Burp Suite is a premium vulnerability scanner that also comes with a free tool for penetration testing. Learn more about this cybersecurity bundle and the ways in which you could put it to use.
Burp Suite is a collection of system testing tools developed by PortSwigger Ltd. that can be accessed through a unified user interface. The system is equipped with both a vulnerability scanner and penetration testing utilities for use with Web applications. There are three different editions of Burp Suite available to purchase; the more expensive editions include an increased number of automated systems. The user experience for each of these three editions is exactly the same.
The Community Version of the Burp Suite
The most basic package is available for no cost, however, it only offers tools for penetration testing. Users of the Community Edition, which is the free edition, are allowed to view the paid tools; however, the buttons that activate the paid tools are disabled. The Burp Suite functions as a Web proxy as its primary mode of operation. The software is meant to be used in conjunction with a web browser, and the penetration tester is tasked with monitoring the communications that take place between the web server and the browser. It is possible for all three components to coexist on the same computing device.
Burp Suite premium editions
Both of Burp Suite’s premium plans, the Professional Edition and the Enterprise Edition, are referred to by their respective names. Both of these have a vulnerability scanner that can perform testing in an automated manner. In addition, the tools for performing penetration tests that are included in the Community Edition are also included in the two commercial editions of the product.
A testing service that was assessing the system’s security on behalf of a client would, as a general rule, employ Burp Suite Professional. On the other hand, in order to do development testing, a company that specialises in the creation of Web applications would require Burp Suite Enterprise.
What does Burp Suite do?
Burp Suite is able to monitor and steal data that is transmitted between a web server and a web browser. Tools for penetration testing and vulnerability scanning are included in the package; however, the utilities you get depend on the edition of the software that you purchase. All of the facilities that are available in cheaper plans are included in more expensive ones.
The following table details the components included in each version.
The Burp Suite Community Edition includes the following:
The straightforward organisation of the Burp Suite system’s user interface is among its most impressive qualities. You can maintain proper organisation of your work plan by accessing system research functions and attack techniques in separate tabs, which enables you to do so. On the other hand, the technology makes it possible to easily copy relevant information from a research screen and paste it into an assault feature.
The following is a list of the primary tools included in the Community Edition:
• Proxy This is the engine that powers Burp Suite and makes it possible to do research and launch attacks in any circumstance. It does this by rerouting network data through its own processor, which enables a variety of analyses to be carried out.
• Repeater Using this tool, you will be able to inject traffic into a stream and test a certain web application to determine whether or not it contains a known vulnerability. To get the most out of this programme, you would first need to construct and modify the HTTP header, then change other components, and then take note of the various answers.
• Decoder This system is capable of determining the encryption or hashing mechanism that is being utilised for passing packets, and in some cases, it can decode the packets themselves. This programme is also capable of encoding source data into a suitable format in order to conform to the standards that are utilised on a network.
• Sequencer This programme performs an analysis on the data that has been gathered and searches for “randomness.” That will allow you to figure out what patterns are purposeful and assess the value of each variation in your testing plan, which is the aim of working out what patterns are intentional. In a nutshell, it gives you the ability to determine which responses were the results of the parameters that you input into your probe run and which responses would have probably come through in the response anyhow.
• Comparer The responses are compared here. It’s possible that those responses are encoded in a way that makes them impossible to decode. Nevertheless, if a series of tests results in the same character pattern but in a different way, this points you in the right path for further investigation. Take, as an illustration, the scenario in which a brute-force password cracker receives a new response after every ten attempts; this is the path that should be pursued.
The Burp Suite Professional Edition includes the following:
The Intruder module is the most notable characteristic of the Burp Suite Professional Edition. This is an approach that combines the functions of a vulnerability scanner and a penetration testing suite. Because it is both modifiable and automated, you will be able to put up a plan that will continue to run for the required number of cycles in order to obtain results in one stage before moving on to another research phase. Attack probes can also be inserted into an Intruder run.
