used only with explicit authorization and appropriate operational safeguards
Compare
XBOW alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Coding
Claude Security
Choose Claude Security when the primary need is repository-level vulnerability analysis and proposed code fixes.
Explore Claude Security →Agents
Codex Security
Choose Codex Security for agentic source-code scanning, validation, and patching workflows.
Explore Codex Security →Coding
DryRun Security
Choose Dryrun Security for developer-focused code security context inside the pull-request workflow.
Explore DryRun Security →Questions
XBOW FAQs
What does XBOW test?
XBOW is designed to assess web applications and APIs, including common flaws such as injection, cross-site scripting, server-side request forgery, exposed credentials, misconfigurations, and chained attack paths.
Does XBOW replace a human penetration tester?
It automates substantial application pentesting and includes validated evidence, but organizations may still need human-led work for specialized business logic, broader threat scenarios, governance, and compliance requirements. XBOW says marketplace engagements include final human expert review.
How much does XBOW cost?
XBOW says Pentest On-Demand starts at $4,000. Continuous enterprise pricing is usage based and requires a quote scoped to the environment.
Can XBOW retest a fixed vulnerability?
Yes. Retests focus on the relevant attack types or checks to verify whether a reported issue has been fully remediated.
Is XBOW safe to run against production?
XBOW documents scope controls, non-destructive validation, audit trails, and configurable safeguards, but each organization remains responsible for authorization, boundaries, credentials, monitoring, and change-management controls.
Bottom line
Our XBOW verdict
XBOW is a compelling option for security teams that want faster, repeatable application pentesting with evidence that findings are exploitable. Its strongest value is continuous validation across changing applications, but it should sit inside a mature, explicitly authorized security program rather than be treated as a replacement for all human testing and risk management.
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