KeygraphHQ has released Shannon, an open-source AI tool that automates penetration testing for web applications.

It scans source code, runs reconnaissance with Nmap, and executes actual exploits to confirm vulnerabilities like injection attacks and authentication bypasses.

Core Functionality

Shannon operates as a fully autonomous agent powered by Anthropic’s Claude models. Users provide a target URL and repository path, then launch it via a single command using Docker containers.

The tool handles everything from 2FA logins to browser-based attacks without human input.

It integrates security staples like Nmap for port scanning, Subfinder for subdomain enumeration, WhatWeb for tech fingerprinting, and Schemathesis for API fuzzing.

This enhances its reconnaissance phase, mapping attack surfaces by combining code analysis with live probing.

Shannon follows a four-phase process orchestrated by Temporal for reliability. First, reconnaissance builds an attack surface map from source code and real-time exploration.

Next, parallel vulnerability analysis agents target OWASP risks like XSS, SSRF, injection, and broken authentication.

Exploitation agents then validate findings with live attacks, discarding unproven issues under a “No Exploit, No Report” rule.

Finally, it generates pentester-grade reports with copy-paste proofs-of-concept, stored in audit logs.

Workspaces allow resuming interrupted runs and checkpointing progress via Git commits. Configuration files support custom auth flows, TOTP secrets, and retry limits for API rate management.

On the hint-free XBOW benchmark, Shannon Lite scored 96.15% success (100/104 exploits) in white-box mode.

Real-world tests uncovered over 20 critical flaws in OWASP Juice Shop, including full auth bypass and database exfiltration via injection.

It also compromised Checkmarx c{api}tal API with 15 high-severity issues and OWASP crAPI through JWT attacks and SSRF. Runs take 1-1.5 hours at about $50 using Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

Deployment and Limits

Setup requires Docker and an Anthropic API key. Clone the repo, set credentials in .env, place target code in ./repos/, and run ./shannon start URL=http://target REPO=app. Monitor via logs or Temporal UI at localhost:8233.

Lite edition uses AGPL-3.0 license for self-testing; Pro adds CI/CD and deeper analysis. Warnings stress sandbox use only exploits can mutate data and mandate authorization to avoid legal risks.

Shannon bridges the gap between rapid AI-assisted coding and infrequent manual pentests. By proving exploits autonomously, it enables continuous testing, reducing production risks from unpatched flaws.

Experts praise its false-positive elimination but urge human review for hallucinations. As development speeds up, tools like this make offensive security scalable for all teams.

Follow us on Google News , LinkedIn and X to Get More Instant Updates. Set Cyberpress as a Preferred Source in Google.