XBOW

What XBOW does

XBOW automates offensive security testing for web applications. Traditional penetration tests take weeks to schedule, weeks to execute, and cost between $15,000 and $50,000 for a mid-scope engagement. XBOW does the same work in under 5 business days, starting at $4,000.

The key difference from a vulnerability scanner is validation. XBOW agents don't just flag potential issues — they run actual proof-of-concept exploits in a safety-controlled environment to confirm exploitability before including anything in the report. What you get isn't a list of theoretical risks; it's a list of confirmed vulnerabilities with working exploit scripts and step-by-step remediation.

Compliance use case

SOC2 Type II, ISO 27001, and several other frameworks require periodic penetration testing as a control. XBOW's reports are structured to satisfy these requirements, which is why Vanta integrated it directly into their compliance platform in August 2025. Startups going through their first SOC2 audit can now run a compliant pentest without hiring a security firm.

Who uses it

Startups and mid-market companies that need regular pentests for compliance or customer requirements but don't have the budget or relationships for a traditional security firm. Security teams that want continuous attack surface validation rather than annual point-in-time tests.

Limitations

XBOW covers web application attack surfaces. It doesn't replace network pentests, cloud configuration reviews, or mobile app assessments. For organizations with complex business logic or proprietary protocols, a human-led engagement may catch things XBOW misses.