The WVS Main Interface

The following sections contain detailed descriptions of the different parts of the Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner.

3.2.1 Layout

Screenshot 23 – The Acunetix WVS Main Interface Layout

The Main Interface includes all the main features needed to operate the application and conduct your audits. From this interface you can launch a new scan, access the individual tools of the application and configure all settings and options.

3.2.2 Navigation

Navigation in Acunetix WVS is performed through the Toolbar and the various nodes in the Tools Explorer panel.

3.2.3 Toolbar

Screenshot 24 – The Acunetix WVS Toolbar

Found below the menu bar, at the top, the Toolbar contains quick access buttons (represented by a number of icons) that allow quick access to the main tools of the application, to settings and to main operation of the product – that of starting a new scan.

You will note the following icons/buttons on the toolbar:

New Scan – Access the Scan Wizard to start a new scan.

Web Scanner – Access the Web Scanner tool to launch a scan manual instead of using the Scan Wizard.

Site Crawler – Access the Site Crawler tool. Target Finder – Access the Target Finder tool.

Subdomain Scanner – Access the Subdomain Scanner tool. HTTP Editor – Access the HTTP Editor tool.

HTTP Sniffer – Access the HTTP Sniffer tool. HTTP Fuzzer – Access the HTTP Fuzzer tool.

Authentication Tester – Access the Authentication Tester tool. Compare Results – Access the Compare Results tool.

Web Services Scanner – Access the Web Services Scanner tool. Web Services Editor – Access the Web Services Editor tool. Settings – Access the configuration settings area of the application. Scanning Profile – Access the Scanning Profiles configuration. Scheduler – Access the Acunetix WVS Scheduler application.

3.2.4 Tools Explorer

Screenshot 25 – The Tools Explorer

As will be seen throughout this manual, the Tools Explorer is central to navigating within Acunetix WVS. The Tools Explorer is laid out in a hierarchical tree of nodes (branches) and corresponding sub-nodes (sub- branches). Each sub-node has a parent node which categorizes the structure in sections.

The tree structure has four main nodes:

Tools – This node category contains all the tools available in the application.

Web Services – This node category contains all the tools related to web services available in the application.

Configuration – This node category contains the configuration settings of the application and also the Scanning Profiles configuration settings.

General – This node category contains general application information and links to the support centre.

The convention used to denote a particular node and sub-node throughout this manual

is referenced in the following manner: Node > Sub-Node. For example the “Settings”

sub-node is child to the parent node “Configuration”. Hence, to denote the Settings

3.2.5 Main Area

Screenshot 26 – The Acunetix WVS Main Area

The Main Area of the application will show the current active screen depending on your selection from the toolbar or the tools explorer. It, therefore, varies according to the tool and feature you are using.

3.2.6 Activity Window

Screenshot 27 – The Activity Window

The Activity Window at the bottom will show the current activity of the application in real time. This section is subdivided into two tabs:

 Application LogTab – This tab includes real-time information on all tools and any informational messages.

 Error LogTab – This tab shows any errors occurring during the scan or the use of any of the tools.

3.2.7 Status Bar

Screenshot 28 – The Acunetix WVS Status Bar

The Status Bar found at the bottom of the Main Interface provides summary information of the current running tool in the application.

This information is shown entirely through the operation of all tools so that you always have an immediate overview of the current activity and status of the application.

3.2.8 Hiding Panels

The Tools Explorer and the Activity Window panels can be hidden in order to obtain more space in the main panel. This is extremely useful when working in low resolution modes.

To hide a panel simply click on the icon at the edge of the panel.

Screenshot 29 – Hide Panel Icon

This will trigger the panel‟s auto-hide mode. Moving the mouse to the main panel will auto-hide the panel and moving the mouse to the edge where the panel was will bring it into focus again. To change the panel‟s behavior to fixed mode again, simply click on the icon again.

The auto-hide panel mode is available to other panels throughout the application which have the icon.

3.2.9 Context Menus

Many of the nodes used in the Tools Explorer and also in the tools themselves contain useful Context Menus. Accessed directly by right-click, these menus are contextual in the sense that they allow access to specific actions tied to a particular node.

Screenshot 30 – The Web Scanner Context Menu

For example, the context menu of the Web Scanner node in the Tools Explorer contains several options regarding the scan results and also an option to start a new scan or load saved scan results.

Screenshot 31 – The Site Crawler Context Menu

In this example, the context menu of the Site Crawler node contains options which let you save and load crawl results.