The Professional Edition includes a complete vulnerability scanner and also enables OAST testing. OAST is out-of-band security testing, running from external places to probe for flaws in your Web applications.
Burp Suite Enterprise Edition features
The distinctive feature of the Enterprise Edition is that it may be operated constantly and with numerous probes running simultaneously. This is an altogether separate service from those systems given by the previous two editions because it is meant as a pipeline testing service.
The Enterprise Edition can be integrated with project management and bug tracking applications, such as Jira, Jenkins, and ThreadFix. The outcome reports of this tool give recommendations on how to address the observed security flaw.
Who would utilise each Burp Suite edition?
Each bundle offered by Port Swigger is aimed towards a certain user community.
• Community Edition is a penetration testing system for use by white hat hackers
• Professional Edition is a vulnerability scanner that would appeal to IT Operations departments
• Enterprise Edition is a Web application development testing solution that can be linked into a CI/CD pipeline
As indicated previously, each higher edition contains the features of cheaper plans. So, if you buy the Enterprise edition, you also get the penetration testing tools of the Community Edition and the vulnerability management features of the Professional Edition.
The Professional Edition is not too expensive and is within the pricing range of similar vulnerability scanners for enterprises. However, the price of the Enterprise Edition is a major step up and thus would only be considered by those firms that need integrated development testing. You surely wouldn’t acquire the Enterprise Edition if you just required some pen-testing tools.
How much does it cost to use Burp Suite?
Free to download and use is the Community Edition of Burp Suite.
Because the Professional Edition is only licenced for a single user at a time, you will need to make a separate purchase for each installation. The cost is determined by the length of the subscription:
• 1 year: $399
• 2 years: $798
• 3 years: $1,197
There is no reduction in price for purchasing a longer-term licence; rather, the cost of a licence valid for two or three years is simply two or three times that of a licence valid for one year. The professional version of Burp Suite is available for a free trial period of thirty days.
There are three different iterations of the Enterprise Edition available to choose from: Starter, Grow, and Accelerate. The three plans are identical in terms of their features; the only difference is the quantity of scanning agents included in each plan. The following are the costs:
• Beginning package: five scanning agents at a cost of $6,995 per year
• Expand by 20 scanning agents at an annual cost of $14,480
• Accelerate: 50+ scanning agents — $29,450
You are able to place an order for the package with any number of scanning agents you desire. Pricing starts at $4,990 for the first agent, and then decreases to $499 for each additional agent after that. It is possible to purchase a licence for the Enterprise Edition for one, two, or even three years, just like it is with the Professional Edition. The price of a multi-year licence is simply the price of a single-year licence multiplied by the number of years the licence is valid for. Again, a free trial of Burp Suite Enterprise is available for anyone interested in evaluating the software.
Burp Suite system requirements
There is a version of Burp Suite for every major operating system, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. In order for the software to function appropriately, the host computer needs to have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.7 or a later version (64-bit edition).
For the Community Edition, the host computer should have at least 4 GB of memory, while the Professional Edition requires a host with at least 8 GB of free memory. In particular, implementations that make use of a large number of scanning agents will necessitate the installation of the Enterprise Edition on a number of different computers.
Optional Substitutes for Burp Suite
Because the Burp Suite package contains three different tools in one and can be used for a variety of tasks, determining which tool is the most suitable alternative to this one is dependent on the kind of security system that you were hoping to find in the Burp Suite bundle. As an illustration, Burp Suite is a tool for penetration testing, a vulnerability scanner, and a Web applications development testing system all rolled into one.
When searching for any of these system testing categories, there are a number of excellent tools available, and even if you are certain that Burp Suite is what you require, it is always a good idea to test out alternatives before making a purchase.
