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- Contrast Assess
Contrast Assess
Pleasanton, California, United States
What it is
Contrast Assess is an Interactive Application Security Testing tool that analyzes running applications for security risks. An agent instruments application code with sensors to monitor execution, data flow, and configuration in real time. Assess combines static, dynamic, and interactive testing approaches, examining libraries, frameworks, custom code, HTTP requests and responses, and back-end connections. It can identify vulnerabilities in code, libraries, frameworks, and configurations, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and insecure configurations. Results include vulnerability lists with remediation guidance, application scores, route coverage, flow maps, and compliance and policy reporting. The tool continuously monitors applications and APIs and is designed to give developers and AppSec teams feedback in IDE, test, and QA environments. Integration with Contrast SCA can identify third-party library vulnerabilities and determine whether vulnerable methods are called by a running application. Supported languages include Java, Kotlin, Scala, .NET Framework, .NET Core, C#, VB.NET, Node.js, Python, Go, and PHP. Contrast states that source code and binaries remain on customer servers. Assess supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows environments; pricing is on request, and hosted and on-premises customers require application licenses.
For and against
For
- Monitors applications and APIs continuously.
- Provides remediation guidance and route coverage.
- Supports a broad set of named languages.
- Integrates with Contrast SCA for runtime library context.
- Source code and binaries stay on customer servers.
Against
- Pricing is available on request.
- Hosted and on-premises customers require application licenses.
- Requires an agent to instrument running applications.
The verdict
Contrast Assess combines runtime instrumentation with vulnerability reporting and developer workflow feedback. Teams should account for its agent-based approach, application-license requirement, and request-based pricing when evaluating it.
Who it suits
Assess is intended for developers and AppSec teams working in IDE, test, and QA environments. It may suit teams seeking runtime application analysis alongside remediation guidance and reporting.
On the record
- Analysis coverage
- Assess analyzes libraries, frameworks, custom code, configuration information, runtime control and data flow, HTTP requests and responses, and back-end connections.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Assess CLI platforms
- The Assess CLI uses configuration paths for macOS and Linux and for Windows, and supports Java, Node.js, .NET, Python and Go agents.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- CLI operating systems
- Assess CLI configuration documentation lists MacOS, Linux and Windows paths.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Cloud security
- Contrast says its services and data are hosted in AWS facilities in the United States, Europe, the UK and Japan, and notes AWS assurance programs including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Data handling
- When using Contrast Assess, source code and binaries never leave the customer’s servers.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Detection coverage
- The agent analyzes libraries, frameworks, custom code, configuration information, runtime control and data flow, HTTP requests and responses, and back-end connections.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Developer and AppSec use
- Contrast Assess is designed for both developers and AppSec teams, including use in IDE, test and QA environments.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Developer workflow
- Assess is designed for developers and AppSec teams, providing actionable feedback and remediation guidance in IDE, test and QA environments.contrastsecurity.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- External assessments
- Contrast says a third party performs an external network and cloud security assessment quarterly and an external AppSec assessment annually.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Hosting and encryption
- Contrast hosts its security application services and data on AWS facilities in the United States, Europe, UK and Japan, with data encrypted in transit and at rest.contrastsecurity.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- IAST method
- Assess uses an agent with sensors that monitor application code execution, data flow and configuration in real time.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Documented integrations include Amazon Security Lake, AWS Security Hub, ServiceNow, Wiz, Azure DevOps, GitHub, Jira, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jenkins, Maven, Gradle, Eclipse, IntelliJ, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, PagerDuty and Splunk.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Jenkins controls
- The Contrast Jenkins plugin can add application-security gates that fail or mark a Jenkins job unstable for a vulnerable application.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- License model
- Hosted and on-premises customers require application licenses for Assess.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Contrast Assess identifies hidden application vulnerabilities by continuously analyzing code in real time for security risks.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Reporting features
- Assess provides vulnerability lists with remediation guidance, application scores, route coverage, flow maps, and compliance and policy reporting.docs.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Runtime monitoring
- Contrast Assess continuously monitors applications and APIs for real-time security assessments and identifies vulnerabilities without scanning delays.contrastsecurity.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Runtime SCA context
- Assess integrates with Contrast SCA to identify known third-party-library vulnerabilities and determine whether vulnerable methods are actually called by the running application.contrastsecurity.com · read 1 Oct 2026