The following is a list that we have compiled of the six best alternatives to Burp Suite:
1. The Invicti (ACCESS FREE DEMO) As a result of the inclusion of a mode for development testing, this vulnerability scanner is an outstanding alternative to both the Burp suite Professional and the Burp suite Enterprise. It is also possible to use the tool to carry out tests in the context of a penetration testing scenario. On the other hand, it does not include any manual testing systems, which means that it cannot be considered a comprehensive replacement for Burp Suite Community Edition. The development testing capabilities of Invicti include DAST, IAST, and SAST testing scenarios, which can be used to exercise code both from the outside and from the inside. In addition to that, CI/CD pipelines can take advantage of this system’s ability to perform continuous testing of Web applications. Last but not least, when Invicti is being used for vulnerability scanning, it is able to orchestrate responses with other on-site security tools. The installation of this system is available for both Windows and Windows Server, and it is also offered as a platform that can be accessed through SaaS. Submit an application to gain access to a free trial account so that you can investigate Invicti.
2. Acunetix (ACCESS FREE DEMO) This package can be purchased in one of three different editions, which closely corresponds to the Burp Suite system’s structure. This system is not so much a manual testing tool as it is an automated security testing service with scans. A network’s internal security can be scanned with it, and it can also be used to test Web applications that are accessible from the outside. It provides a vulnerability scanning mode that would be utilised by IT operations technicians as well as a continuous testing option that is appropriate for CI/CD pipelines. You will receive DAST and SAST as part of this package, giving you access to a comprehensive IAST service. Testing scenarios are run on code and from an external viewpoint. Acunetix is available both as a software as a service (SaaS) platform and as a software package that can be installed on operating systems such as Windows, macOS, or Linux. To get a better feel for Acunetix, you can test it out using a demo account.
3. Metasploit This testing system is a very close rival to Burp Suite in terms of competition. Both a free edition known as the Metasploit Framework and a paid edition known as the Metasploit Pro are available to users. While the Pro edition is more of an automated tool for vulnerability scanning, the Framework version is more of a suite of tools that are used for penetration testing. On the other hand, it does contain some facilities for manual attacks. Both versions begin with a list of 1,500 known exploits that concentrate on the vulnerabilities of web applications as their target. Your server needs to have both versions of Metasploit installed, and the software packages can be obtained for Windows, macOS, and Linux. In addition, you have the option to obtain a free trial of Metasploit Pro for a period of fourteen days.
4. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus This is the most advanced vulnerability scanner available, and it is designed specifically for IP operations departments. This scanner will check for potential system vulnerabilities every 90 minutes, and it also includes modules that will automatically repair your system in order to make it more secure. A vulnerability manager, a risk assessor, a patch manager, a file integrity monitor, and a configuration manager are also components of this system. This is especially helpful when defending an existing business system that is currently in operation. This is a bundled piece of software that can be installed on Windows as well as Windows Server. A free trial of Vulnerability Manager Plus can be obtained for a period of 30 days.
5. Sqlmap This free command-line utility has a great reputation and is widely used by hackers and penetration testers alike. Because of this, it is a good alternative for Burp Suite Community Edition. You might get the impression that this is not the same standard as Burp Suite because there is no graphical user interface (GUI). Nevertheless, the insights into database-linked Web applications that can be gained through the use of this tool are unparalleled. This utility also provides research and attack facilities, such as identifying databases and breaking passwords, among other things. Windows, macOS, and Linux are all supported platforms for installing Sqlmap.
6. Ettercap This is a free software package that is comparable to Burp Suite Community Edition in its functionality. However, despite the fact that the tool has its own graphical user interface (GUI), this is essentially just a modified version of the Command Prompt window. Ettercap is a tool that provides many different attack methods and can be used to conduct research into Web applications as a target. Because it redirects Web traffic by assuming the role of the network gateway and allows man-in-the-middle attack type scenarios, Ettercap can only be effective if it is launched within a network. This is one of the problems with using Ettercap. Ettercap is compatible with Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, and Windows 7, as well as Windows 8. It is not compatible with macOS or Windows 10 at this time.
